Plastic Bag Monster Reckoning 2011

photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy


If you have visited Mama gnome's garden before, you might have read about the old mother gnome's nemesis.

Yes...even the name itself fills Mama gnome's heart with dread and a good case of the heebie jeebies.

Mama gnome's nemesis is none other than...Plastic Bag Monster.

Here is one frightful portrait picture of a small fraction of its countless minions:
photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy

Mama gnome has fought against the Plastic Bag Monster several times...on the beach(Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster) and in the desert during the famous battle of Operation Desert Cleanup.

But alas...time and time again, Plastic Bag Monster regenerates and grows and meets with its allies: plastic bags, plastic cups, styrofoam cups, styrofoam plates, plastic forks, plastic spoons, plastic straws...and don't forget those soda lids, and fill in the blank plastic_______.

Together they multiply and multiply...disintegrating into tiny pieces... and swimming in their own pools of giant garbage patches...their own evil lairs.

One of the more famous ones is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"In 2009, 60 percent of the debris collected and cataloged consisted of single-use, disposable items. Volunteers picked up 1.1 million plastic bags. And enough cups, plates, knives, forks, and spoons for a picnic for 100,000 people."

It's not a picnic for our oceans to be choked up by our throw away plastic bags, spoons, forks, knives.

People have become so reliant on disposable, one time use plastic utensils, plastic bags, styrofoam take out containers...Mama gnome wonders how did humans ever survive without them. But the important question is: How can we survive with them?

Please save the date, September 17, 2011, Saturday, for the annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Please visit these websites to read up about Plastic Bag Monster's heinous crimes and what gnomes and humans can do to fight back.

Ocean Conservancy

Heal the Bay

California Coastal Commission

Ocean Conservancy is an international organization that had 152 countries participating in last year's coastal cleanup day. So you can participate wherever you are.

You can even start your own cleanup project and register it on their website.

Please watch this video by Ocean Conservancy:


video by: oceanconservancy

Besides participating in the cleanup, let us defeat the Plastic Bag Monster by several easy strategies:

• Bring reusable bags to stores. If you forget your reusable bag, if you can, just handcarry your merchandise and make sure you have your receipt ready.
• Say no to disposable, one time use plastic frou frou: plastic utensils. Treat yourself and your family and use the real thing. How awesome is that?
• Say no to takeout boxes for leftovers at restaurants and bring your own. Impress your server by your ingenuity and scare the heck out of styrofoam little monster containers.
• Instead of using those tiny throwaway zipthingey bags, use reusable little containers.
• Instead of purchasing a small minion, i.e. a case of plastic water bottles, use that money to purchase reusable Bph free water bottles.
  
• Invest a few minutes to think about what you will need before you go out for a picnic or go to the store or to the restaurant, and see what reusable items you can bring (reusable bags, your own water bottles, your own reusable containers for leftovers, etc.), so you can avoid using throw away plastic frou frou. Just a few minutes of planning, will save our oceans and planet years of plastic minion trash.
  

Please become an ecowarrior. Help fight the Plastic Bag Monster.

Please be a supporter for planet earth and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gnomemart Versus Plastic Bag Monster

Mama gnome will not forget the first time she brought reusable bags to gnomemart.

The gum-chewing cashier raised an eyebrow and gave Mama gnome a suspicious look.

She double checked Mama gnome's license.

That truly is Mama gnome's height...and weight.

But soon, Mama gnome will have the last laugh because gnomemart has joined the fight against the bane of her existence, Plastic Bag Monster.

photo from: plasticdebris.org

A couple of weeks ago, Mama gnome went to gnomemart and after she placed her reusable bags on the conveyor belt for the groceries, the cashier smiled at Mama gnome and said, "Ahhh...Smart gnome."

Mama gnome looked around and saw she was the only gnome standing amidst the humans and she asked, "Why do you say such mystical things human?"

Cashier said, "Because we're going to be charging for the plastic bags."

Mama gnome's vision turned hazy but she managed to mumble, "When?"

"Maybe next month."

Only because Mama gnome felt faintish, otherwise she would've been whooping and hollering.

Just in California alone, 19 billion plastic bags are used by humans every year and out of that 19 billion plastic bags a measly 5 percent gets recycled.

The other 95 percent of 19 billion become minions of Plastic Bag Monster where they lounge around in their not so secret lair, Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

photo from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/64/North_Pacific_Gyre_World_Map.png


So when Mama gnome heard the cashier's comment, she welcomes this new ally, this gnomemart.

Here is their battle plan against the fiendish beast.

They call it the Plastic Bag Initiative.

A worthy name for a worthy cause.

Their mission: "to eliminate more than 135 million pounds of plastic shopping bag waste globally"
and gnomemart gets the extra benefits of...

"...reduce our plastic bag waste by the equivalent of 9 billion bags, avoid producing 290,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases and prevent consuming the equivalent of 678,000 barrels of oil every year."

Mama gnome proudly presents her license to any gnomemart cashier.

Really, that is her height...and weight...

She'd gotten heavier with her heart so full, a heart gone green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome takes on Plastic Bag Monster

Mama gnome takes a deep breath and braces herself.

For this coming Saturday, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009

a great, momentous battle awaits the mother gnome.

Her foe is a mighty beast, a heathen of a monster, not from this earth.

No it does not breath air nor possess a heart.

But it lives.

It is the Plastic Bag Monster, a creature that plagues our oceans, our lands, our children, our animals and plants.


photo from: plasticdebris.org

It is a monster who aims to destroy everything on its path to its home, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Or as Mama gnome calls it, the Great Pacific Garbage Monster.

There it will unite forces with other plastic bag monsters, soda can monsters, water bottle monsters, styrofoam monsters and other unnatural unliving creatures who claim dominion over our oceans, our land, our planet Earth.

What chance does Mama gnome have in defeating such an enemy?

Mama gnome sighs and bows her head. Yes, the chance is quite small. But it's all she's got.

And she'll take that tiny, sliver of a chance and run away with it,

for our planet's very existence is at stake.

If this Plastic Bag Monster triumphs and no one stands up to it, hundreds and thousands of marine animals and seabirds will continue to perish, be mutilated and die slow painful deaths.

If no one stands up to it, our oceans, rivers, the water that we drink to live, will continue to be mired with toxins and pollutants.

If no one stands up to it, our Earth, our beautiful planet Earth, would be left on her own, undefended.

So rally with me, fellow gnomes and humans, join me in this great battle, this momentous day on September 19, 2009.

Tis a memorable day dubbed forth by Earth's defenders as:

Coastal Cleanup Day

This is a worldwide event.

Visit Ocean Conservancy for clean up sites in the world.

Visit Heal the Bay or California Coastal Commission for clean up sites in California.

Just follow the links and type in the country, city you live in and it will show you the closest beach, river, park you can venture forth to battle against the Plastic Bag Monster.

United we will defeat this unnatural creature and we will set our planet free.

All you need is a staunch heart, maybe a couple of gloves and sunblock lotion in case it gets too hot.

And in the name of everything sustainable, do not bring water housed in plastic water bottles,
for the Plastic Bag Monster will see them as a sign of weakness and will call forth on its minions, i.e., the plastic water bottles you're hiding in your thin plastic bags.
Nay, do not falter my human friend.

To ensure our victory, here are other pre and post-battle strategies you can engage in everyday:

• When you go shopping and if they ask you paper or plastic, say 'neither' and hold up your own wonderful reusable bags.
• Limit or avoid using plastic water bottles. A lot of them end up in the ocean and the by-products of green house emissions from their production outweigh their value. Use your own glass or metal container which will last and hopefully not end up in our oceans.
• Use eco-friendly products especially for household cleaning, dish washing and laundry. Less contaminants will leach into the ground or go into runoffs that will end up in our oceans.
• Support sustainable fishing methods by checking where the fish you eat comes from.
• Support plastic bag bans. An average American uses 500 plastic bags annually. That's billions annually. Trillions worldwide. And according to Heal the Bay only a small percentage of plastic bags get recycled, only 1% to 4%. Mama gnome knows exactly where the 96-99% of plastic bags are hanging out. Cough. Great Pacific Garbage Patch!
• When you dine out, bring your own food containers for left overs. If you don't, you take the chance of bringing home styrofoam containers, ie. Plastic Bag Monster's allies.
  

Mama gnome has faith in you brave human. Together victory will be ours!

And to you Plastic Bag Monster,

Mama gnome says, "Come forth and face me for I have brought...it...on."

Go Green!

(c) 2009 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome is happy to present her favorite land animal,

the Mystery Animal of the Day.

Its scientific name is Ursus Maritimus.

It is native within the Arctic Circle, its surrounding waters and land masses.

Global warming is listed as the most significant threat to this animal.

If your guess is Polar Bear, Mama gnome wants to give you a giant bear hug and she chants her motto, "Save Energy! Save the Polar Bears!"


photo from Alan D. Wilson, naturepicsonline.com

Polar bears share the title of largest bear with the Kodiak bear.

They are excellent swimmers as you can see here:

video from: BBCWorldwide


Polar bears are well insulated by their thick fur, blubber and hide. They overheat if the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius.

According to the IUCN, "If climatic trends continue polar bears may become extirpated from most of their range within 100 years."

Polar bears are also threatened by:

"...toxic contaminants, shipping, recreational viewing, oil and gas exploration and development. In addition to this comes a potential risk of over-harvest due to increased quotas, excessive quotas or no quotas in Canada and Greenland and poaching in Russia."

Mama gnome imagines you protest and say,

Global warming? Toxic contaminant? Oil exploration? That's crazy? When did I ever explore for oil or use toxic contaminants or warm a globe?

Mama gnome answers,

Every day we make decisions or perform actions that contribute to or lessen global warming, contribute to or lessen toxic wastes, contribute to or lessen oil exploration and development.

In the near future, our actions and decisions will produce an effect, a global effect that will either "extirpate" the polar bears or support their existence.



video from: NationalWildlife


What can we do today to help save the Polar Bears? I thought you'd never ask.

• Chant daily mantra of "save energy, save polar bears" to guide you
  
• Save electricity (don't use the clothes dryer, use compact fluorescent light bulbs, use energy efficient appliances, turn off lights and appliances not being used, etc.)
• Drive less
  
• Eat less meat
• Use ecofriendly products to lessen toxic contaminants
• Use reusable bags
• Support plastic ban bags
• Visit World Wildlife Federation
• Participate in the annual Coastal Cleanup Day . The next one is on September 19, 2009
• Adopt a Polar Bear
• Give the gift of Trees. For each card you purchase and gift to someone, a tree will be planted in a national forest in their honor
  
• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Educate your family, friends, neighbors, strangers about these issues

Mama gnome feels like daily consumption of peanut butter has provided her with enough blubber to survive in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean. There she will help guard the polar bears from hunters and toxic pollution.

You need to thicken your hide and blubber by staying on land and fight off Global Warming.

Go green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Romantic Long Walks at the Beach...

Mama gnome muses, "What can be more romantic than walking at the beach, the waves lapping at her gnome feet and the ocean breeze fanning Mama gnome's face?"

How about walking with a giant trash bag while Mama gnome participates in "what may be the largest volunteer day in the planet."

Yes, very romantic indeed.

Coastal Cleanup Day is coming up on September 19,2009.

In Southern California, it is coordinated by
Heal the Bay and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

Coastal Cleanup Day is an international event. Ocean Conservancy reports 60 countries have participated last year.

Please check with your local government where you can participate.

Please visit Heal the Bay or Ocean Conservancy for clean up sites, their rules for what to pick up and what to leave alone as well as how to safely pick up trash especially if your children will be going with you.

Here is an example of love gone awry.


video from: AnimalPlanetTV


Reusable bags are more romantic and cooler than those thin, plastic bags that end up in the oceans or in landfills or in our streets. And in that case, they all end up in the ocean anyway.

Mama gnome will never forget the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or as Mama gnome calls it on the blog The Great Pacific Garbage Monster, a self-made monstrous island of humankind's trash including tons of plastic bags, out in the Pacific Ocean.

That Monster breaks Mama gnome's heart, not to mention kill countless marine animals and seabirds.

Please help keep our oceans clean.

Be romantic all the time and stay green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

"Reach for the skies, lady. Hand me your bag."

Mama gnome went to Gnomemart and purchased groceries for the gnome household.
After Mama gnome filled the cart with essentials such as peanut butter cup ice cream and chocolate, she went to the cashier.

Mama gnome said, "Hi."

A gum chewing sales associate eyed Mama gnome and said, "Hi..."

Mama gnome asked, "Is it okay if we use my bags for the groceries?"

"You want to what?"

"Use my bags." Mama gnome held up her two giant reusable bags.

Gum chewing sales associate shrugged her shoulders.

Mama gnome didn't know what that meant.

Did it mean:

a. You're weird. b. What planet are you from? c. Who cares? d. I hate my job.

After Mama gnome swiped her card to pay, Gum lady, started filling up Mama gnome's reusable bags!

When she finished, Mama gnome said, "Thanks! Have a nice day."

Gum lady smiled and said, "You too."

True story. It didn't start out as a pleasant experience. People in line stared at me. But I pushed the cart out of there without a plastic bag in sight.

It's a daily struggle to be green, isn't it? It's so much easier to be complacent and just go with the flow. But sometimes, people step out of their comfort zone and dare to be different.

Nanette, a cousin gnome, pointed this article to Mama gnome.

So people do try and try hard. That's what's important, keep trying.

And this is what happens when a BUNCH OF PEOPLE really try hard.

They have saved "the equivalent of 1.6 million tonnes of oil."

Their efforts have "saved the country 40 BILLION PLASTIC BAGS." Astounding.

40 billion plastic bags kept out of landfills, streets, rivers and oceans.

But the bad news. It's not enough. Nowhere near enough. It was reported that:

"There are now 46,000 pieces of plastic per square kilometre of the world's oceans, killing a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year."

So reach for the skies, reach for the stars and go green.

"REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE."

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog