What can I do.

I was on the freeway going from my desert town to the San Fernando Valley when I noticed the unthinkable.

There were bottles and cans lining the freeway. They were strewn about as if they belonged there.

"How had I not noticed these things before?" I asked myself.

"How can someone just throw these things out onto the freeway?" I asked myself.

The answer was appalling. t's not noticeable because it's everywhere. It's like second nature for some people to throw any and everything out of their car or truck window onto the freeway or any empty stretch of roadway.

As I was stuck in traffic I seriously considered putting my car in park, getting out and picking up every single piece of litter of the freeway. Then common sense got to me.
"That's too dangerous." I thought.

Then pessimism crept in, "So what if you do? It's just going to be littered up tomorrow. People don't care about the planet."

I pushed those thoughts from my mind and then wondered, "What can I do?"

What can I do to make a difference? I'm not doing enough. I can always do more.

So...what can I do?

I could sign up for or even start an organization that targets litter on California roadways. I know the litter removal program in California is in effect but it only targets 10 percent of litter going into Southern California storm drains. It doesn't encompass the many freeways and highways in the Central Valley and Desert towns in California.

That is helpful, but is it enough?

What else can I do?

I can rally a group of friends who want to target freeways and perhaps highways or even city streets, to clean up the polluted areas of the 14fwy, the 5fwy, the 405 fwy, Pacific Coast HWY, the 101 fwy, and any other freeway that one of us may be driving on at any given point in time.

I can inform people about what I have seen, ask them for support and hope they are as eco-conscious as I am, or at least concerned about the future of our planet.

I can make sure that everyone I know never uses the freeway or highway as their own private disposal site. Especially since I know the location of 7 recycling centers.

I can utilize my campus recycling facilities for a place to take any unwanted or unneeded "anything" that is recyclable.

I know what I want to do. I want to do everything that I have mentioned. I want to make sure that I am active in changing the face or our freeways and highways. I want to beautify our roadways and be sure that the only thing on the side of the freeway is the natural scenery that mother earth provided for her commuters to enjoy.

I want to make sure that my son doesn't say, "Hey mommy. Someone threw their soda can out there. Can I throw my (insert noun here) out there too?"

I am always interested in hearing ideas as to how to make the world a better place. Remember, we are the ones who have to live here.

Would you want trash in your house? I wouldn't, so I'm going to make sure it's not in my back yard either.