This week, we welcome a change of season.
The temperature is rising, the sky is blue and all that rain has left our hills a vibrant green. I don’t remember the last time I saw all this color in Hong Kong.
Thoughts turn to the beach on this first day of summer.
Fortunately, there is a growing number of groups who use frustration as fuel when reaching the shores only to find heaps of plastic rubbish floating in the water and covering the sand. Not content to find a clean patch, they are leading crews of volunteers and cleaning up.
Our members collected tonnes of waste from beaches and shorelines this past weekend alone — plastic straws and bottles, supermarket and restaurant packaging, medical waste and ghost nets, long abandoned by fishermen but still doing their job of catching and killing marine life.
As the plastic continues to wash down from the hills, these volunteers return to the city thinking twice before entering a temple of convenience where every single product is packaged in disposable, single-serving sizes.
Before there were many, there was one. 16 years ago, Lisa Christensen signed up a local crew for the International Coastal Cleanup and now she inspires thousands every year with HK Cleanup. Today, there is a growing number of local organizations devoted to the plastic problem. One of our own has directed a Plastic Oceans, new film aimed at changing world views while another, Ocean Recovery Alliance, has launched the Global Alert Platform as part of the Plastic Disclosure Project. Our Sea Shepherd, Gary Stokes, recruited his brother Ed Stokes and together they launched The Last Straw movement. Since I watched the video showing plastic straws with fishy bite marks, I haven’t used one.
Be part of the solution this Saturday and join the Aberdeen Harbour Cleanup where organizers have convinced our friends at Simpson Marine, Aberdeen Boat Club and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to sponsor fuel, dinghies and drivers. Volunteers will collect trash and create a spontaneous art installation including polystyrene painting to get a closer look at our wasteful human habits.
With all this local activity, I will continue to do my best to let you know how you can contribute — get in touch with our members whose passion is marine conservation and don’t hesitate to pick up a few things the next time you hit the beach.
Plastic is designed to be durable and our economic decision to make it disposable is simply mind blowing. When we leave our affluent bubble and enter any community where money is scarce, we see recycling in abundance.
After completing the 2 week plastic challenge, I was astonished by my own habits that were revealed in the exercise. While the volume was not great, the impact was huge. I realized that nearly all the plastic I used contained junk food and convenience products that aren’t good for me or the ecosystem. My shopping habits have shifted and I am still unable to throw out the waste I collected.
Awareness is growing at a pace and in the absence of sufficient local recycling facilities, we will continue to rely on innovative entrepreneurs to crunch the numbers and turn plastic into gold.
The time has come to change the way we value our habits.
How will you switch from plastic to real?
Naturally,
Founder & Publisher
www.heartbeat.com.hk
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Everything is connected.
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Events in Hong Kong this month
22 (7:30-9:30pm) Crystal Wisdom
23 (8-9am) Eat Healthy. Be Social
23 (6:30-8:30pm) Introduction to Ayurveda
23 (6:30-8:30pm) Guided Meditation
23 (7-10pm) Mind Lab
23 (8pm) Helping the Homeless Jordan
24-26 Drum Circle Training with Arthur Hull
25 (10am-4pm) Aberdeen Harbour Cleanup
25 (10am-5pm) Meditation Retreat
25 (2-8pm) Chakra Attunement Workshop
25 (2:30-4:30pm) Meat Free Lunch at Veggie Family
25 (7-10pm) Buddhafest Online Film Festival Screening
25-26 (9am-9pm) IRIS: Your Escape with ManulifeMOVE
27 (6-11pm) The Collective’s Table
28 (8pm) Helping the Homeless Sham Shui Po
Coming up …
Jul 17 (2-3:30pm) Community Drum Jam at the Harbour
Nov 24-26 Smart Mobility in Smart City
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Angela Hancock – Health and Wellness Coach – organic nutritional program > details
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Hong Kong’s only natural network connects individuals, businesses and organizations, shares fresh content and authentic connections for clean, green, healthy living products, services and programs. With everything from acupuncture to zero-waste solutions, our members have everything you’re looking for — even when you’re not sure what you’re looking for — chemical-free health and beauty, lifestyle services, whole food, sustainable fashion, eco-style, green gadgets and more … naturally.
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