Why is litter a problem?

Man-made litter is known to produce harmful effects on the enviorment for various reasons. Although they appear to differ greatly, we begin to discover their similrities as the damage they cause to the enviroment becomes more evident.

Effects of Litter

Litter directly and indirectly effects many ecosystems. From aquatic life to rodents to human lives, it can be detremental to all species alike.

First we begin by discussing the effects of littering on humans. Littering directly effects the economy and quality of life. As long as people litter, there will be people who must pick it up and despite what we often see portrayed on television, it isn't done as community service. City workers are forced to spend a majority of their time cleaning up streets and picking up litter from ditches, parks, highways an any other creavases in the city where waste can accumulate. This is taxpayer money going directly to picking up garbage instead of other deserving programs. A City of Windsor worker wrote when reacting to the amount of litter produced in the city, " I've been workin for the city for the past two summers snd the amount of litter we're forced to clean all the time is disgusting".

Aside from the economical aspect of having to clean up litter, having waste surrounding the streets directly effects a human's quality of life though living situations as well as creates the potential for health issues. In a case study conducted by students in Montanta State University, the following was found about how plastc found in the pasific ocean was affecting the health of humans. As a result of the litter being dumped into the ocean, plastic toxins are released into the water and ingested by oceanic creatures. These creatures, mainly fish are then ingested by humans for food, transfering any illness contained within the fish onto the human.

Littering also effects animals in all capacities. Aside from chemical poisoning caused by toxins that are released into the ocean, animals injest garbage constanly as they mistake it for food. This then can cause the animals to become gravley ill adn infested with deasease wich is then passed down the food chain. An example of this is cigarette butts which are frequently disposed of on the street. these are small enough for animals such as birds and squirrels to injest and become gravely ill as a result. The following image and video, though disturbing, provide a visual example as to what exactly is being referenced when dicussing animals being directly harmed by the garbaged left by humans. (It also explains the star and turtle convesation you saw at the begining of our journey!