International Coastal Clean Up Day Inspires Ocean Aid Event

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Sept. 21, 2015 - PRLog -- People and all kinds of groups participated in Ocean Conservacy International Coastal Clean Up Day by packing up and heading to a local beach or waterway and picking up trash that had collected on the coast or shoreline.  It is a rewarding activity for family, friends, co workers, church or scout groups.  When you add up the millions of pounds these groups help pick up, it is easy to see how much of a difference is made.

Unfortunately efforts need to be yearlong.  Algalita.org reported that the Los Angeles watershed alone dumps as much as 2.3 BILLION plastic fragments EVERY 72 HOURS with no end in sight.  That is why meetings were held in Honolulu, Oahu this past week to start the planning for an OCEAN AID Music-Film-Art Festival for September 2016 to raise money, educate the public, help encourage volunteers, and provide great entertainment and fun in the beautiful state of Hawaii.

Captain Hayden Smith from Sea Cleaners knows just how bad the problem is and why he dedicated his life to cleaning up the ocean and its shoreline in New Zealand on a daily basis.  Thanks to sponsors and volunteers who gladly come with him on his boat to different coastline locations in New Zealand they have collected over 3.4 million liters of trash since 2002.

He explained the scope of the problem to Smart Health Talk Radio Host Elaine McFadden, MPH, RD during an interview in Oahu, Hawaii.  Their efforts focus mainly on the coastlines and shorelines because they're like nets that capture the billions of pieces of plastic.  According to Captain Smith, “The coastline is where you find the largest amount of debris, and are therefore the best places to concentrate clean up efforts using the least amount of resources such as fuel.

The reason Captain Smith was in Oahu from New Zealand was to help coordinate awareness for both the coastal clean up effort during Ocean Conservancy's Coastal Clean Up Day which fell on September 19th this year, and to meet with local policy makers and concert organizers to start the planning for an OCEAN AID event.

Event organizers such as those that put on the hugely popular Coachella, California music and art festival have been glad to get involved as they know they are using their skills and connections for a worthwhile cause.  By including top musicians as well as film and other local Hawaiian artists, OCEAN AID could not only be the party of the year with an estimated 30,000 - 40,000 people in attendance, but with the added social media focus could reach more people globally than any event in history!

Activities will be centered in a beautiful park near Waikiki Beach where people will be in walking distance to all kinds of hotels, restaurants, shops, and fun in the sun.  Attendees will be encouraged to share what they are seeing and learning with their friends on social media and to leave posts on the OCEAN AID website as a central hub where all can come to participate even if they cannot attend.

Keep checking back to the SeaCleaners.com and OCEAN AID websites for updates. Smart Health Talk plans to cover this event and provide updates as well.

The Ocean Conservancy Coastal Clean Up Day was officially September 19th, but with mountains of trash going into the ocean 24-7 and then collecting on our shorelines, it is not hard to figure out that a daily effort like what Captain Smith does in New Zealand with the help of sponsors and volunteers, needs to done now!  Beaches, lakes and streams are all important as all lead to the ocean!

When plastic does breakdown it becomes “Micro Particles” so NEVER GOES AWAY, but can end up in the fish on your plate.  Captain Charles Moore from Algalita, known for discovering the Pacific Garbage Patch which is a huge area in the Pacific Ocean that because of currents brings plastic and trash debris together both on the surface, and more importantly underwater creating a “plastic soup” mixture that is also a death trap for marine life warns that we are killing entire layers of the oceans food chain and the repercussions could be devastating.

In the interview now on YouTube under “Elaine McFadden” and on our website SmartHealthTalk.com Captain Smith tells of a turtle that was found on the other side of the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand with 162 pieces of plastic in his stomach and three pieces had well known New Zealand logos on them!  He said they are not sure if the plastic or the turtle traveled across the Pacific Ocean, but the discovery was disturbing that such a small country like New Zealand could have such a big impact on polluting the ocean.

The greatest power is in the hands of the consumer.  When we collectively send the message that a product is not acceptable because of plastic packaging, chemicals, and toxins the company has to listen after they see a drop in the bottom line.

The ocean never stops moving so this is a global issue where boarders have no meaning.  We all need our oceans to stay healthy and clean.

Our interview with Captain Hayden Smith from Sea Cleaners will be aired September 22, 2015 on KCAARadio.com @ 7:00 pm PST.  Anyone can tune in live by going to the radio website and clicking on USTEAM or TuneIn.  You can listen even without the internet by calling (832) 999-1050.  Inland Empire California residents can tune in through their radios on 1050 AM or 106.5 FM.