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During my morning beach walk the week of July 4th, I ran into our trusted patrol officer, Steve. No one knows the beach better. He is on the sand most every day 12 months of the year. We had a brief chat and I asked him what he had found on the beach so far. “Balloons and more balloons” he bemoaned. I then asked him how many. His response: “Only about 15,… Read More
In the new Spider-Man Homecoming movie, our spidey hero turns off the “Instant Kill” mode on his suit because he wants to stop harm, not add to it. Unfortunately, however, Spider-Man balloons inspired by the film are now blowing into our oceans and their webs of plastic and string are likely to actually kill. The picture featured in this post was taken this morning on a Martha’s Vineyard beach. Ironically, our family… Read More
The America’s Cup is arguably the most prestigious, glamorous and well-funded ocean event in the world. What an opportunity the Cup has to highlight the importance of keeping our oceans clean. Unfortunately, the America’s Cup blew it by allowing balloons to blow. As we point out at Clean Up Oceans, plastic – and balloons in particular – are one of the largest problems facing our oceans. When we mention this to our… Read More
The America’s Cup. The most prestigous and glamorous sailing event in the world. It brings those passionate about sailing and the sea together with big business and serious advertising. At the last America’s Cup, the contest was particularly exciting. The match was the longest on record both in calendar time, and the number of races, with the U.S.’s Golden Gate Yacht Club staging an improbable come-from-behind victory, winning eight races in a… Read More
Curious George A lovable cartoon figure and book that many children (including mine) love. What is not so lovely, however, is a washed up Curious George balloon on a beach. The picture on the left was taken early this morning on South Beach on Martha’s Vineyard. George was the first balloon I found. Being curious like George you might ask, “but what is the real harm in a party balloon on the… Read More
We are fortunate to be back on Martha’s Vineyard and, as I do most mornings on the island, I took the dog for an early morning walk on South Beach in Edgartown. The top picture was my initial view this morning at the start. Just lovely. Unfortunately, as I looked more closely, I found a familiar sight. Balloons. The pictures on the bottom row were also taken this morning on the same… Read More
This week a prominent New England community finally heard the message and banned balloons to protect the ocean and marine life. Bravo Nantucket!! According to a story in the Boston Globe, Scott Leonard, director of operations at the Nantucket Marine Mammal Conservation Program, worked on the proposal for two years. Nantucket Passes Ban on Helium Balloons – Boston Globe, April 8th, 2015 As Leonard said in the article, stray balloons may seem like they’ve… Read More