I truly believe that “MISSION CLEAN FENCE” that I have undertaken in the last year has made our kibbutz a ‘Better Place’ as the sign near the entrance says.
For many years my medical advice to countless patients has been to exercise for half an hour a day or four hours a week to maintain health, prevent diseases, to keep you fit for a better quality of life in the coming years. So having retired I have taken my own advice and started to walk along the fence of the kibbutz only to drown in garbage, plastic, cartons and one- time- use- cups, ichza.
Everyday we are informed by the media about global warming and an outlook that is not encouraging for humanity, meaning my grandchildren and their children. I am absolutely convinced that we must start close to home, my home is on the Kibbutz and I want to show my grandchildren that even a 70-year-old woman can make a difference, if she wants to.
BEFORE
For the last year since last Earth Day (22nd April), I have walked along the kibbutz fence 3-4 times a week and have gathered as much garbage as I could lay my hands on, in my rough estimate it has added up to more than 50 jeeps full of large garbage (thank you, My Dear for helping), 540 garbage bags have been thrown into the big green garbage bins and importantly been removed from the kibbutz, 15 towels (once white) have been sent to laundry.
MY DEAR HELPED BY ALLOWING HIS JEEP TO GET VERY DIRTY
Along the fence there are a few corners where garbage tends to accumulate in layers, there I found up to ten layers, it was like an archeological excavation, I found letters from Sagiv dated from 1999 and 2002.
BEFORE AN ARCHEOLOGICAL EXACAVATION
THIS MORNING CLEAN there were ten layers of garbage
I have yet to experience a walk without any garbage to pick up, the smallest amount I have gathered was half a bag on a morning everything was wet from the rain in the night. But I am still hopeful that one day it will happen, that it is possible to walk the full three km along the fence without any garbage around!
In preparing this post I looked up what is ‘Earth Day’?
Earth Day has been celebrated under the auspices of UNESCO since 1970 on the 22nd of April, because it is considered the first day of spring on the northern hemisphere.
One of the chapters of Earth Day is “The Great Global Clean Up” defined as a world-wide campaign to remove billions of pieces of trash from neighborhoods, beaches, rivers, lakes, trails and parks - reducing waste and plastic pollution, improving habitats and preventing harm to wildlife and humans. The program aims to continue clean ups every day of the year for a brighter, greener and cleaner planet. Without knowing it that is what I have been doing. BEFORE CELANING
CLEAN, THIS MORNING
BEFORE CLEANING NEAR THE LIMANIM
AFTER CLEANING THIS MORNING
NEAR THE SPORTSHALL BEFORE CLEANING
AFTER CLEANING
Each year Earth Day concentrate on activities under a slogan; in 2021 it was “restore our planet” this year 2022 it is “invest in our planet”.
Over the last year I have photographed the kibbutz trees in autumn colors, in blue and yellow and green colors. What I did not photograph is the many trees that in the last few years have been killed, cut down or just left to die.
BODIES OF TREES KILLED
HOW MUCH CO2 WAS STORED IN THIS HUGE TREE?
There is a rule of thumb saying that half of the weight of a tree is the amount of CO2 it has taken up, when I see the dead bodies of trees spread all over, I want to cry.
So maybe we should invest in our kibbutz and plant two trees for every dead tree.
I HOPE THIS IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO KILL ANOTHER TREE
I show here photos from before cleaning and today, to enjoy the result of my efforts over the last year. I am quite proud of it, but there is still a lot to do:
UNDER THE SPORTS HALL; IT IS TOO HEAVY FOR ME TO DO WITHOUT HELP AND A TRACTOR
A DECISION TO REMOVE ALL THE TILE HERE SHOULD BE TAKEN AND CARRIED OUT; MANY CHILDREN INCLUDING MY GRANDCHILDREN LIKE TO COME TO THE KING'S CHAIR
IT CAN BE DONE; MAYBE NEXT YEAR I CAN PHOTO IT CLEAN
I have had some help over the year, even from a young woman who stayed a night in the Lodge!
A YOUNG WOMAN HELPED CLEAN NEAR THE SPORTS HALL! thank you.
SHIMALE - every now and again he takes a full bag to the big bin, thank you!
STRIKO, cleans near the bus stop. I see it , it is clean and makes the face of the kibbutz much nicer. Thank You!
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