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Love Your Neighborhood? Don’t Litter!
San Francisco is one of America’s most scenic cities, but recently we’ve been seeing larger amounts of litter accumulate in our streets.
Litter does much more than mar our unique urban landscape – it poses a health risk and endangers the wildlife in the Bay Area. Every city has an impact on the surrounding environment, but San Francisco is unique in that it’s nestled within the Bay: the trash we leave behind is quickly deposited in local waters, harming the wildlife. Toxic Runoff from everything from cigarette butts (which contain nicotine, arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, acetone and vinyl chloride), to plastic products, slowly poison the delicate ecology of our Bay.
Whether you’re a long time resident, or someone visiting San Francisco for just a few days, it’s important to be aware of the Bay Area’s ecology. Several unique species, such as California’s Dungeness crab, Pacific halibut, and Pacific salmon rely on the bay for their nurseries. Around the Bay are salt marshes, unique habitats that several endangered species call home; these marshes also filter sediments and pollutants from the surrounding rivers.
The problems pollutants pose effect more than just our waterways – the San Francisco Bay is part of the Pacific Flyway, and millions of waterfowl, many of them endangered, use the bay for shelter and breeding every year. It’s also the home of several important wildlife refugees such as the Point Reyes Bird Observatory.
We love this city, and we care about the Bay Area’s important ecosystem. Seeing a clean San Francisco and a healthy environment should be a goal for everyone in our city, because when you think about it, litter has an impact on the entire planet. No matter where you call home, show you love your neighborhood by keeping your streets clean!
Live in the Bay Area? Take Action!
About the Author
Doug Hahn
Douglas Hahn is a copywriter, creative writer, and avid reader. He’s been working in the industry for nearly a decade, and wants to see the world become a greener place.