Good luck to grade 5 from DESK Kobe in Japan. Especially Jacob, Lu and David!
Below are a Q&A
What do you think about littering?
I see litter as a symptom of a larger problem: People who think their little actions don’t matter, I believe are mistaken. Although I don’t enjoy seeing litter anywhere, especially beautiful places, it doesn’t really bother me that much. What does make me sad is knowing that some people don’t know how important their daily actions are to the planet and all its inhabitants.
Why did you make this Website?
I made the website because 1) because it seemed a natural way to spread the “pick up a piece every day” message to thousands of people quickly and inexpensively and 2) I knew how to make websites.
What do you think you should improve?
I believe that more good people need to feel empowered to make a positive difference in the world— even if in a small way. Just like building a muscle: if you lift weights every day, in time, you see a huge difference in strength. If more people made a habit of making a small daily difference, that in time, they would grow stronger to do even more good in the world, in whatever way matters most to them. Their strength is transferrable.
Doesn`t littering keep sweepers and cleaners in jobs?
I hadn’t thought of this before, and perhaps to some extent it does. However, I would like to see municipal governments use their budgets and staff to do things like plant vertical gardens, create art projects, build benches and fountain meeting spaces and improve roads and bridges. I think there is plenty to do to improve public spaces, and would rather see those folks who currently clean, doing other more creative projects that inspire and uplift the community. I wonder if they would prefer that too? Of course, this requires restructuring of jobs, but not necessarily budgets. If the citizens do more, we can spend funds on supremely important activities like the arts, music, education and community-building.
What do you do if you don`t find a bin?
I am a big believer in the US National Parks recommendation: “carry in, carry out.” If you can’t find a bin, get the in the habit of having a little bag in your pocket or backpack that can keep what you pick up until you get somewhere you can dispose of it properly. It is not always convenient to be a superhero, but well worth the little bit of extra planning.
All good things to you. I hope you also join in the international movement of making the world a better place, every day.
We need more superheroes like you.