Place-Based Spirituality

Here's a talk I gave to the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church about how I developed a place-based spirituality:

Ethical Vegans Should Refuse Plastic

For several years I have followed a mostly-vegan diet for the health benefits it provides.  Although I am not an ethical vegan, I do support humane treatment and compassion for animals.

The author, center, showing off vegan fried rice at Kushi Institute

Over the years, I have become increasingly concerned about the profound impacts our modern society is having on the creatures of the world and their habitats.  Few technologies are having a more destructive impact upon wildlife today than the proliferation of disposable plastic.

The evidence of the destructive impact of plastic pollution on birds and sea creatures is abundant.  More than 90% of northern fulmar seabirds have eaten plastic, some of their gizzards becoming completely filled with it.  Whales have washed ashore with stomaches full of plastic.  At least 100,000 marine creatures and approximately 1 million seabirds die each year from plastic consumption and entanglement, while sea turtle populations are plummeting due to plastic pollution.

Creatures on land aren’t faring much better.  Camels, sheep, goats and cattle have all died after ingesting plastic in the Arab world, as have elephants and holy cows in India.  Various other animals on land are suffering from the negative effects of plastic pollution.  Humans are no exception.

Toxic chemicals leached by plastic into food such as phthalates and BPA have been linked to various health problems, including cancer, diabetes and obesity.  Plastic particles which break down in the ocean attract toxic chemicals onto themselves that work their way up the food chain - and onto our dinner plates.  These microscopic plastic particles have been found to outnumber plankton - the base of the ocean food web - by a ratio of 6-1.

Clothing has recently been revealed to be another source of such “microplastic” pollution throughout the world’s oceans.  Many ethical vegans, in an attempt to avoid animal-sourced products and materials, choose to wear synthetic “vegan” clothing.  Such clothing, however, can be far from plant-based or natural, and is often made from petroleum-based materials - or in other words, plastics.

Microscopic plastic threads which shed from synthetic clothing make their way from the washing machine into the ocean and are taken up by filter feeders such as clams, mussels and small fish.  These creatures, including Lugworms, the “earthworms of the sea,” play a key role as food for other species and are profoundly harmed by ingesting the PCBs, dioxins, DDT and other pollutants absorbed by synthetic clothing threads.

A better option for ensuring animal welfare would be to rely upon truly natural materials which biodegrade and pose no threat to the environment.  Organic cotton, hemp and other plant-based fibers are the superior choice, and I think responsibly-sourced, ethical yarn could also be a part of the solution.  If the alpacas, llamas and sheep providing the wool are managed with a focus on animal welfare, vegan-friendly yarn could be peacefully-produced and provide another alternative to synthetic materials.

The time has come for us all to be concerned not only with the food that we eat, but also with the packaging that it comes in.  Single-use and disposable plastics are the greatest source of plastic pollution on the land and in the sea.  By refusing single-use plastics, using natural materials for clothing and supporting the meaningful regulation of plastics, ethical vegans - along with all the rest of us - may take steps to improve conditions for all life forms and to truly live according to shared principles of compassion.

Eaton Canyon Closure and the National Recreation Area Bill

There has been some public outcry in response to recent reports that the Forest Service is to close a dangerous portion of Eaton Canyon.  As someone who loves exploring the local mountains, I understand that restricted access to our open space can be troubling.  However, I also find myself avoiding several once-beautiful open spaces which have now become trashed and destroyed.  Eaton Canyon is quickly becoming one of them.

During my last visit to Eaton Canyon, I witnessed several inexperienced climbers heading up the cliff to the second waterfall.  More troubling was the amount of plastic trash and graffiti left behind.  Plastic bottles, caps, straws and bags floated in the pool below the falls, spoiling any experience of nature.

It became apparent to me that in order to preserve and protect the waterfall at Eaton Canyon, access needed to be either completely restricted, or allowed under the supervision of patrolling park rangers or some other type of authority.  Without some type of regular supervision and maintenance within this easily-accessable natural area, Eaton Canyon will remain a place where littering, graffiti, and other irresponsible behaviors are carried out with blatant disregard for any law or sign.

Major graffiti damage to Eaton Canyon

Perhaps, as I have discussed with others concerned about the area, the National Recreation Area bill which has been submitted to Congress could help being improved visitor services and more rangers to the San Gabriel Mountains.  Permits could be issued to ensure that experienced canyoneers are granted access.  If such improvements can help stem the tide of pollution, graffiti, trail closures and general neglect of the Angeles National Forest, then this is a bill we should all hope will pass.

Eco-Trash litters the Arroyo

I found this thick plastic bag littering the banks of the Central Arroyo yesterday, and was struck by the words “Eco Friendly” printed boldly upon it.  I often find such “eco-trash” as I like to call it, claiming to be helping the environment, and yet simultaneously polluting it.  Let’s examine the claims on this Smart & Final bag, and determine how environmentally friendly it really is.

“Reusable” 

This plastic bag claims to be “reusable”, yet it was discarded as litter onto the banks of the Arroyo.  Perhaps the thickness of the plastic means that it may be used more than once, but it also means more plastic pollution to permanently degrade the environment when some of them inevitably become litter.

“Recyclable”

This plastic bag, like all others, claims to be recyclable - yet plastic recycling is a myth.  Plastic cannot be recycled in the way that materials such as glass can be, it can only be down-cycled.  For instance, a glass bottle may be turned into another glass bottle, yet a plastic bottle can only be down-cycled into a doormat, or another plastic item which cannot be recycled.  Therefore, all plastic eventually ends up in a landfill, or worse - as plastic pollution of land and sea.

“Eco Friendly”

This plastic bag from Smart & Final was polluting the Arroyo, threatening wildlife, and would have photo-degraded it's tiny, sometimes microscopic plastic particles into the soil and waterways of the Arroyo had it not been removed in time.  These particles attract toxic chemicals onto themselves, such as the banned pesticide DDT, infiltrate the entire food chain of the ocean, and are impossible to remove from the environment.

Such “greenwashing” ploys by Smart & Final and other companies are shameful, yet very common.  Additional such examples of green-washed litter in the Arroyo will be displayed on this blog in the future by clicking on my newly created “eco-trash” label - because when it’s plastic and polluting the Arroyo, it doesn’t matter how “green” it claims to be!

Central Arroyo Degraded and Polluted - City of Pasadena Fails to Take Action

It has been several months since I first met with Pasadena's Director of Public Works Siobhan Foster, Parks and Natural Resources Administrator Charles Peretz and Parks Superintendent Ana Bailey to discuss the plastic pollution and degradation of the Central Arroyo Seco.

Following our meeting on November 27 of last year, I toured the Arroyo with Parks Superintendent Bailey and showed her firsthand the plastic zip ties which are constantly left as litter along the roads and trails after Rose Bowl events.  Superintendent Bailey agreed that this pollution was unacceptable.

In addition, last November Pasadena City Manager Michael Beck responded to my Trash-a-Dena blog series by saying that the City would do more to improve the area.

Given the promises of these City officials to address these concerns, you can imagine my disappointment and frustration when this morning, while running through the Central Arroyo, this is what I found:

   

Good intentions do not build a great city.  Historic Pasadena and the beautiful Arroyo Seco deserve better.

Starbucks Misguided "Reusable" Cup Program

I recently read Steve Scauzillo's article in the Pasadena Star News describing the Starbucks coffee chain's new "reusable" cup program intended to reduce waste from landfills and to be a step towards sustainability for the company.  Although the program is well intended, there are serious environmental flaws which instead make this new program a step in the wrong direction for people and the planet.

The program:

According to the article, "Starbucks Corp. is rolling out a $1 reusable plastic cup at it's cafes starting Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013."  The sturdy plastic cup may be returned and re-filled, and Starbucks will even give a 10-cent discount each time.  Scauzillo continues to report that "the cup can withstand about 30 runs through the dishwasher, and according to the barista I spoke with, it can be recycled.  'Take it down the street to hat recycling center,' she said…"  

Mr. Scauzillo wrote that Starbucks "produces about 4 billion cups each year across the globe.  Can you say landfill crisis?  The company hopes the reusable cup will raise the percentage of sales in non-throwaway containers…"  One Starbucks customer interviewed in the article said of the program that "It relieves waste.  And it makes people more aware.  The more trash we are creating the more we are dumping into the landfill."

Unfortunately, the reality is that those hard plastic cups are all destined for either the landfill, or worse, as plastic pollution of our land and sea.  What could be so wrong with this effort to be sustainable?


Plastic recycling is a myth.

All plastic ultimately ends up in a landfill, or worse, as plastic pollution on land and sea.  So-called "recyclable" plastics such as bottles or the cups which Starbucks is beginning to use are in fact "down-cycled."  According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition:

"Collecting plastics at curbside fosters the belief that, like aluminum and glass, these will be converted into new similar objects. This is not the case with plastic. The best we can hope for plastics is that these will be turned into other products such as doormats, textiles, plastic lumber, etc. These products will still end at some point in the landfill – and do not stem the need for more virgin petroleum product.  This is not recycling, but down-cycling."


Plastic Pollutes.

Every piece of plastic which has ever been created still exists, and much of it permanently pollutes land and sea.  The Great Pacific Garbage Patch contains hundreds of millions of tons of plastic pollution.  The plastic photodegrades in the water and on land, becoming microscopic pieces of plastic, yet never completely breaking down.  There are areas of the ocean which contain more plastic than Plankton, which is the base of the food chain.  These plastic particles attract toxic chemicals onto themselves from the water and thus poison the entire web of life and food chain of the ocean, including humans.  It is impossible to clean this microscopic pollution.  The only action which we can take is to quell the manufacture and global reliance on the unnecessary use of plastic in our disposable society.

Plastic containers impact our health.

Harmful chemicals leached by plastic are present in the bloodstream and tissues of almost every one of us, including newborns.

I often find Starbucks cups, plastic lids and straws as litter on the streets and in the gutters.  Thicker, heavier plastic cups left as litter create an even more severe plastic pollution problem.  Thick plastic cups currently distributed by fast food restaurants often become litter-- it is inevitable that the same will occur with these new Starbucks cups.  If Starbucks truly wants to be sustainable and reduce waste to landfills, these are my sugestions:

• I always opt for ceramic mugs when I'm there.  This is best choice for the environment, and for personal health.  Ceramic mugs do not leach toxins and may be washed and reused indefinitely.  Starbucks should encourage the use of glass and ceramic mugs and cups for all beverages consumed on their premises.

• Rather than distribute "reusable" plastic cups which may only withstand being washed up to 30 times, I suggest that Starbucks adopt the same program, but with stainless steel thermoses instead.  A stainless steel thermos would keep coffee warm, would not leach harmful chemicals, is truly recyclable, and may be washed and reused indefinitely. 

Simply transitioning over from plastic to stainless steel reusable containers would turn this program from well-intentioned-but-misguided to a truly commendable effort which would place Starbucks at the vanguard of sustainability.  It would be a model for all others to follow. 

A new vision for the Central Arroyo Seco

As a result of my recent Trash-a-Dena blog series documenting pollution in the Arroyo, Pasadena Director of Public Works Siobhan Foster asked to meet with me to discuss my ideas and a possible partnership with the City to address plastic pollution in the Central Arroyo.  On Tuesday, November 27, I met with Siobhan Foster, Parks and Natural Resources Administrator Charles Peretz and Parks Superintendent Ana Bailey, and shared with them my plan for the proper everyday maintenance of the Arroyo:

Role of volunteers:

• Volunteers are an effective resource for periodic, targeted cleanups.  However, volunteers cannot manage day-to-day maintenance of the Arroyo and special event cleanups.  More manpower and financial resources are necessary to adequately maintain the Central Arroyo.

Generate funds for regular, day-to-day and event cleanup:

• Follow the Urban Land Institute's suggestion for generating revenue through a fee-based parking program in the Central Arroyo.

• Install Kiosks which distribute day/month/yearly passes.

• Funding could be generated using a tiered pricing system--a modest fee for residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, a slightly higher price for other citizens of Pasadena, and a higher, but still reasonable, price for residents of other cities.

• Parking permit would have to be priced reasonably to discourage recreational users of the Arroyo from parking in the surrounding neighborhoods.

• According to the Urban Land Institute, the 3.3-mile Rose Bowl Loop attracts 1.5 million visitors per year, and Brookside Golf Course attracts 800,000 visitors per year.  If 500,000 of these visitors purchased a $10 annual parking pass, the City would generate $5,000,000 of revenue.

• Keep the proceeds in the Arroyo.

Use Funds to:

• Create a sustainable "Arroyo Seco Corps"- creating jobs for low-income youth throughout Pasadena, particularly from the Northwest.  By doing so, the City could create Green Jobs for the most economically disadvantaged youth in the City.

• Offer the program through PUSD to students in good standing.

• Train Arroyo Seco Corps in best practices for trash cleanup and invasive plant removal.  Training could be provided by local organizations such as the Arroyo Seco Foundation.

• Install recycling bins and additional trash cans throughout Central Arroyo.

• Install trash screens throughout Arroyo.

• Install interpretive signage to educate public about habitat and pollution issues.

Policy:

"Green" the Arroyo-- Set environmental rules for events - As documented in my post regarding the latest Walk for Autism, event organizers often distribute thousands of plastic water bottles to participants, which inevitably end up polluting the Arroyo stream and trails.  In addition, the recent balloon release by the Farmer's Insurance float during the Rose Parade impacted the Arroyo with litter.

A simple solution to these problems would be to require event organizers to serve water from refreshment coolers, using paper cups instead of distributing plastic bottles.  Event participants could be encouraged to bring reusable bottles.  Paper cups would not permanently pollute our watershed and ocean, and are easier to spot and remove during subsequent cleanup.  Balloon releases, which are nothing more than acts of mass-littering, should be prohibited.

• Find alternatives to plastic zip-ties which are used to erect temporary fencing.  These zip-ties are often left on the ground, polluting the Arroyo after events.

• Discontinue distribution of common Arroyo pollutants such as plastic straws and plastic beverage lids by restaurants and other food and beverage vendors in the Arroyo.  

• Replace disposable, single-use plastic items with more sustainable alternatives.  For example, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Huntington Library have moved away from plastic packaging in favor of glass and compostable alternatives.

The Rose Bowl Stadium is located in the bottom of a canyon in an environmentally sensitive watershed.  It is a stadium with a year-long mountain stream running along side it which leads to the Pacific Ocean.  Pasadena should make it the "greenest" stadium in the world.  The Rose Bowl Stadium should set the standard for sustainability, and the Central Arroyo should be a model parkland.

Conclusion:

This proposal is win-win for the City, the recreational users of the Arroyo, young people, public schools, and the Northwest Pasadena economy.  It will help the City comply with it's Zero-Waste goals,  create green jobs for Pasadena's young people, preserve the natural beauty of the Central Arroyo, and provide the citizens of Pasadena and all visitors to the Rose Bowl Stadium and the Central Arroyo with a world-class experience.

Trash-a-Dena: Going Forward

Rose Bowl  Devastated with Trash After Football Game  Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Jonas Peters

After having reported to the City of Pasadena that the plastic pollution I'd brought to their attention in the Central Arroyo Seco had not been adequately cleaned, I met personally with Public Works crew supervisor Ted Latta. He wanted me to show him the polluted site I had reported along the bank of the Arroyo off of Washington Blvd, as he and his crew could not find it. When I took him up the road and showed him the area, he recognized it and exclaimed "Oh, you mean the illegal dumping ground!" According to Ted, construction contractors frequently dump old windows, cement, wood and various other types of constriction debris along that bank and elsewhere late at night to avoid paying to properly dispose of it at the landfill. "Yeah, we'll have that cleaned up for you" Ted told me.

After showing him the polluted location along Washington Blvd, I asked Ted if he would accompany me to inspect the polluted wetland area below Devil's Gate Dam which was reported to me to have been cleaned. Of course, as documented in my previous post, the area was still riddled with bits of styrene and other pollution. Ted seemed happy to take me there. "I know that area is clean because I cleaned it myself" he said.

Upon our arrival, I pointed out all of the micro-trash and other not-so-small items of plastic pollution which he had neglected to remove from this sensitive habitat. Ted seemed a bit bewildered that I should be concerned with particles of styrene and plastic which were spread throughout the tules and mulch. "My guys would never pick that up" he said, speaking of his crew. "They wouldn't see that as trash..." Ted explained that his crew only cleaned up the most obvious items of trash in the Arroyo, and that if his Public Works crew actually spent the time to properly maintain the place, they'd be there all day and never get anything else done. Hearing this was a verification of what I have long observed in the Central Arroyo, especially after events-- the City only picks up the "big stuff," and leaves all of the plastic micro-trash to continually accumulate, photo-degrade and permanently degrade the environment.

Mr. Latta assured me that he would return to the wetland and clean the remainder of the pollution, and on our way back he showed me some of the various projects he was supervising in the Arroyo. I found that Ted has an artistic eye, as evidenced by his desire to keep the Arroyo looking natural and un-manicured. Fallen limbs were left as habitat for creatures and native trees were allowed to grow branches naturally from their bottoms. I admired Ted's vision of leaving things in the Arroyo as looking "like a painting," and lamented the fact that his work crew was so underfunded and short on manpower. The Arroyo has become a much different place than when he first began working there. "Twenty years ago, nobody came down here to run (the Rose Bowl loop) except the boxers!" He told me.

A few days later, I was happy to find that the bank along Washington Blvd. had been cleaned. Of course, the amount of trash in the Central Arroyo remains staggering, and I have since spent many hours picking up hundreds of bits of plastic from off the trails. I also recently led a cleanup of Brookside Park for the Arroyo Seco Foundation. This disheartening degradation is what inspired me to reach out to Pasadena's city manager Michael Beck. I sent Mr. Beck a link to my posts, an received the following reply:

Tim,

Thanks for sharing your concern. I have copied the public works director to make sure she is aware of the debris. I would also encourage you to suggest on your blog that those that are walking in the area try to help keep the area clean by picking up debris when appropriate and feasible.

Thanks, ...Michael

--------------------- 

Michael J. Beck 

City Manager 

(626) 744-4333

I responded

Dear Mr. Beck,

Thank you for your email. To your point about encouraging citizens to assist with the cleanup of the Arroyo, I would like to note that I often see other people picking up trash as they hike through the Arroyo. In addition, as Outreach Coordinator for the Arroyo Seco Foundation, I have organized and led cleanup events in various parts of the Arroyo on a regular basis. Recently, as part of Coastal Cleanup Day, I led a group of volunteers who removed 60 to 70 large bags of trash from the natural stream area under the Colorado Street Bridge-- approximately one ton of waste.

The citizens of Pasadena are actively involved in cleanup efforts in the Arroyo on an informal and on a formal basis. However, volunteer efforts are not sufficient. The City of Pasadena needs to do more.

Regards,

Tim Martinez 

To which Mr. Beck responded:

Tim,

And we will do more. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We are committed to improving the entire area. Siobhan is a very capable leader and effective manager. She will get things done.

Thanks, …Michael 

My suggestions for improving the Arroyo:

Parking Fee Program: The Urban Land Institute (ULI) visited Pasadena in January 2012 to conduct a Governors Advisory Panel for the 254 acre Central Arroyo. The study area contained the Rose Bowl stadium, Brookside Golf Course and Clubhouse, Brookside Park, Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, Kidspace Museum, surface parking lots and the 3.3 mile recreational loop.

The ULI accurately described the Central Arroyo as a world class area which "contributes significantly to the economic, social and environmental well-being of the city and the greater Los Angeles area." According to the ULI, "parking is an untapped potential revenue source for the

city. The number of current and potential visitors strongly suggests the need to develop a fee- based parking program."

I remember as a kid back in the 1990's, Old Pasadena was much grittier and polluted than it is today. The historic alleyways smelled awful and overflowed with trash, and from what I understand, conditions were much worse back in the 1980's. Old Pasadena has now become a model for downtown revitalization, due to the fact that once parking meters were installed, the money was kept in the area and used to implement Old Pasadena's Clean & Safe program. Everyday, "Clean Team" personnel maintain the streets, alley walkways, and sidewalks of Old Pasadena. Their continuous activities include street sweeping, sidewalk pressure washing, daily porter service, trash removal, and other cleaning initiatives. Clean & Safe also provides for the Old Pasadena Ambassador Guide Program which enhances Pasadena's downtown experience further.

I suggest that Pasadena follow the Urban Land Institute's excellent suggestion for generating revenue from parking in the Central Arroyo, and apply it to an equivalent, Arroyo Seco version of Old Pasadena's Clean & Safe program. Just as the streets and alleyways of Old Town are now kept spotlessly clean, so should the Arroyo trails, facilities and surrounding parkland be kept in pristine condition. We should accept nothing less for the world-class parkland of the Central Arroyo.

City Work Crew Training: Once sustainable funding is secured to properly maintain the Central Arroyo, it will become necessary to educate city workers about modern environmental issues. Plastic pollution has quickly become one of the greatest sources of pollution, on both land and sea. This toxic petrochemical waste cannot be digested by the Earth, and poses a profound threat to the continuation of life on this planet. It is imperative that city workers learn the threats posed by this issue, and are trained to recognize the vital importance of cleaning even small bits of plastic which accumulate throughout the Arroyo. This will ensure that Pasadena follows the best practices in the protection of the Arroyo Seco watershed, the Los Angeles River and the vast, irreplaceable habitat of the Pacific Ocean.

Diverse Utilization of the Central Arroyo: The City of Pasadena should heed the Urban Land Institute's wise suggestion "that the city not be swayed by the offer to temporarily host the National Football League. It was the panel’s opinion that such an effort would be detrimental to the ultimate goal of making the Central Arroyo Seco a sustainable part of the Pasadena community."

In the recent Pasadena Star News Op-ed: Rose Bowl gem can be cubic zirconia, Anne Yu describes the displacement that occurs for the various users of the Arroyo as a result of too many large events:

"With the... numerous events - annual weekend dog show, food truck festival, soccer tournaments, and the many charity walks - that occur over the weekends, regular users of the

amenities in the area encounter some kind of disruption for nearly half of the 52 weekends a year."

"The fact that citizens who care about the city have to regularly give up our neighborhood for tailgaters who get drunk and start fights is shameful."

Just imagine how much more displacement of runners, hikers, bicyclists, swimmers, parents and children going to Kidspace, golfers, soccer players and other regular users of the Central Arroyo will be displaced if the Pasadena City Council amends the the Arroyo Seco Public Lands Ordinance to increase the number of displacement (major) events from 12 to 25 to allow a National Football League (NFL) team to use the Rose Bowl for five continuous years... not to mention the vast increase in trash and plastic pollution which would surely occur as a result. The diverse uses of the Arroyo should not be displaced by allowing such an intrusion to occur.

Keep Hahamongna Natural:  Finally, the City of Pasadena should abandon any plans to go forward with the construction of a soccer field and parking lot in Hahamongna Watershed Park. Pasadena cannot adequately maintain the parkland and city services it already provides. Adding another area for the city to have to maintain would further spread city resources too thin, not to mention the fact that the soccer field construction described under the City's Multi-benefit Multi- Use project would destroy the rich native California alluvial scrub habitat contained in the park.

Trash-a Dena: There's Still a Problem

I had hoped with this third post to end this particular series documenting my attempt to have the City of Pasadena clean two areas in the Central Arroyo Seco of plastic pollution.  I have been prepared each time I interacted with the City to praise their responsiveness and their thoughtful consideration of the issues which I had brought to their attention.  Unfortunately, with regard to this post, that's still not the case.

Today, as I made my way to the natural area below Devil's Gate Dam, which was reported to me by Parks and Natural Resources Administrator Charles Peretz to have been cleaned by city work crews, this is what I found:

Whether it's the City's claims that they adequately clean the Central Arroyo after events, or during a day to day basis, this is the poor caliber of work that we are left with every time.  They dispose of all of the big stuff, and pay no attention to the micro-trash which accumulates.  They cover the trash with fresh mulch, which is often contaminated with shredded plastic itself.  The City of Pasadena, therefore, not only neglects the sensitive environment of the Arroyo Seco, but contributes to it's degradation.

We have in the Arroyo a great natural and cultural resource for the City of Pasadena, for the nation and for the rest of the world.  I will continue to demand from the City that these areas of the Arroyo be cleaned, until their full potential as such is met.

Trash-a-Dena: Going Forward

Trash-a-Dena: Update

After documenting my unsuccessful attempt to report two sites of plastic pollution to the City of Pasadena in my last post, I emailed City Manager Michael Beck and the two Assistant City Managers, as well as my city councilman Steve Madison.  My message to them all included a link to the Arroyo Sage blog post which details my experience.

I received email responses from Assistant City Managers Julie Gutierrez and Steve Mermell, apologizing, and saying they'd forward my concerns to someone who could assist me.  I received a voicemail Wednesday afternoon from Charles Peretz, the Administrator of Natural Resources, in which he appologiged for my experience.  He promised that the next day (Thursday) someone would be out there to clean the "litter" that I reported. He left me his phone number and said it shouldn't have been handled this way and that the city needs to work on handling citizen involvement better.

Thursday, I recieved a call from Ted Latta, the Public Works crew supervisor.  He said that his crew would be there that day and clean up the mess.  I was encouraged that this was going to get done.

On Friday I went for a run down the same trail, and inspected the area below Devil's Gate Dam that I had reported.  Nothing had changed.  These pics detail the scene:

I ran some more over to Washington Blvd, and surveyed the scene again.  Still covered in plastic.  This time I took a video documentation of what I found:

After my run, I called Charles Peretz and expressed my frustration that both he and Ted Latta had promised me that the sites would be cleaned the day before, and had not been.  He was very polite and told me that he had just gotten off the phone with Mr. Latta, and that they couldn't get to it until today.  Mr. Peretz said that unless something came up, that the pollution would be cleaned that day, and that he'd let me know when the job was complete.

I thanked him for being so responsive, though I let him know that such neglect and pollution is a constant issue in the Central Arroyo.  I described how Brookside Park is overrun with plastic straw wrappers from juice drinks and how it's riddled with plastic water bottle caps on the ground.  People stuff plastic chip bags into the native ground squirrel dens and into bushes.  I suggested that, given the current state of neglect and degradation of the Central Arroyo,  perhaps he and others responsible for maintaining these areas should make it known to the City that their resources are stretched too thin to accommodate additional uses and facilities such as the NFL or the Soccer in Hahamongna.

I received an email from Mr. Peretz that evening notifying me that the plastic pollution below Devil's Gate had been cleaned.  He attached the below picture:

Mr. Peretz said that the crew were having trouble finding the second site along Washington Blvd, and that Ted Latta would contact me soon to find out exactly where to go.  I have not heard back from him yet.  He also mentioned, in regard to my comments to him about pollution being the norm in Brookside:

 "I chatted with Ted about your observations in the area of the high use athletic fields at Brookside and Area H.  He did confirm my understanding that this is a core service performed on a daily basis. Unfortunately, based on the high use of this area, the amount of trash  produced by users of this area is great.  Ted will assess whether relocating (or adding additional) trash cans might mitigate this issue."

During a Facebook conversation below my post on the Save Hahamongna Facebook page, my friend Barbara Ellis related a similarly difficult interaction with the City recently:

"That''s exactly what I found when I tried to tell them about pollution (bleach) in Berkshire Creek. I got NOWHERE. No-one called back. Voicemail boxes full, and so on. The trash down by that spring, and the cutting down of the tule there, shocked me as well. I reported the graffiti under the freeway bridge - Is it still there?

The graffiti was indeed still there.  My friend Petrea Burchard said:

"Funding has been cut so seriously that some city departments are down to one person. Individual workers are not to blame in most cases. But it's true, they will respond to the squeaky wheel, so we have to squeak and keep on squeaking."

We both agreed that this ultimately begs the question, how does the City of Pasadena expect to properly maintain an additional soccer field and parking lot in Hahamongna, or clean up after NFL fans in the Rose Bowl if they cannot even properly maintain the facilities and uses of the Arroyo we already have?

Once I have received word that the Washington Blvd. pollution has also been removed, I will post the (hopefully) final update in this series and describe the adequacy of the city's cleanup.  Until the Arroyo and the City of Pasadena are adequately maintained as the pristine, natural and healthy places that they should be, I'm just going to continue to be a squeaky wheel, and keep on squeaking!

Trash-a Dena: There's Still a Problem

Trash-a-Dena: City incompetence and neglect of the Arroyo Seco

Early yesterday morning while on a trail run with my dog Washoe in the Arroyo Seco, I discovered two spots that were heavily polluted with plastic and styrofoam waste.

The first spot is located directly below Devil's Gate Dam in a small wetland area filled with tules and flowing water, which my dog loves to play in and drink from.  I tried to pick up what I could, yet there was too much pollution to clean on my own.  The styrofoam pollution was especially bad, as it was breaking up into smaller pieces and contaminating the water and soil.  In my experience leading cleanups for the Arroyo Seco Foundation, often times such severely degraded soil must be removed entirely to clean the area of every last bit of styrofoam.

After discovering this disheartening scene, I checked up on a second area which was severely polluted with styrofoam peanut packaging a few weeks earlier.  I had been out of town since I first came across this massive quantity of petrochemical pollution on the bank of the Arroyo along Washington Blvd, and with much sadness I discovered that it remained just as polluted as before.

I took pictures, and decided that I would do as the City encourages citizens to do and report this pollution, and hope for a happy resolution.  Unfortunately, my experience with the City of Pasadena today on the phone was anything but a happy one. 

I called the Park Maintenance number on the Citizen Service Center page of the City website, told them the problem, and was transferred to Parks and Natural Resources.  They told me that I had reached the tree department, and transferred me to someone named Manny Macias.  He didn't answer the phone, and his voicemail box was full.

Frustrated, I called Parks and Natural Resources back, told them what I was trying to report, and was transferred to a supervisor.  This supervisor, Ted Latta, didn't answer his phone, and his mailbox was also full!  Unbelievable!  

I called back, now having lost track of everyone I had talked to, and began saying again why I was calling and what I wanted to report.  The woman on the phone cut me off, saying I had already talked to her and that she'd transfer me over to a supervisor.  "Wait!"  No!  I didn't want that!  The supervisors aren't answering, their mailboxes are full and I haven't spoken to anyone in the City who can take care of this problem!  She became defensive and complained that I hadn't given her an address… It's parkland! There is no address!  I did, however describe exactly where it was, and volunteered to meet City workers and show them exactly where to go.

I am now waiting for Mr. Latta to call me back, and I look forward to speaking to him personally.  There need to be some serious changes in the City of Pasadena if this is how they deal with citizens who are trying to improve our environment and quality of life.  

If this is the level of incompetence and neglect we face right now in regard to Arroyo issues, how much worse will it be if there is even more pollution generated in our watershed from a soccer field in Hahamongna, or a "temporary" NFL team in the Rose Bowl?

The City says that their cleanup measures are adequate.  Judging from the above, would you agree?

UPDATE 10/28/12