New Mexico is branding itself as a destination state for outdoor recreation. We have a new Outdoor Recreation Division in the Economic Development Department. We\u2019ve had an outdoor recreation state conference; another one is being planned. We\u2019re investing the state\u2019s prestige in this genuinely exciting initiative, taking advantage of our state\u2019s great natural beauty and diverse environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good thing somebody\u2019s thinking about picking up the garbage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the special session that just ended, lawmakers allocated $10 million to the Clean-up New Mexico Roadway Beautification Program, quadrupling the Department of Transportation\u2019s clean-up budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s plenty of cleaning to do. One Department of Transportation cleanup in October netted 8.5 tons of trash tossed or accidentally blown on New Mexico roads. Another cleanup event last June netted 18 tons. That\u2019s our garbage \u2013 yours and mine. Actually, not mine. I wait for a trash can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And there\u2019s a new worrisome element mixed into our trash: discarded surgical masks. Masks kill fish and wildlife. Numerous sources worldwide have found animals try to eat them and their digestive systems get clogged. Fish get trapped in the elastic. Just what we need to demonstrate our bona fides as a nature-loving state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m not aware that anyone is counting how many disposable masks are being used in New Mexico, how many are being disposed of properly and how many are literally in the wind. I can tell you that in one recent walk on my local school grounds, I picked up 17 in 20 minutes (I then put the glove into a sanitizer; thanks for asking). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Mexicans are not alone in being sloppy with our garbage. One organization rates South Carolina and Nevada as the worst states for littering \u2013 but puts New Mexico in the top ten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Americans on average generate roughly 4.5 pounds of trash per person per day, or 1,642.5 pounds a year. Some of it goes into landfills, where it becomes useless but, we hope, is also rendered harmless. Some of it goes into the recycling stream, where we want to believe it will be made into new useful things, but it might not because recycling is not quite living up to its early promise. The rest goes wherever we drop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports indicate New Mexico is putting less waste in our landfills than in previous years. That\u2019s supposed to be good news, and maybe it is. It could mean we\u2019re producing less waste, or recycling more of the waste we produce. Or that we are dumping more waste out in the arroyos where nobody\u2019s watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the Environment New Mexico Research & Policy Center, \u201cRecycling rates in New Mexico reveal one of the most wasteful states in the nation. At 19 percent, the statewide rate falls almost 16 points below the national average 34.7 percent \u2026 In other words, 81 percent of the waste in New Mexico goes to landfills, incinerators, or spills into the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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New Mexico is branding itself as a destination state for outdoor recreation. We have a new Outdoor Recreation Division in the Economic Development Department. We\u2019ve had an outdoor recreation state conference; another one is being planned. We\u2019re investing the state\u2019s … Continue reading