We have been actively walking 3 to 4 four miles a day lately. You notice so much more when you walk around the peninsula where we live in south west Ireland. One thing what really annoys me is litter, especially plastic. In the picture below you can see empty plastic containers and plastic water bottles. No doubt this rubbish is local and international rubbish. Plastic takes about 500 years to start decomposing.
I walk along the peninsula roads every day and notice it is so empty of people apart from the occasional passing cars. Most people seem to travel miles to work or they own holiday homes that are empty most of the year. I would gladly like a part-time job picking up the litter and strimming the brambles on the verges so you have somewhere to stand while the motorists speed passed you. It shouldn't be down to volunteers to pick up the rubbish. Why can't local companies sponsor litter bins and benches even a bus service?
Do you think it's possible to make a living in the countryside? Most people I know have to travel miles to work.
When I lived in England I used to travel at least fifty to sixty miles a day to work and sometimes a lot more.
ReplyDeleteSo do you take a plastic bag with you when you go on your walks & pick up the litter ?
You could become another MAFFI http://narrowboater.blogspot.ie
who helps to keep the canal banks in England litter free.
We have litter in the fields where the footpaths are,,especially by the local school. The sixth formers drive and park up then leave their sandwich packets and cans as litter. It's terrible.
ReplyDeleteHi BG. Do they provide litter bins for them to use? Litter is a terrible problem. Thanks!
DeleteI pick up the litter outside my fields when I check my cattle Heron. I think there could be a lot of local rural jobs created instead of people having to travel long distances to find employment. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteplastic in the country and the coast is a huge problem. Some looks like streamers in the trees where carrier bags have blown there and then the wind blows like crazy and shreds it.
ReplyDeletebottles and crud all over.
The local councils will normally give you one of those stab stick things and grabbers. The hedges and ditches are very clean here. The locals have a litter pick every other month. it does tend to stay clean though due to the stables and livery down the end. You see the grooms cleaning up to the village and then down to the main road.
They call the plastic streamers, silag plastic, carrier bags in the trees and hanging on overhead telephone cables: "witches knickers" here in Ireland, Sol.
DeleteDo you have many litter bins in your new village Sol? We don't have any. I think volunteers do a wonderful job collecting the rubbish but I can't see why the councils don't pay people do collect it for a job. Thanks!
No litter anywhere here in France...no one drops litter, but if they do then it is always picked up. Back in the UK I lived by the sea in Kent, and my goodness but the nearby beaches were awash with plastic litter of all sorts, plus fishing line, etc.... but despite the litter I used to love those early mornings dog walking along the sand, especially when the tide was out, and have a pang of happy memories when you speak about your coastal walks.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that nobody drops litter in France, Vera. Do you have many litter bins near you? Most of the litter here seems to be dropped by passing motorists; paper coffee cups, cigarette packets.. I think there could be a lot more litter bins so people wouldn't have an excuse to drop litter. Sadly we also see lots washed up on the beaches. When I went to Portugal in April women cleaned the streets. I didn't see any men street cleaning. I am sure you have some wonderful countryside walks in France. Thanks!
DeleteIt is but you've got to be inventive and do many things. I'm hoping one day with my carpentry, gardening and small farming I should make a living from home but I already do some serious hours to try and make it pay!
ReplyDeleteI think you could easy make a good living with your skills Kev. You could even sell your garden projects on the internet. Saying that you don't see people having jobs done on their houses or gardens much. I think a lot of people do their own gardening and diy now they can't loan money for home improvements. I feel sorry for working class people living in the countryside who have to move to the towns and cities to find work in factories... People shouldn't need to travel miles to work. Thanks for your thoughts.
DeleteIt's horrible seeing all that rubbish. I despair sometimes with the amount of plastic waste we generate.
ReplyDeleteI agree CT. Plastic must kill lots of wildlife. Everything you buy comes covered in plastic packaging, even organic food. Thanks!
DeletePeople drop sweet papers to the ground as if it is the most natural thing to do in the world. They don't bother to look to see if anyone is looking so they clearly see nothing wrong in what they are doing. That makes it even worse.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel. Vera's comment above saying that people in France don't drop litter really surprised me. Wish it was the same story in the UK and Ireland. The councils should provide litter bins in rural areas. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen litter in France.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that more bins would make the slightest difference to those who scatter their waste.
You would have to pay much higher council tax to pay for cleaning up jobs.
Letting your old farmhouse for holiday lets would bring in some money.
We lived in two different parts of Spain and the only litter was left by the Brits. The Spanish are very civic minded people, take a pride in their area and clean up after themselves. There are many dedicated picnic and barbecue areas in Spain, very well used but people take their rubbish home if there are no litter bins.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Irene, litter bins would make no difference, most rubbish is thrown out of car windows and I cant see anyone bothering to stop to try to find a litter bin. Beats me why people just cant take their rubbish home with them in the first place, it their rubbish, why should they expect someone to empty litter bins in the country side when they can take it with them and put it in their home bin.
Well said that lady!!
DeleteFarmers need to provide jobs like they used to do 35 years ago. Having said that several farmers in my locality still provide full time employment and all the rest engage contractors, who are local men anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that there are too many small farmers who cannot get their act together and form a co-operative with others of their kind & start employing people.
I agree with you Heron's View, it is quite possible to create employment in the country side by forming co-operatives and finding a USP. In this area we have a very hard working couple with just forty acres, they spotted a gap in the market and now employ a couple of people directly on their farm, plus two full time butchers in the shop that they have opened plus working with other farms to guarantee continuity of supply.
DeleteWe know several people who have small nurseries, they all employ at least one worker, they work on direct marketing and all are making a good living wage as well as providing employment.
As far as I know no one is forced to live in the countryside people do it of their own free will, having made that choice surely it is up to them to create their own employment or be prepared to travel.
Thanks for your comments, Irene, Heron and Anne. I have seen a lot of changes living in rural Ireland for the last fourteen years. Lots of people built houses and then the world recession came. The banks stopped lending money and over 300000 people left Ireland to seek work. The countryside in the day time is almost devoid of humans. I think Ireland needs government job creation and investment in infrastructure, especially public transport. I am one of the lucky few who doesn't have a mortgage. There is no way I would be able to pay it because the jobs aren't there. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI could keep a small army busy cleaning up our local stretch of beach, it usually resembles a tip along the high water line.
ReplyDeleteAmazing what can be picked up beach-combing along a mile though, I kept my fire going for years from driftwood.
There's a few wheelie-bins provided at the car parks, but people don't always use them, they just throw their litter out of the car window.
I could keep a small army busy cleaning up our local stretch of beach, it usually resembles a tip along the high water line.
ReplyDeleteAmazing what can be picked up beach-combing along a mile though, I kept my fire going for years from driftwood.
There's a few wheelie-bins provided at the car parks, but people don't always use them, they just throw their litter out of the car window.
Hi Cumbrian. Sadly rivers, canals and the sea are often used for free disposal of rubbish. Good to read that they provide wheelie bins. We could do with them in our area.
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ReplyDelete