Thursday, January 10, 2019

Trashy Shots

Did you know it's not just high temps, low rainfall and low humidity that make a desert? It's also high winds. Deserts get more than their fair share of wind. High winds literally scour the soil surface, and there isn't much vegetation to hold things in place. It blows away all the small particles of dirt, leaving behind... you guessed it... sand and rock. The wind can also cause other issues, like blowing trash all over the place.

In the first photo (taken on a very windy day near Desert Hot Springs) plastic trash has nearly completely covered a creosote bush. The white plastic was flapping in the wind and was a very weird sight (and sound). I couldn't resist stopping the car to take a couple pics. And who in the heck would want to move that fence??

It's common to see trash caught up in cactus spines and it's difficult if not downright impossible to remove. Plastic will probably remain on that creosote bush until the plastic decomposes, which could be a very long time. I'm glad they've outlawed single use trash bags in California. It's a step in the right direction. I'm sad that people aren't more careful about their trash and aren't better stewards of their environment. I've recently learned Joshua Tree National Park may be closed to visitors because of the federal government shutdown, and because a few knuckleheads have trashed the area during the last couple weeks when the Park has been unsupervised. Such a shame for people who have come long distances to visit one of our great National Parks, only to find it closed.

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46 comments:

  1. I've been hearing stories through the news about what's been going on in the western national parks with the shut down. Which we can thank one orange narcissist for.

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  2. Both are awefull, the trash as well as the shutdown of your government.
    In the Netherlands we have environmental problems too at the moment. Just above a national park a big containership lost almost 300 containers at full sea last week. Some of them burst open and lost a lot of goods and plastic packing material. About 250 containers are still lost. We can only hope and prey.

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  3. Wind in the desert always impresses me. What it sometimes dredges up depresses me.

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  4. Knuckleheads in my country also.

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  5. I just read something about Joshua trees being CUT DOWN by those knuckleheads. Why do people become idiots when things like this happen?

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  6. <>

    Yes its really painful to hear such stories. Here too in India people trash the beautiful rainforest with plastics even if the plaques are bold.

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  7. Sad to read... Loved the post and pics.

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  8. Fortunately our sons annual January camping trip to Joshua Tree had been canceled due to a friends wedding. I don't understand why people come to our natural places intent on ruining them. Pack it in, pack it out isn't that hard.

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  9. Awesome shot . Keep commenting on my blog because I love your comments.

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  10. Trash! Ity sure is everywhere. Didn't anyone learn at their Mama's knee to pick up stuff after you. People! I just have to shake my head. Good podt
    MB

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  11. Plastic again even the desert is not spared.

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  12. Plastic and aluminum never degrade--- I hate the thought of outlawing them, but.....

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  13. Plastic is becoming a worldwide problem even in the desert.

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  14. Sad about the trash, but it's a shame that the park may be closing.

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  15. My heart was broken hearing about the trash issues due to the shutdown. For some reason, Joshua Tree keeps getting mentioned, perhaps there (more than other parks?) volunteers are trying to do something about it. Why are we humans like that?

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  16. We have a recycle center on a nearby bay...has a really nice hiking trail along the water...but lots of trash comes off the trucks to and from the refuse center...making it a sad scene ... especially after a big storm...and the litter then sticks around for ages. Breaks my heart. What fool thought, "Hey, that gorgeous spot on McKay Bay would be a great place to take all our trash to"?

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  17. I am constantly amazed at the amount of trash people throw out their car windows. Just about every morning we have to pick it up from our front yard. Some days it seems the idiots outnumber the rest of us!

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  18. Great photos but saddened to by humans who do not respect the earth ~ it is our planet and we need to take care of it for now and future generations ~

    Happy Day to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  19. Quite amazing what the wind can do with trash. They have sort of banned the use of them here as well only we have pay for one if we want a plastic bag for shopping so now it's used over an dover again. The biggest knuckle head in your cuntry is the guy in charge all he sees is $$$$$$$$$$$$$ and throws his toys out of the pram if he can't get his way

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  20. B&W close up actually looks nice - mystical. when you step back and show us the real thing, than it becomes sad. oiii, shutdown! and I was hoping to visit US (Utah and Arizona) in May, that didn't even occur to me (although I know about some cut-downs)

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  21. Trash and plastic is everywhere. It's sad some people just don't really care.

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  22. Loved the 1st pic! Though it is distressing to see the trash flying around.

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  23. In my little geocaching ventures I get into areas bordering things such as golf courses, shopping centers and such, and the amount of trash blown by wind and trapped by trees and brush is awe inspiring. California is a few years ahead of Oklahoma in getting rid of single use sacks and other things, and that is a good thing.

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  24. It’s fealy really sad to see nature desecrated like this. But makes for interesting photos though

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  25. It's a beautiful picture, especially edited to back and white but without the trash would be better in the long run.
    Good post.

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  26. So sad to see the trash! But nice shots anyway.

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  27. Somehow you've made rubbish look like a work of art! Brilliant.

    Click to visit Keith's Ramblings!

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  28. That is a sad state of affairs. Trashing the beautiful Joshua Tree Park. The photo is something different but the subject matter is disturbing. It is a shame people can't be more responsible.

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  29. You can get a permit for moving fences? Great shots, I love them both.

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  30. Oh, plastic even in the desert, unexpected !
    Great shots though.

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  31. The first photo is actually quite beautiful

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  32. It looks like a science fiction creature. Plastic should be seen as a monster or enemy that lives among us.

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  33. It's sad that people litter now, you would think they would want to care bout the environment.

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  34. The photos are magic, but the trash is horrible!
    Greetings
    Kirsi

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  35. I thought about you when I heard about the Joshua Tree National Park, such a dreadful state of affairs.

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  36. Observing from my temporary home in Costa Rica, the plastic situation is improving. No restaurants use plastic straws. So far that we've encountered. Small changes. We saw a grand whale sculpture made of plastic bottles on one of the beaches. (eco art) I'm trying to do my part in small steps. I hope the world will try to reduce.

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  37. Oy, I've seen pictures of trash building up in National Parks and it's not just a shame now but all that unnecessary work it will be when this childish stupidity ends. I hope Joshua Tree doesn't close. Ha, the first thing I thought was, "Who would want to move that fence?"

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  38. So hate to see plastic trash like that. The stuff on the creosote bush is just amazing. It takes centuries to completely decompose that stuff completely. We had a surprise yesterday when we came to the national forest campground and found it barricaded until further notice. I’m sure people were trashing that so they had to close it. What is wrong with people!

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  39. The shutdown is a tragedy ..,and JT seems to be the poster park for it. We need leadership so desperately.

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  40. Es muy triste como se está degradando la naturaleza a causa de los plásticos, y que inunden y ensucien parajes hermosos solo por la inconsciencia de la gente. Hay que crear conciencia de usar la menor cantidad posible de plastico y de reciclar lo más posible.

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  41. Plastic bags should be banned everywhere. And I have been shocked and dismayed to hear about what people have done in some national parks just because they can. Sometimes I despair ...

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