Monday, November 24, 2008

Blue Monday #9: Blue is the New Green


"Where The Phone Books Go To Die"
Raleigh, NC - October 2008 (Click to embiggen)

 Hosted by Smiling Sally

"Please Don't Strangle the Turtles"
Atlantic Beach, NC - October 2008 (Click to embiggen)

 Hosted by Smiling Sally

I had originally considered titling the first of these shots something snarky until I realized that this battered dumpster in the NC Department of Administration's parking lot was in fact for recycling old telephone books. The second shot is a sign on the fishing pier at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach, which makes a point I hadn't given much thought to. I cut up the plastic rings that six-packs of soda come in because someone once told me that they get caught around the necks of young turtles who are then unable to remove them and eventually get strangled by them when their necks grow too large for the opening. Maybe that's an urban legend, but the visual is enough to convince me to cut the damn things up even if the consequences are unlikely. But I never gave much thought to discarded lengths of fishing line presenting the same kind of hazard. I don't do that much fishing any more, but even when I did I never tossed tangled up cut off line around in the wild... but it didn't occur to me to recycle it either. It will now though.
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11 comments:

bj said...

What an informative posting ...and it's BLUE to boot !! Great post and, like you, we never throw our lines or anything else in the water.
bj

SmilingSally said...

I've heard about the plastic rings becoming a hazard for the turtles, and I've seen pictures of pelicans caught with fishing line wrapped around their beaks. We need to be aware and be careful. Happy Blue Monday!

Lil Bit said...

yep, fishing line & 6-pack plastic rings are monsters to our sealife.

That dumpster pic is so grungey & cool... I always enjoy your 'blue' entries! =)

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Love these photos, and those bottle things cause problems for other animals, too. Birds can get in trouble with them as well.

That dumpster shot is amazing. There really is so much beauty in the most unlikely places. Thanks for reminding me of that.

Loved seeing these.

Sheila

Kaylia Metcalfe said...

Useful and decorative… very cool!

I have heard that same urban legend about the turtles… and I am so with you, even if it isn’t true, the chance that it is makes you pause.

Katie said...

Happy Blue Monday! I once saw one of the 6-pack rings around a duck's neck in a park, it wasn't distressed but I don't think it would have come off and he could have got tangled on something.

My that blue of the dumpster is sure an intense hue!

Coloradolady said...

Well, I have to say, that is a pretty color for the dumpster....they should have recycled the phone books however. Nice Blue Monday Post.

Sweetie said...

Blue is an unusually pretty color for a dumpster. Thanks for sharing the information. The last time we went whale watching the moderator talked about the dangers that sea life experience from some of the things that people throw into the sea. Happy Blue Monday.
Sweetie

Daryl said...

Now that blue was a shock ..

:-Daryl

Jeanne said...

This post is a blue wonder. I think your awareness for recycling and keeping the waterways safe for our birds and wildlife is awesome. Thank you for such a meaningful and enlightening post today.

Hugs...Jeanne

Rechelle ~Walnuthaven Cottage~ said...

How interesting. I also cut up those things that hold the cans and bottle together. Whatever can be recycled gets recycled. I never thought of fishing line. We all need to be aware and considerate of the animals/beings in the oceans and world around us.