>> SOUTH FLORIDA IS IN THE GRIPS OF A SERIOUS POLLUTION PROBLEM.
OUR STREETS ARE LINED WITH
CANS, BOTTLES, PLASTIC BAGS,
YOU NAME IT.
TRASH PEOPLE JUST THROW ON THE
GROUND INSTEAD OF IN A GARBAGE
CAN WHERE IT BELONGS.
>> IT’S GOTTEN REALLY BAD.
>> THIS RESTAURANT ON SOUTH
BEACH OFFERS WATER FRONT
DINING.
BUT WHEN THE TIDE IS HIGH, NO
ONE WANTS TO EAT OUTSIDE
>> WE’VE HAD CUSTOMERS
COMPLAIN OF THE SMELL.
WE’VE HAD ANIMALS SOMETIMES
FLOATING, DEAD.
>> IT HAS TRANSFORMED INTO A
VIRTUAL GARBAGE DUMP AT THE
SOUTHERN MOST TIP.
PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK
NEARBY SAY IT GETS TRASHED
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>> IT GETS WORSE THAN THIS.
THIS IS AVERAGE.
I LIVE RIGHT OVER THERE, SO I
SEE THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>> THE SCENE RE-PETSIAZZA REPEA
ALL OVER MIAMI-DADE COUNTY.
IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T NOTICED,
WE HAVE A SERIOUS POLLUTION
PROBLEM.
IT’S GETTING WORSE AND IT’S
STRANGLING OUR PRECIOUS
BACKYARD.
>> IT’S INCUMBENT UPON US TO
GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
>> ANOXIA IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THERE’S A LACK OF OXYGEN IN
THE WATER.
IT’S WHAT CAUSED THE FISH KILL
LAST SUMMER IN BISCAYNE BAY.
ALL OF US ARE RESPONSIBLE.
>> NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS PLASTIC
COMES FROM.
THEY THINK IT’S PEOPLE
THROWING IT IN THE WATER, BUT
THE MAJORITY OF PLASTICS,
ALMOST 80% OF PLASTICS FOUND
IN THE OCEAN COME FROM LAND
BASED SOURCES LIKE OUTFALLS
AND STREET SNK WAYS.
>> THE MAJORITY OF TRASH WE
SEE IN OUR WATERWAYS IS THE
DIRECT RESULT OF POORLY
MANAGED TRASH ON LAND.
>> HERE’S THE ONE THING WE ALL
HAVE TO UNDERSTAND.
IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW FAR WEST
YOU THINK YOU ARE FROM ANY
BODY OF WATER, WHETHER YOU’RE
IN MIAMI GARDENS, MIAMI LAKES,
DORAL, WEST KENDALL OR EVEN
HOMESTEAD.
WHATEVER TRASH YOU THROW ON
THE GROUND OR OUT YOUR CAR
WINDOW MORE THAN LIKELY WILL
GET SWEPT UP INTO A STORM
DRAIN THAT WILL THEN EMPTY OUT
INTO ONE OF OUR MANY CANALS
THAT WILL THEN DUMP ALL THAT
POLLUTION RIGHT INTO BISCAYNE
BAY.
>> BACK IN BISCAYNE BAY,
FOLLOWING A BEAUTIFUL RAIN.
BUT WITH THAT RAIN ALWAYS
COMES TRASH.
>> JUST LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF
BISCAYNE BAY AT MORNING SIDE
AFTER A HEAVY RAIN.
CANS AND PLASTIC BOTTLES AND
PLASTIC WRAPPERS OF ALL SHAPES
AND SIZES, ALL OF IT CAME FROM
THE LAND.
>> WE ARE KILLING OUR PLANET,
OUR ANIMALS, WHY?
>> WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
WHY DOES NOBODY CARE ABOUT
THIS?
WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
I REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND IT
AND IT MAKES ME SO SAD.
>> SHE CHANNELLED HER
FRUSTRATION CREATING THE
NON-PROFIT CLEAN MIAMI BEACH,
ONE OF SEVERAL VOLUNTEER
ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE OUT
THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AT
LEAST ONCE A WEEK CLEANING UP
OUR BEACHES, OUR WATERWAYS AND
OUR CAUSEWAYS OF ALL THE
LITTER FROM THOUGHTLESS
PEOPLE.
>> THIS IS OUR HOME.
STOP IT.
>> A BEER CAN HERE, A PLASTIC
BAG THERE, A MASK MAY NOT SEEM
LIKE MUCH.
SOPHIE’S ORGANIZATION ALONG
WITH CLEAN THIS BEACH UP AND
SEND IT FOR THE SEAS PICKED UP
92,000 POUNDS OF TRASH
COMBINED.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, THEY PICKED
UP 20,000 POUNDS AND COUNTING.
ALL FROM PEOPLE CONSTANTLY
LITTERING.
THE CHANGE HAS TO COME FROM
US.
>> CHANGE ISN’T EASY, BUT IT
HAS TO HAPPEN.
WE MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT
THIS.