There was a report on the BBC web site that litter on Britain's beaches is up 90%. As the Thames outside my window is tidal then technically this counts as part of the coast and yes litter seems up here too.Drifting by seems to be everything from footballs to plastic bags and from half submerged boats to used drinks bottles (above). When walking along the river side I did consider picking some bits up but there was just too too much.
The Port of London Authority removes larger items - such as this morning they dragged what looked like a whole tree out of the shipping lanes, but is anyone responsible for litter cleanup?
The tidal nature means the same bit of rubbish can go back and forth many times (anyone know how many times?) though today when its neaps the flow was, to say the least, sluggish.
Luckily my lurgy is going so unlike Father Thames I am feeling back in the flow.
The river is at its worst at Spring tide or after a bad storm. The amount of crap in the river is shocking. When I used to row on the Thames, I ran into a big dead dog on a quiet Saturday afternoon in a scull. It scared the crap out of me. I nearly tipped in after it.
ReplyDeleteI can also tell you that having fallen in a couple of times at Putney and Hammersmith, it don't taste too nice neither.
Keep the River Life stuff coming. I live in the US but I miss the Thames.
yuck...I wonder how much is the result of flooding, and how much is just careless littering.
ReplyDeleteps(What's a lurgy?)
Wow, a dead dog how horrid.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, yes, the thames is wonderful. Whereabouts in the US are you?
Hi Kat - I think a lot is carelessness unfortunately.
I am in New Jersye and work in NYC
ReplyDelete