Most of us have already noticed that our planet does not only consist of untouched nature and clean cities. Unfortunately, often quite the opposite is the case and in many places we are clearly reminded of what our highly developed and intelligent civilization leaves behind. Our remains are not only clean parks and trimmed gardens, but also a lot of garbage and debris. And that stuff doesn't always end up in the designated bins and containers, but often quite far away from them. Sometimes more and sometimes less intentional, but always with consequences that are not quite predictable yet.

However the result of our live can't be overlooked, as I realized once again during a visit to the beach. A lot of the things, which we discard after a long or even short period of use, end up in the water. Plenty of garbage finds its way into rivers, and from there it reaches the sea. Out of sight out of mind some may think, but of course it is not that simple.

On the one hand, there is all the garbage that is already floating around in the middle of the seas and oceans. All that trash might find their way back to the polluter, but this time it will end up in our stomachs and bellies. And especially in Asia, I was also able to find out that it ends up directly on our beaches. The sea seems to spit out everything it doesn't like. Especially in winter and after the cold and stormy season you can find a lot of flotsam on the beaches of the Sea of Japan, especially plastic waste. This comes to a large extent from fishing boats, which seem to lose quite a lot on their way. But the many plastic bottles and packaging also point to some different polluters, namely directly back to us.

Even though I don't like to count myself among the people, who throw their garbage on the streets or into the nature. But apparently there are enough of us who don't seem to mind dumping their garbage directly behind them. Probably these do not even have an idea, where that discarded garbage finally ends up.

I am always shocked and annoyed when I see such pictures. Some people may have gotten used to it and are able to block it all out. I'm still a long way from that and I haven't given up hope that we can still change our behavior. Of course I am also working on myself.

Fortunately, there are still enough places on this planet where everything still seems to be okay. At least at first glance, as long as you don't look very closely. But not everything is lost yet and if we pull ourselves together, we might still manage to get things done and save our planet. We just have to really want to!

Love and Respect!