Road trip against Garbage Pollution
About me and my idea
My name is Andrew. I am a traveler and landscape photographer. I love nature and everything about it. Years of traveling has led me to believe that most people still don't realize or understand the impact of littering or what it does to our environment. What seems to be the general perception of littering is the thinking that someone else will clean-up after them.
Study shows that every year just national park visitors generate 100 million pounds of garbage. This amount of trash would normally require 20 million household trash bags, which if laid end-to-end, would stretch from New York to Los Angeles and back again…Twice!
A recent survey conducted by Subaru of America and the National Parks Conservation
Association found that 59% of Americans are unaware of the problem. A second study found that the bulk of that waste is coming from outside the parks and that the biggest part of that is food waste and plastic water bottles.
Some part of this garbage is washed into the rivers by the rain and then from the rivers out to the ocean. There are already 5 huge garbage patches and each of them is miles and miles wide.
Source: The Garbage Patch Estate project
“Plastic has become a vital part of our lives of convenience. Yet the coffee cup lids, water bottles, and bags we use once and throw away do end up somewhere - in landfills, but also in the ocean.
Nearly every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. More than five trillion pieces of plastic are already in the oceans, and by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish, by weight, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Some 8 million tons of plastic trash leak into the ocean annually, and it's getting worse every year. Americans are said to use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
Nothing is an emergency until you feel the burn, or see the red lights. Here plastic's impact is staring you in the face.” - CNN
This is the reason why I started this big project “Garbage Doesn’t Fit.”
In September 2017, I am going to take the biggest road trip in my life. During 6 months, I will drive my camper van around the most popular places in the United States, pick up trash in those places and take pictures of it on the same popular backgrounds as everyone used to see. The main goal of this project is to show people the truth and encourage them to act before it's too late.
My travel plan
My plan is to visit at least 500 popular outdoor places: trails, forests, lakes, national parks, national monuments, mountains, beaches and to take hundreds of pictures of polluted environment. Literally, I am going to sleep and eat in my camper van during my 6-month project. Sometimes I will hike to a better viewpoint, backpack, and even camp onsite if I have to leave my van too far. Pictures that I am going to take will be posted on my Instagram account with 50k followers which will help me spread the message.
Total distance I am going to cover is about 18000 - 19000 miles.
What I need
The biggest part of visible expenses is gas. The second one is food, then gear and some extra budget in case of unseen circumstances, and above all your support to make this project a real success.
Without your support and donations, it would be very difficult to achieve this goal. I have saved up some with which I am getting my van ready and I’m hoping to raise $10,000 more to assist me with my 6-month road trip for a greater cause. Any financial gift from you will be a big help in reaching my goal.
I’ve given herewith the breakdown of what the $10,000 I’m hoping to raise comprises of:
The breakdown of cost for 6 months:
Gas = 18000 - 19000 miles = $5000
Food = $3000 - $3500
Gear and Consumables = $1500 - $2000
Extra budget in case of breakdowns = $5000
Total: ~$15000 − my savings $5000 = $10000
What I want to achieve
By showing people their favorite places covered with garbage I hope to get through to them to make them see the effects of their indifference. Building awareness and providing education are the most effective ways in making progress towards real change and lifestyle adjustments.
Risks & Challenges
I have a lot of experience traveling by myself and I am totally fine about that. The biggest challenges I am going to face are unforeseen possible breakdowns in the middle of nowhere such as a flat tire, oil leak or belt replacement. I am going to prepare for that but the reality is that such repairs can be just expensive.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you are unable to contribute to this cause, here are some ways you can help:
1. Stop using plastic bags and buying bottled water;
2. Start using reusable items: at least cups, bottles, and bags;
3. Consider picking up at least 3 pieces of trash which are not your own next time you go camping, backpacking, hiking or fishing.
4. ALWAYS throw garbage in a garbage bin and be an example to others.
5. You can use the Indiegogo share tools to share my crowdfunding campaign!
More videos about the problem:
Together we are building a better and brighter future not just for us but for our future generation “our children” – but without you, it just wouldn’t be possible.
I don't want to protect the environment. I want to create a world where the environment doesn't need protection.
Thank you so much for your support!
