How many times have you watched someone throw a straw wrapper, a paper cup or a plastic bottle down onto the sidewalk or out the window of their car? I will admit that I see this daily as I walk around campus and drive around town. The acts that I just mentioned can be deemed as littering. Littering has only negative effects and should be stopped. Today we will look at who litters, the effects of their littering and the consequences for those who litter.
First, let us will begin with a profile of who is most likely to litter. In a survey conducted in the summer of 1998 for the Texas Department of Transportation, it was found that over half of all Texans participated in or condoned littering. The surveyors put Texans into five littering categories, and as I read on the Don't Mess with Texas website, [Flips over list.] these five categories began with the gross litterers. These litterers littered major items like bottles and tires within a three-month period of the survey. The next category is the micro litterers. These litterers had littered minor items like cigarette butts and paper within the same time period. The next group is the reformed litterers. Those who had not littered within the three-month period of the survey but have littered within the three-month…three…excuse me…three-year period of the survey. The next group is the tolerant litterers. Those who did not litter but also did not tell others that littering was wrong. The last group is the non-litterers. Those who did not litter, did not associate with those who litter and also told others that littering was wrong. [Laughter.] [Takes list down.]
The same surveyors found that several factors made people more likely to litter. If a person is age 24 or under, they are more likely to litter. If they smoke cigarettes, eat fast food at least twice a week, are single and have never been married or drive more than fifty miles in a day, they are more likely to litter.
The effects of such littering can be seen in our own Lubbock community. [Turns on slide projector.] Several weeks ago I took this picture at the corner of Quaker and Erskine. You can see there…it's a pasture and it has a fence that lines the corner. [Close up of image.] In the fence, you can see plastic bags that have blown in from grocery stores and convenience stores. There are bottles and cans in the ditch. And there is also a twelve-pack beverage container. This is not the only place that I found. I also found a great deal of litter in front of the Wal* Mart Super Center at West Loop 289. Out front they have a small pond, it's kind of a drainage pond, and there's wildlife swimming in it, [Shows close up of second image.] but all along the bank there are blue paper sacks…excuse me…blue plastic sacks that came from the parking lot. There are bottles in the water and they are even caught on the opposite bank in the trees. [Turns of slide projector.]
This littering has caused effects on our Lubbock community pride. This is demonstrated as Arland Hilton wrote in his November 8th, 1999…1998 letter to the editor of the Avalanche Journal after a trip of several Northern States, " Lubbock was the most trash strewn city we saw in our 5,000 mile trip. It is a shame we do not have enough pride in our city and our state to keep it clean." Likewise Brenda Campbell, a resident of Leveland and a frequent visitor to Lubbock wrote, in her February 21st, 1999 letter to the editor of the Avalanche Journal, "The site of all that trash is not a very welcoming one to those approaching or returning to Lubbock." The negative opinions of these two citizens demonstrate the downfall of Lubbock community pride.
These effects can also be seen closer to home, right here on our Texas Tech campus. I also took some pictures on our campus. [Turn on slide projector.] The first of these is in the parking lot of the Hulen-Clement dorm complex. You can see that someone has just opened the door of their car and put out fast food trash onto the ground, [Close up of third picture.] which reemphasizes the fact that you are more likely to litter if you eat fast food at least twice a week. Not only does this happen in the dormitory parking lots, it also happens in the commuter lot, as you can see here by Jones Stadium. [Shows fourth picture.] This one actually looks like a fast…excuse me…a sack lunch that someone has brought from home and there is a can drink on the ground. Not only does it happen in the parking lots, I also found evidence of littering outside of our campus buildings. [Shows fifth picture.] Right here you can see outside of our math building. All along the ground are small pieces of trash like gum wrappers, straws and receipts. [Turns off projector.]
Now that we have seen a profile of who's most likely to litter and the effects of littering on our community, let us examine the consequences for those who are caught littering. As I read on the Don't Mess with Texas website, the fine for general micro littering can be up to $500 and the fine for littering items up to fifteen pounds can be up to $2,000. And as I read in Megan Donald's article for the Avalanche Journal, "Environmental Officer Sees Trash First Hand," the fine for dumping large amounts of trash can be up to $4,000 and you can even be jailed for one year. Lubbock County officials have tried to find a solution to this problem. They are very prepared to prosecute those who have been littering. And as I read in Megan Donald's article, "County to Vote on Trash Bashing," a city ordinance proposed in January of 1998 reads, " Lubbock County will take every effort to ensure that no one considers our roads and right of ways as the proper place to dispose of litter. We will enforce our laws vigorously." Donald talks more of this solution as she states that Lubbock County has hired Cynthia Metzger to be Lubbock's Environmental Officer. Cynthia states, in her article with Donald, that she'll go through the litter and look for a letter, a book, a picture, whatever it takes to find and catch the litterer. She is very determined, has even planned night surveillance at places where large amounts of litter have been dumped. She also states, "I'm going to be out there, and if I catch them dumping trash, I will pull them over and they will get a ticket."
In light of these severe consequences let us review what we have learned today. We have seen the profile of a typical litterer, the effects of their littering on our community and the consequences for that littering. The severe consequences and the negative effects on our community pride levels and turning our city landmarks into eyesores, stress the urgency to stop your own littering habits. Remember, littering negatively effects each one of you. I encourage you to stop your own littering and to encourage those around you to stop theirs as well. Thank you.
[Applause.]