How ocean trash became Greta the Great White Shark

Angela Haseltine Pozzi poses next to one of her creations at the Clinton Presidential Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

June 13, 2019

Angela Haseltine Pozzi’s a-ha moment came when she was walking along her beloved southern Oregon beach and saw a “mosaic of plastic” – pieces so small she realized they were turning into sand.

“I always felt that the ocean was something that would never change, that would always be the same and be that beautiful constant, serene beautiful place. And I was horrified to know that we were really hurting the ocean so much, so I really decided that my mission in my life was going to have to be to save the ocean,” she said with a laugh.

The artist and art teacher founded Washed Ashore in 2009 at age 51. It has created 75 works of art from 22 tons of trash washed up on the Oregon coastline to call attention to ocean pollution. Pozzi has done this with help from a staff of 10 and more than 14,000 volunteers. Twenty pieces are on display at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock until Oct. 27.

How big is the problem? Her website says the world produces 300 million pounds of plastic annually, and less than 10 percent is recycled. In some places overseas, trash-infested rivers are pouring plastic into the ocean. Some of the plastic litter in Arkansas’ recently flooded areas likely will end up in the sea. Plastic is not biodegradable and can take hundreds of years to disintegrate (turn into tiny plastic pieces). Sea creatures mistake it for food and eat it, so it enters the food chain. Ocean currents have created the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is twice the size of Texas, between California and Hawaii. There are four other garbage patches worldwide. Trash including a plastic bag has been found in the Mariana Trench seven miles below the surface. Continue reading →

So, Hutchinson’s coding push is a big deal for Arkansas

By Steve Brawner

© 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

June 11, 2019

At first glance, Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s initiative requiring high schools to teach a computer science course seemed more like a single than a home run. It seemed nice, but small.

But the results have been big for Arkansas.

When the initiative started in 2015, fewer than 1,100 high school students were taking a computer science course, and fewer than 20 teachers were trained to teach it. This past school year, more than 8,000 students took a course – more than 2,400 of them females – and the state now has more than 370 trained teachers.

On June 10, education leaders from 30 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada met at the Governor’s Mansion for the National Computer Science Summit for State Leaders. Participants discussed increasing computer science education opportunities, and meanwhile sang Arkansas’ and Hutchinson’s praises. Continue reading →

The least we can do: Remember

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

June 6, 2019

“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” So said President Abraham Lincoln while commemorating the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Likewise, no words on an editorial page can do justice to the sacrifices made during the D-Day invasion 75 years ago this week, or to the sacrifices made during the rest of the war, abroad and at home.

World War II involved great men like Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and evil men like Adolf Hitler. But mostly it involved common people of uncommon valor. Those are the ones we rightly remember at times like these.

One of those was Wallace Eldridge, who crossed the English Channel three days after the initial D-Day invasion, if my memory is correct. Mr. Eldridge was my friend. He built a tennis court in my hometown of Wynne where my brother and I and some friends often played, often with him.

We played a lot, and we talked some – mostly about tennis, but we also talked a couple of times about his World War II experiences. My memories unfortunately are sketchy, but I believe he was the only original member of his unit who wasn’t killed or wounded. He once mentioned advancing hedgerow to hedgerow across the French landscape. And I remember him saying that he had wondered back then why he and his fellow combatants were out there killing each other. Continue reading →

Disasters happen. Let’s budget for them.

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

June 4, 2019

Congress and the president are passing a $19.1 billion federal disaster package that has one glaring problem: As usual, we’re paying for it by credit card.

The bill passed the House Monday, 354-58, after passing the Senate last month, 85-8. It was headed to the president, who will sign it. It will be used to respond to recent natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods in the Midwest, and wildfires in California. It includes additional money for Puerto Ricans – American citizens, it should never be forgotten – who are still recovering from Hurricane Rita in 2017.

The package includes $3 billion for military bases and Coast Guard facilities, $3 billion for farmers, and spending that’s meant to reduce the effects of future disasters. It started out as a $7.8 billion package last year.

All six members of Arkansas’ congressional delegation voted yes, as most did. Members of Congress don’t like to vote against disaster funding because they know their state might be the next to need help. Arkansas’ turn surely is coming after this spring’s historic flooding. Continue reading →

‘A flood of historic magnitude’

By Steve Brawner

© 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

May 30, 2019

When your state’s governor can make this statement – “This is a flood of historic magnitude. It surpasses all Arkansas River flooding in our recorded history” – then that’s what you write about, even on the opinion page.

If you live in one of the affected areas, or if you’ve seen any of the pictures or footage, you know why Gov. Asa Hutchinson is calling the flooding “historic.” It brings to mind the Flood of 1927, when the Mississippi River overflowed and the state was hit with tumultuous rainfall. Thirty-six counties were affected, and some areas were 30 feet underwater, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

The amount of damage this year isn’t known because the damage is still being done. We’ll have to wait for the water to recede. As of this writing Thursday, the river isn’t even finished cresting. Continue reading →