One thing that strikes me as odd is when people do things to raise “awareness” for a cause. Do not misunderstand me, I think it is a good thing that people dedicate their time for charity, or to strive for a better world, but sometimes I cannot help but to sit back and think “what a bloody waste of time.”
The one that made me laugh yesterday is the group sailing from San Francisco to Sydney in a boat made entirely of empty plastic bottles in aid to increase awareness of garbage in the oceans. Call me stupid, but isn’t that a little like setting fire to people’s homes in aid to raise awareness of bushfire? Assisting the problem and not the solutions? I thought the idea is to stop crap from getting into the ocean, not to sail through it, and on it.
An advertising campaign brings awareness. It costs a bit of money, but so does sailing a boat made from materials stolen from the homeless and keeping it supplied for a 130 days at sea. What are the real reason guys? Your wives found out, and instead of looking stupid by telling them the truth, you told them it was for charity? I mean, come on, you named it “Plastiki”!?
Education is important, but raising awareness is not education. Sailing Tupperware around the world is not a substitute for schooling. The only thing I will learn is that you are a knob. More bins in the street will more than likely have a better effect on waste getting into storm water drains then seeing your dumb-arse on the news. I appreciate your effort guys, but next time some awareness on what might actually work would be better for you and everyone concerned.
