Member-only story
Coronavirus and Environmentalism: A Floridian Perspective
During the coronavirus pandemic, it’s logical that many people are choosing to take care of themselves. The more social distancing and quarantine rules that are followed, the quicker the beaches can be enjoyed to their fullest and the more nature parks will be opened. Sadly, when these rules have been relaxed, many people have taken advantage of the outdoors that they so wanted to experience again.
Logic would dictate that people would work extra hard to keep the natural environment that they seem to love so much in pristine condition, especially during the midst of a pandemic. But people are not logical creatures. When Brevard County loosened their quarantine rules for the beach, over 13,000 pounds of trash were left at Cocoa Beach, only after a matter of weeks. Because of the carelessness of beach goers, officials have issued a $250 fine for those caught littering. Tragic about this is that government officials shouldn’t have to. We as people, connected to the earth, should be appalled at the idea of littering.
This problem of littering during the pandemic isn’t just confined to the beaches, though that’s bad enough considering the amount of trash that ends up in the ocean. Central Florida isn’t immune to human carelessness. There have been numerous reports of rubber gloves littered in the parking lots of Orlando’s…
