ORIGINAL OCEAN DREAMS PROJECT LINK:
http://asiascudder.blogspot.com/2018/11/sea-dreams-and-whale-songs-one-artists.html
I ventured a 10-day journey to see what if simple wire art was utilized as the conversation piece, a vector, to build a larger-than-life sea turtle in a public space while engaging in conversations that I hoped would happen between environmental groups (Clean River Project), the general public and other artists (Richard Sheppard, John Craig Freeman).
This post is about what ensued and what concerns were shared. *Updates to this post are forthcoming*
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My original question was put forth as I wore a hat as an environmental activist, an artist and curator of other projects related to a plastic-free, clean environment. This more specifically relates to a futurisitic work for an AR/VR project, "Flotsam and Jetsam: Plastic Gyre on Main Street" which hopes to address the largess of concern re: plastics. That project is in motion and in collaboration with John Craig Freeman.
Locally speaking, this blog post mainly pertains to the Merrimack River with an underlying curiosity about what can we do to reduce local pollution in our waterways. That is, as I seek local input, we are further wondering can we track what we do locally to the larger global perspective of plastic gyres and the die-offs of marine life due to ingestion of micro- and macro-plastics?
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When: July 2019.
Location: Newburyport, Massachusetts which is the mouth of the Merrimack River, the end of a two-states long journey from its source in Franklin, NH. Wikipedia:
"The Merrimack River is a 117-mile-long river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Gulf of Maine at Newburyport."Here is one of several Youtube introductions prior to my sculpture being created with Clean River Project: https://youtu.be/0A-rYRXu-9o
Here is a video with live performance by Richard Sheppard who very kindly provided
According to Amercian Rivers website:
The health of the 125-mile Merrimack River and its 11 tributaries is of great importance to two million residents and an abundance of fish and wildlife species.
Currently, 600,000 people depend on the river for drinking water, including the six communities of Lowell, Lawrence, Tewksbury, Methuen, and Andover, in Massachusetts and Nashua, NH. Two more cities in New Hampshire, Manchester and Concord, plan to do so in the near future. In addition, the Merrimack is historically important as one of the birthplaces for industrialization, with the river powering textile mills and other factories. The region, “was then to industry what the Silicon Valley is today,” said Theodore Steinburg, author of Nature Incorporated: Industrialization and the Waters of New England. Today, 847 dams harness the river and its tributaries, and some are candidates for removal to help restore river health and fisheries.
"Meeting lots and lots of people who are interested in clean-water for ourselves and for all living things! Interesting to listen a lot about increasing levels of plastic pollution on the shores of Plum Island, Hampton Beach all the way up to Camden Maine including issues with sewage improperly being released from cruise ships, small vessels, issues with livestock farms releasing fecal matter into the waterways as well as stubborn plastic that just won't go away! It's been great to get feedback from so many people based on this one week of taking notes and listening to people's stories." - Asia Scudder. YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/0yJssm2y0_c
___________________________________________________________ > Dave Raynolds dialog1@msn.com said: Companies, corporations which produce so many non-recylable, non-biodegradable products, have to have a built-in program (mandated by law) for buy-back and/or recyling of their product - BY THEM. They made it, they're making money (profit) on it, egro, they must be resposible for initiating and managing the products.
> Put our resource money cleaning up the Merrimack instead of the money going for walking paths and for trusts. A clean river attracts all!
> What if it was you and yours? Everyone should be concerned with the filth being dumped in the beautiful Merrimack River. The second dumping killed our golden retriever Rusty. Who infection could not be cured CaroleAnn Martin Mcpherson.Newburyport, MA.
> Let managers at restaurants know your concerns. Also if you are an employee at a restaurant, let your employer know that you want them to do better.
> USE BAMBOO STRAWS!
> Finding broken glass, needles, more and more trash on Plum Island!
> How do we clean up needles? (Police stations have free depositories for needles)
> 4 Oceans. Bracelets sold to support clean-up efforts.
> If sewage overflow is too expensive for towns along Merrimack, then have other NH/MA towns pitch in!
> Encourage Starbucks coffee chains and restaurants to utilize compostable plastic-free to-go cups and utensils!
> CHECK OUT: Free Range Initiative @freerangeinitiative #gogreen
> Can we make plastic from corn? soy? Hemp? seaweed?
> CONSTRUCTIVE DISTURBANCE! Our river is sick! We need collaboration!
> The river is like a body. When there is a clog in an artery we do what we can to clear it. Same with river. It is like a body and needs to be healed. All arteries are connected.
> Reintroduction of clamming!
> Prayer as explained in Christian Science can span the way to see solutions and how to go about implementing them. - Virginia McCullough vrgn2005@yahoo.com
> The monarch gardener. Katie Banks Hone.
> www.runawaydandelion.com (http://amzn.to/2pacwxp) Jill Regensburg
MANY CONCERNED PEOPLE SHARED IN THE CONVERSATION:
"Meeting lots and lots of people who are interested in clean-water for ourselves and for all living things! Interesting to listen a lot about increasing levels of plastic pollution on the shores of Plum Island, Hampton Beach all the way up to Camden Maine including issues with sewage improperly being released from cruise ships, small vessels, issues with livestock farms releasing fecal matter into the waterways as well as stubborn plastic that just won't go away! It's been great to get feedback from so many people based on this one week of taking notes and listening to people's stories." - Asia Scudder. YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/0yJssm2y0_c
I want to thank everyone who weighed in on the conversation on plastics, pollution and sewage outflows along the Merrimack River. Here are many of the comments that I received and were either posted or communicated directly about suggestions, thoughts, concerns (other than 'thumbs-up' to keep up the good work)! Key words: Power, priviledge and alternate, respect. I'll continue to add to this !
___________________________________________________________ > Dave Raynolds dialog1@msn.com said: Companies, corporations which produce so many non-recylable, non-biodegradable products, have to have a built-in program (mandated by law) for buy-back and/or recyling of their product - BY THEM. They made it, they're making money (profit) on it, egro, they must be resposible for initiating and managing the products.
> Put our resource money cleaning up the Merrimack instead of the money going for walking paths and for trusts. A clean river attracts all!
> What if it was you and yours? Everyone should be concerned with the filth being dumped in the beautiful Merrimack River. The second dumping killed our golden retriever Rusty. Who infection could not be cured CaroleAnn Martin Mcpherson.Newburyport, MA.
> Let managers at restaurants know your concerns. Also if you are an employee at a restaurant, let your employer know that you want them to do better.
> USE BAMBOO STRAWS!
> Finding broken glass, needles, more and more trash on Plum Island!
> How do we clean up needles? (Police stations have free depositories for needles)
> 4 Oceans. Bracelets sold to support clean-up efforts.
> If sewage overflow is too expensive for towns along Merrimack, then have other NH/MA towns pitch in!
> Encourage Starbucks coffee chains and restaurants to utilize compostable plastic-free to-go cups and utensils!
> CHECK OUT: Free Range Initiative @freerangeinitiative #gogreen
> Can we make plastic from corn? soy? Hemp? seaweed?
> CONSTRUCTIVE DISTURBANCE! Our river is sick! We need collaboration!
> The river is like a body. When there is a clog in an artery we do what we can to clear it. Same with river. It is like a body and needs to be healed. All arteries are connected.
> Reintroduction of clamming!
> Prayer as explained in Christian Science can span the way to see solutions and how to go about implementing them. - Virginia McCullough vrgn2005@yahoo.com
> The monarch gardener. Katie Banks Hone.
> www.runawaydandelion.com (http://amzn.to/2pacwxp) Jill Regensburg
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