Littering: Amelia Warde at TEDxManly
The speaker argues that tackling littering requires shifting focus to the hearts and minds of children, suggesting a "Emu Parade" contest model to encourage schools and students to foster honesty and build trust, which are vital for societal function. The strongest evidence provided is the original children's book *Peter Snikes and Gumbles* and the proposed contest structure. ## Speakers & Context - Speaker is presenting a renewed focus on children's education regarding littering. - The speaker is representing New South Wales and presenting the "Emu Parade" concept. - The presentation builds upon the historical understanding of littering through children's literature. ## Theses & Positions - Littering is not a new problem, but awareness of right and wrong regarding it has changed. - Humanity holds the power to abolish all forms of human life, yet littering persists. - The "new generation of humanity" must be unwilling to witness or permit the continued destruction of the planet to an "uneducated or uncaring minority." - Littering accompanied by denial is not merely a misdemeanor but an "indication of lack of honesty" and a failing of society. - Developing a contest to engage schools and schoolchildren is the best way to attack the global littering problem. - The effort to reduce littering should develop trust and honesty in the next generation. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Littering:** The act of dumping rubbish, historically spread across "rubbish heaps" in the Australian bush, ranging from tires to old cars. - **The Litterers (Bter Snikes):** Imaginary creatures in the book, characterized as noisy, lazy, and residing in rubbish heaps, eating magazine food pictures. - **The Cleaners (Gumbles):** Imaginary creatures in the book, described as industrious, enjoying picnics, cleaning up rubbish, and befriending bush animals. - **Littering with denial:** The act of littering and then denying the action, which the speaker deems a loss of moral direction. - **Emu Parade:** Proposed name for the clean school contest, referencing the Australian name of the litter drive used to pick up rubbish across fields and paddocks. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **Children's Literary Solution:** The author of *Peter Snikes and Gumbles* realized littering could be reduced by "entertaining the hearts and minds of children." - **Social Erosion:** Individual acts of littering coupled with denial erode the "ethos in our community in our nation and in our Global society which enables trust between people." - **Contest Strategy:** Motivating and encouraging schools and students to create a cleaner environment through structured competitions. - **Adult Analogies:** The "Tidy towns and clean beaches Awards" serve as existing models for such public engagement. ## Timeline & Sequence - **Over 50 years ago:** Publication of the storybook *Peter Snikes and Gumbles*. - **Historical littering:** Occurred when rubbish heaps were spread wide throughout the Australian bush; every farmer, factory, and home had a rubbish heap. - **Current focus:** Addressing the ongoing issue despite advanced human awareness. ## Named Entities - **Australian bush:** Area historically covered in rubbish heaps. - **New South Wales:** State represented by the speaker. ## Numbers & Data - **98.5% of Australia's litter:** Produced by people over the age of 15. - **Age limit for contest committee:** Under the age of 15. ## Examples & Cases - **Historical Littering:** Rubbish included tires, steel cans, stoves, and old cars. - **Book Illustration:** *Peter Snikes and Gumbles* presented two opposing groups: the lazy Litterers and the industrious Gumbles. - **Modern Analogy:** The "Tidy towns and clean beaches Awards" exemplify existing adult-world clean-up contests. ## Tools, Tech & Products - *Peter Snikes and Gumbles* — the original storybook. - **Emu Parade** — proposed name for the school contest. ## References Cited - *Peter Snikes and Gumbles* — the source material cited for the initial concept. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - The speaker acknowledges the global power to abolish human life, yet littering remains a problem. - It is conceded that the littering problem is "millennia old." ## Conclusions & Recommendations - It is necessary for the new generation of humanity to be proactive against littering. - A dedicated contest strategy engaging schools and students is recommended to make a difference. - The desired outcome is the development of trust and honesty in the next generation. ## Implications & Consequences - Continued littering with denial threatens the fundamental trust that holds society together. - Failure to act will see the environment continuing to degrade due to an "uncaring minority." ## Verbatim Moments - *"over 50 years ago a little story book called bter snikes and gumbles was written"* - *"The Dumping of litter and rubbish is still an issue"* - *"We are the new generation of humanity and I believe we should be unwilling to witness or permit the continued destruction of our planet"* - *"these children are the Undiscovered ones the uncaring and uneducated litterers"* - *"I believe littering with denial is not a misdemeanor it's an indication of lack of honesty a failing of society a lack of moral decency"* - *"the new idea for a clean School contest could be be called emu parade"* - *"it is vital for our society as a whole to develop trust in this issue"*