Had a good day lobbying the City of Miami Beach with my allies Michael DeFilippi, Surfrider SoFla, and Sean ‘Birdman’ Gould (Birdmans Trash Initiative) to ban Polystyrene (similar to Styrofoam) Take Out containers and cups. As usual, I decided to bring visual aids – 2 shopping bags full of foam that I picked up in one little area of the canal shoreline on my way to the commission meeting (I always know where I will find trash).
Hit READ MORE to see the video and pictures I brought..
In addition to bringing bags of trash, I also gave my elected officials photos really demonstrating the problem.
Watch if you’d like. Check out video 2 of April 23rd meeting (http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/mbtv77/scroll.aspx?id=52532) at the 17 minute mark is my presentation. Minute 27 is Michael. In Hour 3 minute 15, there becomes a lively debate within the commission – but everyone is on-board with trying to solve the problem either through carrot or stick. There may be a state preemption law that prevents us from restricting, but the ideas are flowing. Final result was a WIN of eliminating foam / polystyrene from City offices and a revisit after legal research on whether we can do it legislatively. My favorite part was when Mayor Philip Levine and Commissioner Michael Grieco agreed with my line ‘Let ’em sue us’. I appreciate that these folks recognize the problem and have the guts to take it on.