Every October 24th is celebrated worldwide as the International Day against Climate Change, to raise awareness about the great natural damages that are occurring all over the planet. In the case of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, according to a report published by the Government of the Canary Islands last May, ten coastal areas, totaling 34.4 kilometers, are at "high risk" due to the threat of this situation.
Tobbias Heeb is the co-founder, along with Aduén Morales and Stephan Cerf, of Lanzarote Limpia, one of the organizations dedicated to trying to reverse this negative effect on the environment.
Regarding the current reality of the conejero and graciosero territory, based on the figures presented, Hebb points out that they "collect even a small amount of kilometers, since the problem is of the entire planet, in all its places", so he calls the general state "serious".
200 tons collected on the coast
Since 2010, the three presidents of the organization, along with the numerous volunteers who have joined the cause, have been dedicated to collecting garbage from various coastal enclaves of the island. Although it is difficult to calculate the exact amount of waste they have managed to collect in these years, it is close to 200 tons.
"We find everything from tar to microplastics, so the weight is very variable, but during the first 5 years, according to our evaluations, we reached more than 100 tons. Now, it will be about 200, all of it belonging mostly to the coastline," explains Heeb.
The representative details that 100% of this garbage comes from human action, since "even if it is in the sea, it was created by us on the coast": "For example, from the Zonzamas landfill, the wind drags it to the water, the floods that occur in Arrecife also carry waste to the sea. These reach other islands of the archipelago and those that leave from them also end up in Lanzarote... It is a cycle in which we are all to blame and we are all affected," he explains.
However, although all territories are harmed, some are worse than others. The activist indicates that Playa del Cochino, belonging to the Timanfaya National Park, or Playa de Atrás de Órzola have managed to impact him due to their dirtiness, "because due to their orientation and difficulty of access, they have accumulated a lot of waste."
Cleaning actions
But it was not Timanfaya or Órzola that gave rise to this social action initiative, but Famara: "In 2010 we started working on this beach with the aim of cleaning it, under the name of Famara Limpia, and little by little we expanded to other nearby ones, until we realized that it was the entire planet that needed help," recalls Heeb.
"And since it is impossible to be everywhere, we decided to make Lanzarote, which is where we reside, a cleaner place", he adds.
From that decision, the non-profit organization has established the implementation of 12 cleaning actions per year, carried out on the first Sunday of each month. Although it depends on the mood of the "family" - as they call the users who collaborate in these activities - they can do more. So far this year, they have already reached 20.
In this way, around 10 in the morning, the cleaning day begins with groups of volunteers who, on many occasions, are also made up of young migrants who have arrived in Lanzarote seeking asylum, with which "we promote interaction between cultures", explains the president.
The collection lasts two hours, but Heeb says that on many occasions, some stay even longer. "The important thing is to generate impact on others. In my case, whenever I go to a beach or field, even though I know I can't do everything, I try to pick up something, so that others see me and want to do the same."
A problem that exceeds political limits
All these years of work have been recognized by the International Ocean Film Festival, which has divided the proceeds obtained between Lanzarote Limpia and the Club de Buceo Pastinaca in honor of their actions for the good of the environment.
This support represents the first time that the project co-led by Heeb receives money, since until now it has been self-financed, and they plan to dedicate the prize to make the dream of launching a line of solidarity t-shirts come true that will allow them to "pay for the trips that volunteers take when we go to other islands, such as Fuerteventura, to collaborate with local cleaning associations."
Despite never having had institutional support, the activist does not focus on politics: "Socially we would have to fight much harder at all levels. We all have to act together and do it now, learning to cooperate once and for all, because if we don't go together, it will be very difficult to change something."
"We cannot continue cleaning all our lives, but we can pollute less"
However, despite the obvious complications, the spirits do not wane within the Lanzarote Limpia team. Although Heeb recognizes that there are times when they are about to throw in the towel, "thinking a little further, about future generations such as those of our children or grandchildren, helps us not to do it."
In this line, the president indicates that we must change our mentality, since "we cannot continue cleaning all our lives, but we can pollute less." Therefore, he does not hesitate to affirm that there are still possibilities for change, as long as people "stop thinking that everything lies in awareness."
"I always remember that during a workshop we did at a school, a boy told me: "Sir, we are already aware, this is the sixth talk they have given us this year about the environment". That made me realize that this was not the way", he says.
Hebb collects that change will only arise if we focus on the situation more positively: "We have to stop raising awareness about climate change and start teaching that there are solutions, and that we must and can take care of ourselves. We already know the problems very well, we don't have to continue installed in the idea that it costs a lot. Because we cannot eat the money, but we can eat the fish from the sea that we pollute more and more", he concludes.
