70-year-old Grandma cleans 52 beaches in one year to show us it’s not too late to take care of the planet

It’s sometimes easy to forget, in the midst of everyday life, to think about our planet. Well, I should say to think about saving our planet … from ourselves.

Unfortunately, it’s beyond argument now that something needs to be done if we’re to protect the earth for future generations. In a relative blink of an eye, we’ve eaten up resources, contaminated our air and polluted the beauty of Mother Nature.

Well, there are those who are now aiming to un-do the damage, and 70-year-old Pat Smith, a citizen of Cornwall in the UK, is one of them.

She watched a documentary about plastic pollution and decided she simply had to do something about it. So she did … in a big way.

** PRESS ALERT ** Pat Smith is appearing on The Jeremy Vine Show Radio 2 today around 1.30pm

Posted by Final Straw Cornwall on Tuesday, January 29, 2019

When Pat Smith watched a documentary on how the use of plastic is destroying our planet, she could barely sleep. She woke up the next morning with a resolution: she was going to clean one beach per week for the entirety of 2018!

Join Pat Smith & Final Straw Cornwall tomorrow at Aldi, St Austell 11am for the plastic unwrap for Earth Day! Let's do…

Posted by Final Straw Cornwall on Saturday, April 21, 2018

Naturally, the people who lived near her in Cornwall loved the idea. They set about helping her achieve her aim, and throughout the year she, along with the help of dedicated volunteers and her grandchildren, cleaned up 52 beaches!

Posted by Final Straw Cornwall on Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Now, that alone would be great if it was the end of the story, but it gets better.

Pat launched a campaign called The Final Straw. It’s mission? To raise awareness of the uselessness of plastic straws, and the harm they cause worldwide to the environment, with the ultimate objective being a plastic-free world.

It’s the week of Surfers Against Sewage Big Autumn Beach Clean series so there have been beach cleans organised all…

Posted by Final Straw Cornwall on Sunday, October 28, 2018

Pat’s work on the beaches of Cornwall is perfect proof that even little changes can make a huge difference. We don’t need things like plastic straws, they have simply become a luxury we are accustomed to. Unfortunately, the harm they do on a global scale is something that must be addressed if we are to preserve the world as we know it for future generations.

My 28th beach clean at Par beach in beautiful evening light after the crowds have gone. I cycled down which is a bit…

Posted by Final Straw Cornwall on Saturday, August 4, 2018

A magical big sky morning for my 46th beach clean of the year at Pentewan today. I was up early and had the beach to…

Posted by Final Straw Cornwall on Sunday, December 9, 2018

Pat, we take our hats of to you! Your work is fantastic, inspiring and we hope it continues for a long time yet.

Do you take care to limit your use of plastic? Are you ready to join Pat Smith and the rest of us in striving for a plastic-free world? Let us know in the comments box blow.

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