I run – sadly not at the level of Jacob Kiplomo (who smashed the half marathon record last week in Barcelona – 56:42). In and around Crail there are so many routes to hit the trail with lovely countryside on the doorstep.
For me running provides opportunities – to quote John Muir – to go “into the forest…to lose my mind and find my soul.”
I have already found some great local runs however rather disappointedly. I have also found some grot spots.
I was “Running up that road”, or to be more precise, the A917 and littered along the verges were assorted items of discarded rubbish. My working hypothesis is that manky motorists have caused this.
Behind the lyrics of the song Running up that road by Kate Bush is the idea of seeking to understand someone. A form of empathy if you will. So here is my attempt to answer the question – why throw a can of beer out of the car window or drop a piece of paper or not pick up dog poo?
First of all, I turn to the psychologist Dr Robert Cialdini who has written many books on influence. He states “Litter begets litter. When people see other people littering, they feel released to litter themselves. If people see it is a pristine environment, they will realise it’s not OK to litter.”
However, if the rubbish is launched out the car or van window it becomes invisible to the culprit. That does not seem to help answer the whole question.
Further research indicates that where we are, who we are with, and how we feel about our setting plays a part. Peers and family role models can help reinforce the behaviour – for good or ill.
This may have some mileage to understanding. Cialdini calls this social proof.
After further rummaging through my psychology material a lack of personal responsibility and accountability is another key factor. Many litterers do not see their individual actions as part of a larger problem. They may rationalise their behaviour by thinking, “It’s just one can” or “Someone else will clean it up.”
This disconnection from the consequences of their actions allows them to litter without feeling guilty or care. I wonder if this links to the privatisation of our leisure – research conducted in the USA, for example, indicates that Americans are spending less time with other people – from 2003-2020 this dropped 20%.
Every piece of litter, no matter how small, contributes to a larger problem. And most importantly, it is about understanding that each of us has the power to make a difference through our individual actions. Fast food wrappers, plastic bottles and cans are an eye-sore to the local environments of Crail.
Anyway, I went out for a plog. “Plogging” comes from the Swedish words “plocka upp” (to pick up) and “jogga” (to jog). Try it whilst out walking – you might just influence others.
the bucket of cement found – they could not run home with all of that.
