HumanEyes

 

What makes us care? Better yet, what makes us stop long enough to really see?

We live in the firehose blast of constant information trying to sell us something or shape our opinions. Much of it is loud. Or aggressive. We mute the sound on television adverts, scroll quickly through exhausting online solicitations and diatribes. 

Sometimes it is the quiet things that speak to us. Something gently humorous, perhaps, that appeals to our humanity. 

Eyes, for instance. 

We are hardwired to see faces even when faces aren’t particularly there. So when a normally inanimate object appears to take on a personality…

Case in point: Mr. Trash Wheel.  This adorable front man for the Waterfront Partnership/Healthy Harbor initiative appeared in 2015 and stole my heart. He also captured the imagination of many in Baltimore and beyond. Mr. Trash Wheel has his own website, Instagram account, and his popularity has spawned a veritable family of other trash wheels. He's even a movie star.

What’s the big deal? It’s a thing/vehicle/machine, invented by Baltimore entrepreneur John Kellett, that collects trash in the Baltimore harbor. That doesn’t sound very exciting. Well, it’s the eyes. Look at them. 

Mr. Trash Wheel doesn’t yell or leap out at you from the screen in animated frenzy. He does his job, he loves his work, and he invites the public to come along for the ride, as it were. Because of a clear commitment to an ongoing social media presence, Mr. Trash Wheel has a personality and a sense of humor.

After a while you find yourself rooting for him. Maybe you don’t toss that soda can in the ground. Perhaps you join in a neighborhood stream cleanup. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Image from Live Green Howard social media 

Name The Food Scrap Bins

Did you know? You can drop off your food scraps in collection bins at the Residents' Conveniece Center at Alpha Ridge Landfill! These hungry fellas need a name, so Howard County's Bureau of Environmental Services is hosting a naming contest. Submit your entries by Friday, September 19!

 - - Live Green Howard 

While some folks are able to Feed the Green Bin at home to keep food scraps out of the landfill, some areas don’t have that service yet or some may not want to take on the care and feeding of yet another bin. But we know that food decomposing in a landfill gives off harmful greenhouse gases which are bad for the environment. Hence,  Live Green Howard is offering a new choice to participate in turning that garbage into something ‘green’ - - compost. 

And they have eyes. Hmm…do you think he looks like Oobi?

Now they need names. And they need friends. Well, you know. They need the community to care about what they do and what they’re all about. 

So maybe you can enter the contest. Perhaps you can share this post, or the contest information from Live Green Howard, amongst your neighbors and friends. I already have a few name ideas…

We don’t always respond well to loud and aggressive promotional campaigns. There’s something refreshing about this approach which aims to humanize an environmental message with, well, human eyes.

Village Green/Town² Comments