A comment about culture and litter

Mary and I crossed the border into Canada on the 4th of June.  We crossed back into Alaska on the 26th of June.  Let's call it three weeks in Canada.  During that period, and I am not kidding, we saw about a half dozen scraps of litter.  No joke, Canada is basically litter free.  At one spot in Alberta we noticed a sign that said the fine for littering was $2000.  But I think it's more than the potential for punishment that keeps Canada litter free.  They are better than us.  It's that simple.  Every rest stop has trash cans AND recycle cans. And there are quite a number of rest stops even on the most remote roads.  Mary and I were along the Dempster highway in northern Yukon on the 24th of June.  We were about 200 miles from north of the intersection with the Alaska Highway in one of the most remote areas on the North American continent.  There it was, a Yukon Territorial truck and a worker emptying the rest stop trash bins and serving the toilets.  It's more than budget. It's pride and the proper setting of priorities.  

On 26 June we crossed back into Alaska, the US.  One of the first things we noticed (and we are certain that foreign travelers notice as well) was litter--litter everywhere.  Mary and I stopped at a rest stop between Tok and Fairbanks to let Bean out.  There was no place to go to the bathroom. There were no trash bins. There were no recycle bins.  We noticed immediately.  But there was litter.  Over the edge of the rest stop, along what could be pristine woods, were mounds of litter.  And to spice the scene up, it was a berm of sorts, so travelers could hike with toilet paper and take a squat on the other side...which I estimate three dozen or so had recently done.  It was too filthy to let the dog step out of the car. And sadly, this scene is typical. 

It's culture folks.  Where are the parents telling their kids not to toss litter from their car windows?  'Nuff said.