The Boats Covered in Garbage, Pete Seeger, and Why We Still Need Hope

 The Boats Covered in Garbage, Pete Seeger, and Why We Still Need Hope

This morning I saw something that stopped me.

At the dock there were boats covered in barnacles, filled with garbage collected from False Creek, Granville Island, and English Bay. The smell was awful. It was a reminder of what we have allowed to accumulate in the waters that surround us.

Two people walked by and saw the boats.

“She said, ‘Oh yes, they left this here so people can see the garbage.’”

I told her, “I never swim here.”

She looked surprised and asked how long I had lived here.

“Since 1997,” I said. “I was born and raised around here and in British Columbia.”

I looked at those boats and thought: We could clean this all up.

“Really?” she asked.

Yes. Really.

Because history has shown us that change can happen when people refuse to believe something is impossible.

Have you ever heard of Pete Seeger?

Many people laughed at him. They thought he was unrealistic. They thought one musician with an idea could never make a difference.

But Pete Seeger believed differently.

He got a boat. He brought people together. They sang, they educated, and they worked to bring attention to the polluted Hudson River. Over time, that movement helped transform how people saw the river and inspired efforts to restore it.

There is a beautiful documentary called The Power of Song that tells the story of Pete’s life — the challenges he faced, the criticism he endured, and his belief that ordinary people could create extraordinary change.

https://youtu.be/Czk2hj4VISg?si=xwfA6pskRuMqm6my

And maybe that is the message we need right now.

Because when we look around today, it can feel overwhelming.

Wildfires are burning. Communities are being threatened. The climate is changing. We are having enormous debates about energy, pipelines, and the environmental impact of new industries, including the growing demand from data centres.

Sometimes it feels like the problems are too big.

But every great environmental movement started with someone saying, “This is not right. We can do better.”

I joke that I will live to 108. That would be another 44 years for me. It is not impossible — people have done it. I once shook Dr. Fahrni’s hand, and Joan Frost, who lived just down the street from me, lived to 110. I even helped go through some of the belongings she left behind.

A human life can be long. But what will the world look like in those years?

That is the question.

Will we look back and say we watched everything fall apart?

Or will we be part of the generation that decided to repair what we could?

The boats covered in garbage are not just a symbol of pollution. They are also a symbol of possibility.

Because if people could help restore a river once thought beyond saving, maybe we can still restore our oceans, our forests, our communities, and our hope.

Maybe we need a little more Pete Seeger spirit right now.

Maybe we need people who are willing to stand on a boat, sing a song, and say:

“This matters.

This is our home.

And we can do better.”

10 Reflective Questions

1. What will future generations say about the choices we made during this moment of environmental crisis?

2. Are we willing to believe that ordinary people can still create extraordinary change?

3. When we see pollution, fires, and environmental damage, do we feel helpless — or inspired to act?

4. What would our communities look like if we treated rivers, oceans, and forests as part of our family?

5. Have we forgotten the power of music, storytelling, and collective action to change the world?

6. If someone 50 years from now looked back at our time, what would we want them to remember?

7. Are we focusing enough on repairing the damage we have caused, or only debating who is responsible?

8. What small action could each of us take that might inspire someone else?

9. How do we keep hope alive when the challenges feel bigger than any one person?

10. What kind of planet do we want to leave behind for the children who will inherit it?

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