Our world is polluted, and no one could argue that almost all of it is humans’ doing. It’s clear that we need to do something about it, and fixing such a situation always begins with oneself, like throwing out your trash in the trash bins, recycling, and even picking up after others when possible.
Some people, however, go above and beyond to make our world a nicer place to live in. For example, this one guy made it his mission to clean up Livermore and the Bay Area, asking nothing in return and taking the rejuvenating nature as his reward, as is evident in his viral comparison posts on Reddit. Scroll down to read all about it!
More info: Reddit
Cleaning up our planet is a huge task that will take more than the work of one person, but it all starts with every single one of us
Image credits: pengweather / Instagram
Andy Wang became an online celebrity when he started posting videos of him cleaning up various illegal trash dumping sites around Livermore and the Bay Area
The Redditor, going by the name of pengweather, also known as Andy Wang, is a local celebrity whose good deeds have earned him a lot of respect from the online community and people on his streets alike. However, none of his actions were ever done for any kind of personal recognition or material reward.
Still, while he regularly shares his progress online, the guy’s most recent post in the MadeMeSmile Reddit community definitely stole the show. Here, Andy showed before and after pictures of one location in Vallejo, California, where he cleaned up a massive illegal trash dumping spot, only to come back there sometime later and witness regrowing nature.
Image credits: pengweather / Reddit
Image credits: pengweather / Reddit
He recently cleaned up one such spot in Vallejo, California, and returned there a little while later only to see nature regrowing at a great pace
Pengweather’s post attracted a lot of attention, with many people recognizing him and rushing in to show support. In just a day, the netizens piled in over 29,000 upvotes, more than 230 comments, and even 9 Reddit rewards, which is probably the most that this environmental hero would take from others.
It turns out that when it comes to donations or any other kind of material support, Andy is strictly against it. As the guy explained in a video on his Instagram page, all of this is a hobby, and he would feel bad taking money for it. His only wish is to help make people realize that we’re all in this together and hopefully inspire them to take better care of our planet.
Image credits: pengweather / Reddit
Image credits: pengweather / Reddit
Despite using his own free time and money to do what he does, he refuses any kind of donations and instead hopes only to inspire and educate others
Talking about his mission’s expenses, pengweather shared that while he does have to cover them from his own pocket, he does make a part of it back by recycling and sometimes even finding a bit of cash while cleaning various locations.
The guy also often collaborates with public works, which, especially in the bigger cities, are quite cooperative and respond quickly, sometimes even providing necessary equipment to volunteers. However, when dealing with unincorporated communities in less densely populated locations, pengweather reported that it’s often easier to deal with the whole mess himself.
Image credits: pengweather / Reddit
Image credits: pengweather / YouTube
Andy, who works as an electrical engineer for his day job, often collaborates with public works and defines his hobby as a therapeutic activity
According to his interview with The Mercury News, for his day job, Andy Wang works as an electrical engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, so his volunteering often takes place during evenings, weekends, and his days off. However, the local hero doesn’t mind it as he finds this activity to be very therapeutic.
“Throughout the day, I work as a programmer and an engineer, so I don’t see results until months later,” Andy explained, talking about how the hobby he picked up during the pandemic helped him decompress. “But with cleaning, I see the difference I’m making an hour later.”
Image credits: pengweather / Instagram
Image credits: pengweather / Instagram
He believes that littering can't be discouraged through punishment, so he makes various flyers and signs to spread information and discourage such behavior
While many resort to implementing various punishments for littering, Andy believes that illegal trash dumping can only really be solved through peaceful measures. He tries to achieve it by spreading awareness online, as well as distributing various flyers and signs that educate people on the city’s waste management programs and discourage littering.
In his frequently asked questions post on Reddit, pengweather explained that he understands that his methods don’t really address underlying reasons why people choose to dispose of their trash this way. However, he does hope to light a spark that might eventually inspire enough people to lead to some real change.
Image credits: pengweather / Instagram
Ultimately, Andy is right. Even the biggest changes start with individuals, and even though it may seem futile initially, our goals will hardly get any closer to us if we don’t take any steps toward them.
Not everyone has the time, motivation, or energy to clean out entire areas full of garbage, and that’s alright. Even if we do it one tiny step at a time, as long we keep doing it, we will make progress, and that’s what matters the most.
What did you think about this story? When was the last time you picked up someone else’s trash? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The commenters loved the beautiful sight and didn't hesitate to praise and encourage the local hero
