It's April on Shiraishi Island in Japan's Seto Inland Sea. The nights are still crisp, dipping to 4 degrees Celsius, but the sky is clear and the stars arc over the beach like thousands of glittery sequins on a pop idol's stage dress. The constellations are so prominent, even a young child can pick out the Big Dipper.
And the days are splendid: sunny with the promise of oncoming summer fun. But if you looks out at the glittering sea, it sparkles ominously. The glints are not a result of the water but of a flotilla of PET bottles headed for our shores, an environmental Armageddon that has been going on for years.
On the beach today, though, are several domed tents. Their occupants include 11 high school students from Kobe, members of the Eco Club at the Canadian Academy. They have volunteered for the fourth year in a row to trudge out here to rid the island and its 456 residents of this PET cemetery.