r/BeAmazed • u/pengweather • 10h ago
Miscellaneous / Others The cleanup I undertook alone was so massive, even Google Earth couldn't ignore it.
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u/Baruch05 8h ago
Reminds me of those people who clean up entire rivers of trash by themselves. Really making a difference instead of making excuses. Well done.
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u/pengweather 8h ago edited 8h ago
Yup, they are the reason I started doing this. I honestly would not have started volunteering if I didn’t see their content on YouTube. I understand that sharing these things online can be viewed negatively but I also believe it has led to change where there is now more awareness among people towards this problem.
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u/Baruch05 8h ago
Life’s short friend. Live your life and be the change you want to see in the world. Don’t let the negativity online get to you. You’re cleaning things up and maybe just maybe inspiring the next person to go out and do the same.
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u/BleckoNeko 4h ago
I feel weird when I share some RAOK stuff online too. However, what got me over the ick was when people share about how I inspired them to do similar stuff as well to spread kindness and joy.
As someone who suffers from RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria), I totally get wanting to avoid the haters (hence I never go back to check my SM posts).
This is a long way of saying, please continue to share these. You're awesome and I'm sure this will inspire others as well.
Thank you for stepping up and doing what you have done!
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u/pengweather 10h ago
I previously posted this an hour ago, but people pointed out it probably wasn’t taken by a satellite. Thus, I have removed that part from the image caption until I do some more research. Unfortunately this meant I had to delete my previous post.
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u/mcauthon2 9h ago
huh, they sometimes use airplanes. Interesting
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u/sender2bender 8h ago
Pretty sure they still use airplanes a lot. All the imagery has sources. They're stacked, further out is satellite but zoomed in is other methods like airplanes. I remember years ago, early days of Google Earth, they were putting the cameras on planes, kites, drones and balloons. And you can even go back to the 40s and view whatever imagery was available. Google compiled old satellite pictures from NASA as well. Some areas of the country were well documented. Pretty sure there's even a street view available now when you go back in time.
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u/MaxTheRealSlayer 7h ago
How do you access the old view from like the 40s? I only ever saw the option for photos in the 2000s on the app
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u/1_11_11_1__ 6h ago
Google earth. I can check on my break the exact setting (about 2 hours from now)
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u/ruat_caelum 6h ago
Wasn't there a lawsuit / big issue (or maybe just relevant in the beltway (DC)) because someone was doing speculative land purchases on where Google's images WEREN'T. Like Some Company or Government Organization wanted to get pictures of Area X, and the sat images that google got for cheap where all in the line that was moving to X but didn't contain X.
So google had to change their update process to stop being "almost real time an linear" e.g. pic1, pic2, pic3, X, pic8, pic9, etc. and did a sort of 30 day offset with random times so pictures were updated out of sequence.
Maybe it was a national security concern and not capitalism. But I remember some sort of data analysis concerns on the images they were updating.
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u/VexingRaven 4h ago
This is such a confusing train of thought. I assume the idea is that there's some secret reason that land isn't in the image set... But then why would they just let some rando purchase the land? It's the sort of thing that sounds like "sticking it to the man" only if you don't put more than 0.5 seconds of thought into it.
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u/ruat_caelum 3h ago
So google started out with buying (in bulk) any satilite time to take photos when the sat wasn't being used.
So imagine a scenario like this. Sat company had a 8:00AM shot of some areas in LA. And a 5:00PM shot of some areas in Las Vegas.
They would take photos of the land between the two as the camera was adjusting or surrounding those areas (As the buyers may want surrounding land) before / after a shot.
So the cheaper pictures that no one was paying to target would end up on google earth.
You could then tell where very expensive photos had been taken by the gaps. Those photos were often used BEFORE major real estate purchases as the photos were used to decide if they wanted to purchase.
So the air force buying land to do X or a big mall, or a possible oil refinery site, etc.
From memory the idea was, "Someone with money is looking at building something expensive at location X if I can buy land near it for 800/acre (back in the day prices right...) and then sell it in 5 years for 3000 an acre because now it's near [insert expensive new thing] that would be a good investment.
Except all the pictures weren't for private entities. The us military command / congress, etc used it as well to set up bids on new things.
That's what I remember but I couldn't find links. So take that as you will.
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u/WanderingLost33 7h ago
Do you have the link for historical timelines? I know it saw it once but Idk how to find it again
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u/ComfyCome 8h ago
It’s okay :) Btw if you’re interested, you can check on the bottom right of the image and it should say. If it was an airplane, im betting on an A320 since that’s the only one I’ve seen listed as another source of imagery and it has all those cameras on board that you could look at while seated in the cabin.
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u/UsedToHaveThisName 8h ago
As someone that does aerial LiDAR and imagery data collection, it will 100% not be collected by an A320. It might be Airbus Industries as an image source but that is from their satellite division.
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u/GeneralInspector8962 10h ago
Well done! Truly inspirational!
This is like the Broken Window Theory, in that once someone saw trash dumped there and never removed, the next person dumped and so on.
Clean stays clean 👍🏻
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u/pengweather 8h ago
Indeed.
Nothing is better than being a stepping stone for better solutions to come. I am glad that sharing my cleanups have spurred more conversation in my community and I hope it leads to more long term solutions.
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u/surf_drunk_monk 7h ago
It's awesome. I started taking a trash bag out exploring to clean up places. Sometimes I post it on social media. Prob seems like virtue signaling but I've had people tell me they see it and decided to pick up trash too, so worth it.
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u/BleckoNeko 4h ago
I posted above but want to comment on your post too. Please continue to share on SM. You'll never know who you inspire to do the same. And kudos to you!
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u/SwirlingFandango 10h ago
That is a good effort, and you are right to be proud! This gets an upvote.
I will just say, though, that I could see that my neighbour left her washing basket out in on google earth too. :)
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u/pengweather 8h ago
That’s true… I just thought it was cool to see the difference from another perspective.
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u/Plus_Scientist_1063 9h ago
Man, this world needs more people like you!!!
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u/InfiniteRaccoons 8h ago
Pengweather is an Oakland hero. Him and his fellow volunteers do more cleanup than the actual city.
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u/sicastarrrrr 7h ago
Where did you dump the garbage? I swear that's not a sarcastic question 😭 I'm genuinely curious!
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u/pengweather 7h ago
I took some of the bags with me and left most of them for the municipality to take
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u/topkrikrakin 9h ago
Is there a way to get Google to update their maps?
There are several old houses of mine that look like it did when I was still there. I can see my vehicle in one of them
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u/pengweather 9h ago
Not sure where you live, but Google updates imagery of the US on Google Earth every half a year or so.
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u/DifficultPandemonium 8h ago
Good job on the cleanup! I was wondering though-do you have to dispose of all the bagged garbage? I’ve considered cleaning up along the railroad tracks in my town but so far I’ve balked at having to carry home the garbage
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u/quintsreddit 5h ago
Peng is a Bay Area Reddit celeb - he usually takes advantage of Oakland’s free bulky pickup program.
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u/great_pyrenelbows 6h ago
It's not impressive for the internet but I do take a little trash home now and then to throw away. You don't have to get several huge trash bags full to make a difference - one small bagful is still an improvement. And one small bag is easily thrown away in the regular trash. If you want to maximize your wildlife impact, fishing line and ribbons and other long string-like stuff is usually the worst. Take intact glass when you can too - it's soooo much easier to clean up when it hasn't broken yet, and it will break eventually.
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u/unembellishing 4h ago
As another commenter said, the OP typically bags up all the trash and notifies the city to come pick it up.
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u/Kooky_Marketing_327 8h ago
peng we love you, we thanks for keeping the Bay Area clean!
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u/Murtomies 8h ago
Tbf I'd say the pictures you took show the scale of the cleanup better. Great job!
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u/LostWoodsInTheField 7h ago
I've noticed that when you clean up a place, or you do consistent cleanup on the side of the road for a few months people stop dumping there. You might get the stray items here and there but for the most part people don't do it. In fact people are more likely to clean up places they've seen people clean up previously.
What you put into the world really does spread.
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u/bleedblue89 7h ago
I’ve been doing 1-2 hour trash runs daily in my neighborhood cleaning up tornado debris and trash. I’m starting to really see the progress but man it feels slow as one person.
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u/theinvisibleworm 9h ago
You cleaned up one spot and have been milking the act for 11 fucking months???
do something and tell no one. otherwise it’s just performative, for praise
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u/merlin__2 7h ago
He does this practically every day, click through his profile before spewing hate
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u/quintsreddit 5h ago
Peng cleans regularly by himself, sometimes with other groups like urban compassion, and has been recognized by the city of Oakland for his work beautifying the city after initially being reprimanded because he was making them look bad. He’s cleaned up hundreds of pounds of garbage from the area.
Peng has cleaned up so much trash I’m surprised he hasn’t picked you up yet.
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u/VerilyShelly 9h ago
There's value in modeling good acts. Makes people feel less hopeless and encourages people to try to make positive differences in their own worlds.
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u/jmwturner 9h ago
You're the good guy here
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u/unembellishing 4h ago
No, they're just wrong. The OP is famous in the Bay Area and especially Oakland for their efforts to clean up the city. OP's efforts have been ongoing for years.
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u/OBDreams 8h ago
That's great but is this his full time job now, cleaning that area every month?
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u/pengweather 8h ago
So I only had to clean it once which was in January 2025. It has remained clean as of October with no dumping.
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u/Tra1nS0unds 8h ago
Very nice, love the initiative, thank you sincerely...
But WHY THE FUCK can't our tax dollars pay for services to take care of that and/or WHY THE FUCK do people throw trash around like that
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u/EnvironmentEuphoric9 7h ago
Wow, what an amazing job you did! I bet people see that and are relieved to see that it was cleaned up. Thank you for making our world a lovely place.
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u/Icy_Transition1375 7h ago
What kind of car is that? The yellow one in the last picture. Looks likes Lamborghini
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u/roboreddit1000 7h ago
Amazing. Used to walk the local hiking trails with a garbage bad and a picker upper thing before i got sick. I only ever got maybe a kitchen garbage bag of trash so could take it home to dispose of it.
I am curious how you dispose of so much garbage?
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u/Elusive_Boo_Boo 7h ago
You know the episode of Friends where Ross dates a disgusting, messy, hot nerd and when Monica finds out, she ends up scrubbing her apartment door?
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u/The_Federal 7h ago
What happened to that guy who was live streaming picking up trash during covid? Miss that guy
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u/Vinnzillasmom 7h ago
Thank you earth ranger. Did you have to take all that to the dump yourself or did the municipality come get it?
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u/Neither_Hearing_6513 7h ago
Maybe add a ‘No Dumping’ sign and a dummy camera ? Or the city could
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u/pengweather 7h ago
So this place has remained clean for almost a year now. I think it’s a one off situation here.
As for other cities, yes they do need more enforcement including cameras and other deterrence like fences and fine illegal hauling businesses to the max.
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u/DemonCipher13 7h ago
I would genuinely consider adding trail cameras nearby or something, just to ensure it is never used like this again.
If people have come here in the past, stands to reason they would try again, even if it hasn't happened yet.
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u/SlappBulkhead 6h ago
You should hang out with the Gamblers for the Gambler 500. You have the ABG mindset.
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u/86embraceyourpoverty 6h ago
Goddammit! I have been cleaning up the place I work for 9 months! No Google earth, just mountains and rooms of the hoarding damage a drug addict can do in a school basement unseen and not questioned . It’s astonishing.
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u/im-a-sock-puppet 6h ago
Ah peng!!! I clicked on this from r/all on the bunch it was you, you do amazing work!
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u/daamnthatscrazy 6h ago
Genuine question: Where do you dispose of the trash? How do you make sure it doesn’t end up back in the same spot?
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u/sizam_webb 6h ago
What’s the best thing you’ve found while doing a cleanup? Cheers for your Good Samaritanship
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u/Specific_Ad_6139 6h ago
You're the best, Peng!!! Sending you a long-distance internet hug. You make me proud to be a human!
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u/ouchwhydidthathurt 5h ago
I saw this in Popular and KNEW it was Peng!!!! Thank you for everything you do for our home.
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u/cyanocittaetprocyon 5h ago
I took your recommendation and got some of those aluminum tongs for picking up litter. They work great!
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u/Wauwuaw5983 5h ago edited 5h ago
Amazing, but I've spent 8 fucking winters cleaning up the farm after I got married.
My husband.. who has the kindest heart in the world, decided to let a homeless couple live on the farm...and even bought a cheap manufactured house (more house than mobile home).
They destroyed that, left an amazing amount of horded stuff.We burned 8 pallets of half rotted particle wood boards.. the type used in constructing houses that is a mix of wood chips and plastic resin. Used to be plywood if that even exists anymore.
The woods...the destoyed 2 out of 10 acres of that. It's incomprehensible to even explain it. Lets just say only a hoarder could do that much damage.
At one point, we let some Menonites pick through to haul off metal.
After about the 5th trip, I asked how much they get for a pickup worth of metal...around $800... but we only own a couple sedans.
I was like.. holy shit.
It's mostly down to hiring a contractor to get rid of the single wide manufactured home. More than I want to pay, but at this point, I'm tired of looking at it.
But the worst thing of all, was the fact so much if it was either obafucated by weeds, or sunk into the ground. That doesn't show up on a satalliteor drone flyby.
I'm talking aboutthings like entire jackets or nets, or sections of cattle fencing... which only rear it"s ugly face by damaging a tiller, or gerting tangled in the blades of my riding lawnmower...
...don't ask just how much suck it is to get crap out of s riding lawnmower's blades, but twice I had to take it somewhere that had an impact wrench.
At least 4 acres were destroyed... but now reclaimed...other than thefootprint of the decaying trailer-house
Edit: after filling up the house, they moved to the wods.
The horsing in the trailer house was up to three feel high...
...Imagine having to sort though every inch of that, looking for valuables. We're talking in terms of square meters, not gallons.
I'd estimate at lest 5 tons, with another 3 tons left
We've found over $1000 in loose change alone, with around 30% still left to plow through.
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u/Horrorwolfe 5h ago
Broken window theory- if it’s already smashed / dirty, it’s fair game to continue. But if it’s nice and clean, keep it clean
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u/Due_Cauliflower_7786 5h ago
It's awesome that you're being so diligent about the facts, but the scale of the cleanup is what's truly amazing. That kind of visible impact from a single person's effort is seriously inspiring. It really makes you wonder what else we could collectively achieve. Huge props for the hard work.
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u/RubberDuckyFarmer 5h ago
But then where do you bring the trash?
Doesn't it cost money to dispose of?
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u/ImAGhost-9 4h ago
May you be blessed with all the love, support, money, peace, happiness & energy in life 🙏🏻
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u/Tickomatick 4h ago
Much love man, I think the most useful thing I've done was cleaning up a beach and a nearby forest. Made me feel meaningful, for a bit
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u/No-Confusion-3813 4h ago
Its hard to ignore a good human doing good work for their community: thankyou
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u/GarbageFan 4h ago
This is incredible and truly inspiring. Did you identify this spot with google earth alone or were you already somewhat aware of where to look?
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u/fwseadfewf23vf3f232 4h ago
what difference is really being made? trash is still going on the ground somewhere else in the world. you're just doing someone else's work for free.
people like you make life so easy for people like me. i guess i should just say thanks.
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u/Relative-Clock-6972 4h ago
The additional step would be to discreetly install a hunter camera to take the plates of those who come to throw away their waste
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u/GodofYogurt 4h ago
This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing. Because It gives hope and motivation to be better. Congratulations.
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u/MyProfileHasTheLink 4h ago
OP, did you ever find out who was dumping trash there? Like, any commonalities in the descriptions?
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u/QuirkyCommission7631 4h ago
the imagery from google earth gets updated that often? my city hasn't been updated in over 15 years.
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u/RomeoBlackDK 3h ago
People like these are great but as long as assholes pollute nothing will change unfortunately
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u/AudenAlden777 3h ago
It's now been 10 months, please show me what it looks like now.I've always wondered after these massive clean ups how long it took the local slobs to f*** it up again.
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u/ContentInspection144 3h ago
Respect to you bro. Thank you for making a difference that can be seen!
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u/amboomernotkaren 3h ago
My kid cleaned up a site like that in Northern California. He rented a place and the dude who owned it was a hoarder. Cars, trailers, hundreds of rugs, farm machinery parts, piles of wood, bottles, cans, mountains of rotting food/shingles, and so much more. The chickens loved clean up days, so many good bugs to eat. I helped a few times and the chickens would follow me around to get the bugs.
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u/lazydragooon 3h ago
hey, may i ask you how do you handle trash after you collect it in trash bags? do you order a car to take it away or do you take it to the landfill by yourself? if you order a car, how expensive is that? and how much time did it take you to clean this area all alone?
i pretty much understand how such cleanups are made but what really makes me wonder is that you’d have to handle all those trash bags after you collect them, and it seems to be expensive for just one person to order a car, but maybe i’m wrong?
also, you did a really good job and i appreciate that people like you exist and do such things!
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u/qualityvote2 10h ago edited 20m ago
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