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NBC News associate producer
In conjunction with NBCUniversal's Green Week, Nightly News will bring you a special report tonight about two youths with a big dream and tough legs.
Through their non-profit organization Pick Up America, Jeff Chen and Davey Rogner have been traveling across the country picking up litter and spreading a message of zero waste.
Since March 2010, Chen and Rogner have walked almost 2,000 miles and gathered more than 140,000 pounds of trash along the way.
But the two don't work alone. They have recruited various volunteers along the way, some for just a day and others for months at a time.
Chen and Rogner say they want Pick Up America to instill lasting change in behavior and mentality among the individuals they touch.
"I'm hoping that we can create this kind of respect for the earth," Chen said. "And I think it's very much up to us youth to do that."
Pick Up America has completed half its journey to date. The team, currently just outside Denver, started the pickup in Maryland and has San Francisco in its sights.
The journey is supposed to end there in one year. But Chen and Rogner hope the message will last a lifetime.
Watch the full report Wednesday at 6:30 ET on Nightly News with Brian Williams.
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Dear Brian, I enjoyed your show with Piers Morgan a few days ago very much. Thank you for your strong courage and faith in proclaiming your Catholicism. As a public figure, not too many people want to do it. More importantly, you also had the courage to defend the Caholic Church on a national level. Well, these subjects can be very sensitive, most people who are public figures like yourself, even strong catholics, will not want to comment.
By the way, I watch your news every night. Yes, I used to watch Peter Jennings many years ago, but you are much better!! Thank you for giving us the best news every night. God Bless you and your family.
Good for them. Why doesn't news like this get more attention?
I live in a big city and I wish they would raise the fines for littering to $500 first offense, and on up... People need to have the habit of littering bred out of them. Like smoking, it will take a few generations, but someday we'll learn...
It doesn't matter what the fines are (I've seen $1K in some places); litterers are careful not to be spotted. They know perfectly well it's wrong, but don't care, like smokers who toss butts out of car windows. They justify their actions to themselves with "That's not litter. It's so small. Everyone else does it. What's one more piece?"
It's the same attitude we had towards other anti-social behaviors like drunk driving 50 yrs ago. "What's the big deal? Get over it. It's a free country. Don't tell me what to do."
Need I go on?
I live in San Francisco- and get tired of seeing folks who should know better toss junk onto the streets. The homeless folks make the situation worse, but if even those out attending the local theater can't be bothered to wait until they've crossed the street to dump the paper from their Starbucks straws, why should the rest of us care?
I'd like to see a program that encourages everyone to pick up one piece of trash per day and put it in the appropriate bin. Sure, SF will probably need to double it's sanitation staff to empty the city trash bins, but our streets would certainly start looking nicer. Maybe then more people will start taking care of our city.. Either way, I'll keep picking up a piece of two every day. At least it's something.
There are places that are green and some that are dirty. But there is also the sinister side of rubbish. One place stands out for its rats, abundance of garbage put out, and formidable bureaucracy that stands in the way of cleaning up the mess. It's Congress.
I have a hope - yes, true optimism - that when Cheg and Rogner get to DC and walk up the steps of the Capital Building, they will be able to kick some cans out of Congress and get the backlog of garbage taken care of once and for all.
Keep up the great work Jeff and Davey! You guys and the rest of the Pick Up America team inspire me!
I met Jeff in August at a wetlands restoration project , partially sponsored by the 3M foundation, that we are working on in Columbia, Missouri. His group collected 875lbs of trash from our fair city during the time he was here. We wish he and his group all the best on their mission and travels.
Keep up the great work Jeff & Co.
One person WILL make a difference when it it inspires many to do good works!! Way to go!!
Good job ,I'd like to see more youth like these two at least their out spreading a positive message and contributing to society. Plus their getting Lot's of exercise keep it up,I agree they should up the litter fine's and enforce them . I once took the kids around the block to pick up trash after they'd showed out all day at first they hated it,but after awhile they were enjoying themselves and even earned a dollar from the neighbour. These kid's are great role models.
This is wonderful! I'm encouraged by proactive people who know each one of us can make a difference!