THE LAST WORD:

Think globally, act locally.

That time-worn saying is apropos in Newport Beach today as the City Council will this week consider a ban on Styrofoam food containers to clean up local beaches and waterways.

The idea started with a bunch of surfers from Newport Harbor High. The kids, part of longtime surf coach Scott Morlan’s team, pushed for the Styrofoam ban after years of watching the floating plastic infest the surf following winter rainstorms.

Usually, such a pipe dream is difficult to see through fruition; but this time, something happened. The local restaurants gave a big thumbs up to the idea of weaning themselves off of Styrofoam products.

Restaurateurs, who are usually cautious about making changes that could lose customers, seem to be in agreement that ridding their eateries of Styrofoam is the responsible thing to do for the environment and the future.

To those Newport Harbor teens and the local restaurant owners we raise a non-Styrofoam toast to you for your efforts to make our beaches and oceans that much cleaner.

But keeping that old saying in mind, the true problem of Styrofoam pollution won’t go away until those cities and businesses upstream and along inland watersheds follow suit.

In other words, the locals just got their act together. It’s time for the globe to do the same.