The November 2005 issue the American Centre Bulletin from Mumbai is focussed on wastes. South Asia has had its own rich traditions of frugality -- the sure antidote to fighting waste; it was a virtual to be frugal till half-a-generation ago. Indira Gandhi once said "poverty is the greatest polluter". I don't understand how. Poverty is degrading to the human spirit; but it is riches and affluence and the consumerism that goes with it that leaves a trail of pollution in its wake. Middle-class India, and the tourism belt in Goa is showing the way. Our villages which have a large area for waste disposal are still faring better than our dity cities, except when large-scale plastic use enters.
I'm not sure if we should learn waste-treatment from the wasteful US: "In 2003, US residents, businesses and institutions produced more than 236 million tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW), which is approximately 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day"! Having said that, there are some useful URLs included. But the focus remains on the "reduce, reuse and recycle" mantra. Why not talk about simple austerity, buying only what we need, and fighting the use of that environmentally-deadly plastic? Often, it takes more energy to recycle products, and this causes a further dent in the environment! (In debates in Goa too, the issue of overconsumption by the middle-classes -- most of us -- and the affluent, seldom figures in the debate. We all think we can consume as much as we want, and get away with it. And, nobody is keen to take on a hard-line against plastics. Why?) Here are the URLs you might find of interest: Air & Waste Management Association http://www.awma.org/ American Recycler http://www.americanrecycler.com Arizona Department of Environmental Quality -- Solid Waste Management http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/waste/solid/ Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials http://www.astswmo.org/ California Integrated Waste Management Board http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/ The Eco Gateway Link Centre -- Solid Waste & Recycling http://www.ecoiq.com/onlineresources/center/recycling/index.html Enviro.BLR.com -- Solid Waste http://enviro.blr.com/topic.cfm/topic/218/state/155 Envirolink -- The Online Environmental Community http://www.envirolink.org/about.html Environmental Industry Associations http://www.envasns.org/ FedCentre.gov http://www.fedcenter.gov/ Grassroots Recycling Network http://www.grrn.org/ The National Recycling Association http://www.nrc-recycle.org/default.htm National Solid Waste Management Association http://www.nswma.org/ Department of Sanitation, New York City http://www.ncy.gov/html/dsny/html/home/home.shtml Solid Waste Association of North America http://www.swana.org/ South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Office of Solid waste Reduction and Recycling http://www.scdhec.gov/recycle/ US Department of Energy -- Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management http://www.ocrwm.doe.gov/ US Environmental Protection Agency -- WasteWise http://www.epa.org/wastewise/ US EPA -- Solid Waste and Emergency Response http://www.epa.gov/swerrims/ Washington State's Beyond Waste Project http://www.ecy.wa.gov/beyondwaste/ Waste Equipment Technology Association http://www.wastec.org/ FN -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Frederick 'FN' Noronha | http://del.icio.us/fredericknoronha Saligao, Goa, India | [EMAIL PROTECTED] Independent Journalist | +91(832)2409490 Cell 9822122436 ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --------------------------------------------------------------------------
