Just a forward from Goanet with some excellent insights and even better solutions offered by Vidyadhar Gadgil of Aldona (all provoked by Rico's nail-on-the-head post earlier on Goanet. Rico please post the entire piece on Saligaonet too.):
Message: 8 Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 09:16:32 +0530 From: Vidyadhar Gadgil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Goanet] Re: Zero-plastic shopping... To: Goanet mails <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain On Sat, 2005-08-20 at 00:16 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > From: "Frederick Noronha (FN)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Nobody seems to have noticed a touch of irony when Saligao villagers > (and the local panchayat) embark on a 'garbage collection > drive' (mainly > plastics). The waste from the village is collected and taken to some > other (mostly unknown) destination, where it is presumably dumped. This problem was focused on in the 2002 edition of 'Fish Curry and Rice' by Goa Foundation. It was pointed out that dumping is all that happens with these drives, and there really is no solution...except, of course, not to generate the garbage in the first place. > So, needless to say, consuming less (or zero, if possible) > plastics is the only answer. It means taking a bag with you > when you go shopping. A durable bag is available at the > market > for Rs 12 or so. This viewpoint, like all others, puts the onus largely on the consumer. The only way to tackle this problem meaningfully is to zero in on the producers, and make them responsible for the plastic they produce. The two main offenders are mineral water and carbonated water manufacturers. Why can't legislation be brought in, making them responsible for the rubbish they produce? Since the past two years or so, I have been noticing that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get carbonated drinks in glass bottles, all you get is PET. I have spoken to retailers and they all say they find it more convenient, as they do not have to manage all those glass bottles, collect them back, etc. The consumer, by and large, will always take the easy way out. Often, even when s/he wants to take an environmentally sound choice, there is no choice left, as in the above example. > In Goa, we lived without the plastic bag for half our lives. We can > surely carry on doing so, so that our children's future isn't clogged > with this threat. Goa is the ideal place for change. We have a relatively educated and aware population, which can resist, and has resisted the dumping of garbage from the cities in their village environs. That's why we have this 'problem'. We don't hear of this problem in Mumbai or Delhi, which generate hundreds of times the garbage Panjim does, because they just dump their problems on the neighbouring hapless villages, who suffer in silence. It is plastic that is the biggest problem in garbage. If we continue to resist in Goa, the government will be forced to legislate and implement a law that makes the producer responsible. For example, Pepsi or Bisleri should have to market their products in returnable glass bottles only. The government will act only when forced to, and the resistance of Goa's villagers to having the garbage dumped on them will eventually force it to act. -- Question everything - Karl Marx End of Goanet Digest, Vol 1, Issue 2331 *************************************** -- PS: Kindly note our new e-ddress: Muriel & Mario <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and make the change in your e-ddress book. - M&M. ................................................. there *is* anOTHERgoa - the Saligao Garbage Dump, for instance! ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' muriel & mario, 4/4 tabravaddo, opp. st. anne's chapel, saligao. bardez. goa. 403511. tel: 0832-2278276 / 2409999 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--W-E-B--S-I-T-E--=-=-=-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from Saligaonet | http://www.goacom.com/saligao_tinto/ ============================================================================ * Send e=mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] (NOT [email protected]) * Leave SUBJECT blank <--- Commom Mistake !! * On first line of the BODY of your message, type: subscribe saligaonet YOUR.EMAIL OR unsubscribe saligaonet YOUR.EMAIL Questions/Problems? Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
