RSAJ - Hypermobility

This week, for my Urban Transportation class, we read “Hypermobility: too much of a good thing?” by John Adams.  It is a very interesting read, taking a critical look at the direction in which societies, particularly develop(ed/ing) ones, are going in terms of mobility.  Much of the article can be related to WaPreG’s work and our various related interests.

Transportation in various forms can be wasteful, particularly if not done for necessity.  We all take part in wasteful travel.  What we need to do is to think about the form of transportation we are about to use and it's various impacts; environmental, social, health, etc.  In the article, Adams brings up three questions, which he calls opinion polls.

1 - Would you like a car, unlimited air miles and Bill Gate’s level of access to all the electronic modes of travel?

2 - Would you like to live in the sort of world that would result if everyone’s wish were granted?  Rephrased - would you like to live in a dangerous, ugly, bleak, crime-ridden, alienated, anonymous, undemocratic, socially polarized, fume-filled greenhouse threatened by terrorism without precedent?

3 - Would you like to live in a cleaner, safer, healthier, friendlier, more beautiful, more democratic, sustainable world in which you know your neighbours and it is safe for your children to play in the street?

These opinion polls inspired me as I read and further when I continued to read.  Answer each one in your head.  Do your answers change for each question?  For many, the answers will not be the same.  The reason is the way they are phrased; look at each one carefully and ask yourself why your answers did or did not change.  Now, when you picture the future of the earth, what is it that you see?  Do any of the opinion polls hint at what you see?  Is that what you want to see in the future?  If not, which opinion poll would you rather see?

As an example, here are my answers:

1 - I do not want a car or unlimited air miles, however the electronic modes of travel sound better to me.

2 - There is no way I want to live in this kind of world.

3 - Of course I would.

Keep in mind that my answers are influenced by an education in environmental and social justice issues.  I love walking and feel much more free with my bicycle than with an automobile.  I do drive on occasion and in my opinion, it is not as great as many drivers try to convince me that it is.  While I am a product of the world I live in, I do not understand how so many people can live a life of greed, ignoring all consequences.  The world described in question two is just what I picture in our future if people do not take a critical look at how they are living, how it impacts the planet and future generations, and make changes.  I am doing what I can to live in the world described in question three.  Not only with WaPreG, but also in my personal and academic life.

If more people looked at the consequences of their actions before acting, we would not have to react to these consequences, as they would not happen.  People are not innately bad people, nor do people seek to blindly cause environmental and social devastation.  The problem is the encouraged levels of ignorance on such vital issues.  We can make a change if we only look at every one of our actions and no matter how small a difference it makes, we must always choose the most ethical choice.

As a reader of WaPreG, you likely are making changes or would like to.  What are some hurdles and successes you have come accros along the way?

Adams, J. (2001). Hypermobility: too much of a good thing? The RSA Journal. (http://john-adams.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2006/hypermobilityforRSA.pdf)

TEC - A New Solution For Our Plastic Waste

Image Credit: Rich Carey/Shutterstock

Today, I read “A new solution for our plastic waste?”, by Kat Friedrich, found on The Energy Collective’s website.  This article discusses how certain fungi and bacteria can digest plastics, creating less toxic residual minerals, thereby being put forward as a possible solution.  I am beyond critical of this short article.  

I think that the length of this paper shows the lack of information available on the topic, or at least known to the author.  A publication by Applied Environmental Microbiology (a peer-reviewed journal) is the basis for this article, however as I am always critical of this field, I made sure to save the article for future review.  I can see that people want to find a way to continue using this destructive material, rather than find an alternative that includes moving away from use of these materials.  The extraction industry as a whole is terribly destructive, which includes oil extraction.  Communities and the environment suffer greatly for this industry, just so we can use non-recycled materials.  I want to know how this is ideal.

I feel that people reading “A new solution for our plastic waste?” will feel a false sense of security when it comes to use of plastics.  This includes disposal into a landfill, since the bacteria and fungi can apparently break down plastics in a landfill.  How can we be sure this will happen and how can we take other factors into account?  This does not change the fact that other materials in the landfill are not breaking down, meaning breakdown is not complete, nor does it return safely to the earth’s system.  In my opinion, we need to stop using plastics, so as to prevent further pollution caused by this material.  If we must continue to use plastics, we need to use those plastics already created and turn them into new materials; ideally materials that will break down easily.  In addition, as can be seen in the introduction, the residue is LESS toxic, not NON-toxic, so how can we trust this alleged solution if some amount of toxicity continues to prevail?

Finally, a good quote is in the last paragraph: “it will take extensive work to clean up our excess petroleum and plastic.”

YT - UniquEco Video

Today, I am discussing UniquEco Video, a short documentary posted on YouTube on the 9 April 2008.  It was produced by Hey Miss K Productions and directed by Kristian Ruggiari.  Those speakers featured include Julie Church, Ali Bwanamusa and UniquEco Artists.  Finally, the documentary is introducing UniquEco - The (flip flop) Recycling Company.

This short documentary is a good introduction to a great initiative in East Africa; it introduces UniquEco, a company in Kenya.  This company salvages flip flops that wash up on the coast, as well as those found in the slums of Nairobi, then uses them to create various things.  Some creations are purely art (eg sculptures and other decorations), while others are artsy pieces that can be used in everyday life (jewellery, placemats, bottle stoppers, etc).

UniqEco has found a way to use our waste, diverting it from our landfills.  The point was made that they will never run out of flip flops.  As a group that weeks to prevent waste, we do recognize that there are some things that will likely always be used, such as flip flops.  Because of this, how do we prevent this waste?  First, we must create more sustainable flip flops, in a material that is biodegradable.  Second, those flip flops that are still not biodegradable must be created into something else, such as in the way UniqEco does.  Remember that most of our waste can be thought of in this way, we just need to be more creative, something that the UniquEco artists have done.

One point that was made is that they are only making a difference in Africa, nowhere else.  This is not true.  It may not be immediately recognizable elsewhere, but Earth is a system and waste affects that system, thereby affecting people in all regions.  By taking flip flops from the coast and making usable items with them, we have that much less waste in our oceans (remember was discussed on the 30 April 2012).  By taking waste from the slums, we have that much less in those landfills, which greatly affect soils and the atmosphere.  By helping the local economy, more faith can go into the idea that less people need to live in poverty than the system would like us to believe.  On that line, these art pieces are an income that costs absolutely nothing to create.

Blowplast Keeps Ghana Clean

Today, I am looking at Blowplast Recycling’s website and how the site deals with waste prevention.  This topic is important because waste is the most obvious form of pollution in Ghana.  Not only that, but everyone can do something to mitigate this problem.  I chose this site because its goal to keep Ghana clean is the same as waste prevention groups’.  It does not present much information, however, which makes it not very convincing at all.

There are some links to articles that do not work.  One opportunity is available, to collect 1000 Ghana for every kilo of water sachets; does not say kilo-what, though.  It is for Pure Water Manufacturers, which I find to be a bit pretentious, as this means the general public is not included.  No information is available about the team and the resource links do not work.  Contact information places Blowplast on Graphic Road in Accra.

The main menu gives links to the homepage, opportunities, the team, resources and contacts.  Clicking home or search at the top of the page does not work.  The navigation menu is on the top, with an image found above the text area.  Beside the navigation menu, the layout is generally good, though an increase in the font by half a point would make reading easier.  The logo works well as a unifying graphic for the website, setting up the colour scheme and the style elements used throughout.  The logo and website are simple, red and white, showing how recycling flows with the nature the company seeks to protect.  One photo is used beside the navigation bar on each page, which is easy to see but is not overpowering.  The recycling logo graphic is found throughout, as well as one photo related to a news piece on the main page, lines are minimal, keeping it simple.  Contents are few, but not too few; if you want to see more, just click on the link, though these often do not work.

This is a static website with faulty links, giving the impression that it is no longer being updated.  Because of this, I wonder whether this company still exists.  Furthermore, no dates are within the past few years and external links either do not work, or go to a dead end (404 not found page).  Though the search link does not work, the website is simple enough that anything can be found rather quickly.  There is a simple contact form, in addition to other contact information.

This is not a very well developed website.  Since it has been around for so long, I am not confident in the company.  Reliability would be much increased if the website were both developed and up-to-date.

IN - Government Declares Recycling War on Plastic Waste

Today, I would like to explore an article found on IRIN News called ‘GHANA: Government declares recycling war on plastic waste’.  IRIN News is "a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs".  The article was written in July 2004, about a program that the Ghanaian government launched to eliminate waste generated in Accra.

As we can now see, nine years later, recycling has not solved the problem of plastic waste.  Some may see it as a problem for the economy, due to the effects it may have on tourism, yet go to Osu and you know tourism is not suffering extensively.  Since plastics have replaced leaves, glass and metal as a cheaper, and more efficient means of packaging, this non-biodegradable waste has been collecting around the country, choking drains, threatening small animals, damaging the soil and polluting beaches.  Despite these crucial issues, recycling was meant to improve Tourism, create jobs and save foreign exchange in imports of drugs to fight cholera and malaria that can be linked to rubbish heaps.  

The army created for this war was the Recycling Taskforce, a group of sixteen people from the government, plastic manufacturers, water sachet producers and city authorities.  These people were given the task of encouraging creation of new recycling plants as well as working with existing recyclers to expand their facilities.  The goal was to begin by recycling plastic waste into kitchen utensils, as well as pushing for legislation to promote the use of recycled plastic in the manufacture of items such as dustbins and gutters.  The Recycling Taskforce hired a team of waste collectors and supplied them with push-carts for house-to-house collection.  Paid one US dollar for every fifty kilograms they collected, the waste would then be stored at one of ten depots around Accra until the time came to recycle.

Furthermore, waste recycling companies from South Africa and the Netherlands expressed interest in the project and media targeted children.  There was a goal to create environmental clubs in schools, so as to increase awareness of the damage that littering can do, as well as to teach them about recycling.

Adjei-Darko, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, stated that without proper recycling, "the alternative ...is to completely ban the production and importation of plastics, which would be a very painful action considering the plight of industry and employment."  I am not sure that industry and employment would suffer as much as he says, though.  Given the social, environmental and health issues linked with plastics, it seems to me the best thing would be to ban plastics globally, and if one country makes that stand, they would be the global leaders for this initiative.

Because of this idea of a possible ban, some plastic producers did begin to help the government fund the project, though there was some resistance to the amount.  The National Association of Sachet Water Producers, for example, found the monthly contribution of fifty thousand US dollars for clearing of plastic waste to be excessive; the association president stated that the authorities should not “target only the water producers" and that she would contribute half the requested amount.  Another source of funding was also proposed to come from people who drop litter, showing that the water producers are not the only ones targeted.  Local authorities having obtained legal backing to prosecute litter bugs, were able to make it that culprits face six months in jail or a twenty US dollar fine.  Personally, I think this is fully acceptable, particularly in a country like Ghana.  The reason for this is that since there is so much pollution in the form of littering in the country and since so many people cannot afford to pay any kind of fine, let alone twenty US dollars (which at times could amount to forty Ghana), this would greatly reduce pollution.  It may take time since the police are not everywhere (and I do not think they should be), but change has to start somewhere.

Despite all of my comments, this article brings up an important point: change forced by the government and by policy can only go so far.  When change comes from the grassroots, it disperses and becomes lasting change.

tS - Reasons for Optimism series: Africa’s lions are roaring as economies take off

“Reasons for Optimism series: Africa’s lions are roaring as economies take off” by Jonathan Power is an optimistic and concise article that praises the economy in Africa.  Power discusses primarily the use of cell phones and the growth of this market on the continent in comparison to any other global market.  Power’s article is quite encouraging.  Many Ghanaians I know have regularly explained to me the importance of boosting their economy.  The goal behind this boost always seems to be that they want to be rich like the foreigners that come visit them.  The humanitarian side of me agrees.  I don’t understand why there is so much food and technology, yet so few are able to take advantage of either.  Those who do are a minority, despite this not being obvious to them.

On the other hand, I can’t help but think about so many of the problems that can be seen.  Humans have created the economy, yet we now depend on it as though it is a divine being.  Many people work at reducing poverty, yet they disregard what causes poverty.  Is poverty really the problem?  Could people feed themselves without the economy?  Could technology be created then used in a way that all benefit, rather than causing mass environmental and social destruction?  These questions raise a lot of issues and the answers seem simple to me, yet so many disagree.  If they don’t, then they appear to, because these problems persist.

Let’s look at the main technology discussed – cell phones.  In a few previous posts(18 June 2012; 26 July 2012; and 4 December 2012), I have discussed electronic waste, of which cell phones do play a part.  Now, let’s look at another side.  Cell phones, like any other consumer product, need to be assembled.  Who assembles them?  I do not have the answer for all cases, though based on what I do know at this time, working and living conditions tend to be in the form of suffering.  Where do the parts come from?  They are made with minerals and oil products.  First, the extractive industry is known to cause much devastation across the world.  Resource extraction can often cause much conflict, particularly as the firms increase in size.  When I mention the Western Region, I am sure many Ghanaians remember relatively recent conflicts in Bogoso, Prestea, Wassa ...these conflicts were because of the mining of minerals that are needed to create the technologies necessary to boost an economy.  Some companies are working at improving the problems, though this is not the case in many places, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The economy may be an important part of the current system, but at what cost?

YT: E-Waste Hell - Ghana

I watched E-Waste Hell – Ghana on the Journeyman Pictures YouTube channel.  I have written about this issue before, but it is one that is dear to my heart, so I write about it again, using a different source.  The documentary from October 2011 is just shy of seventeen minutes, so it will be easy to make time to watch it!

An electronic waste recycler in Sydney, Australia, Joe Dickio, says he saw hundreds of televisions piling up at a charity depot in Sydney.  When exporters offered to take the televisions off their hands, the charity depot accepted.  Joe’s electronic waste company explained to them that this is wrong.  In response, the charity said they did not have the funds to dispose of the televisions properly.  Personally, I find this shocking.  I find it hard to believe that there is no way to have events geared at funding recycling of electronic waste, so as to avoid environmental, social and health problems that are directly associated with this kind of waste.  Many goods come from Australia, with no permits exist that allow Australian electronic waste to be shipped to any African location.  Despite this, Australian customs does not keep records on how many shipments leave for Ghana.  In the past two years, though, fifteen containers have been stopped from leaving Australia, albeit no prosecutions have taken place.

Llambert Faabeluon of the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency found this shocking and said that personally, he would like these people to be jailed.  He also says that Ghana has limited resources, making it difficult to deal with these problems.  Faabeluon did state that he wants to know why this kind of waste is leaving the core in the first place.  I completely agree.  If the waste had been properly disposed of, then this problem would not have come to such an extreme level in Ghana!  Illegal shipments started arriving in Ghana in 2003.  Now, around five hundred container-loads every month arrive in Ghana (about seventeen a day).  Though they are sent as working used goods, a broken frame shows that the sending parties know that goods are not still in working condition.

Mike Ananie, an environmental journalist, has been investigating the problem.  He brings the film-makers to a colleague of his, who shows them how easy it is to recover information from a computer.  This is something that is happening around Ghana, however not everyone is doing this with good intentions.  People and institutions around the world are therefore unknowingly sending their personal or confidential information to Ghana.  This information can then be found and used, increasing the threat of identity theft, something that can be linked to sakawa (click the word to watch a video for a brief explanation).  This is distributed throughout the country through a small fraction of electronics that can be fixed up and resold locally.  Through this resale, inexpensive used goods can be supplied to locals and more than 10 000 people get a regular income.

Despite this, what does not work ends in the landfill at Agbogbloshie, Accra.  This is Africa’s biggest electronic wasteland, where the poorest try to get money from what they can find.  Often, these are children who can be as young as five years old trying to get at the metals that can be resold, for less than one dollar a day.  By burning the plastic to get to the metal, they breathe in toxins that negatively affects their growth.  They also may complain of breathing problems and headaches.  Nearby, in the streets of Accra, the smoke affects peoples’ health both by their presence near the landfill and through the food they buy there.  Also, heavy metals which cause organ cancers go into the atmosphere, for everyone to breathe.

At the end of the film, Ananie recalls a time when that area had luscious growth.  He and his friends used to play within this growth.

Jimmy Carter:
"Solid wastes" are the discarded leftovers of our advanced consumer society. This growing mountain of garbage and trash represents not only an attitude of indifference toward valuable natural resources, but also a serious economic and public health problem.

CRI - China Sends Smuggled Waste Back to Netherlands

In a past post, I discussed e-waste that is illegally sent to Ghana.  This issue is causing environmental and human health problems, due to the ways Ghanaians find to deal with this waste.  This week, I am writing about a similar issue that is brought to my attention through “China Sends Smuggled Waste Back to Netherlands” in the English section of China Radio International.

In China, there are laws that control what waste enters the country, not allowing anything that cannot be used as a raw material, or anything that will severely affect the environment.  An investigation showed that a trading firm called Hepu hass been buying waste through a company in Taiwan.  This company then finds whatever is valuable in the waste to sell at exorbitant prices, then dump the rest without any thought of its effect to the environment.  In response to the findings on Hepu, Chinese authorities shipped 753-tonnes of waste back to the originating country of the Netherlands on June 1.

This is a great step for the Chinese government to prevent waste in their country.  Whether locals are encouraged to prevent waste is something I do not yet know, however based on this particular law, if they are not yet, this is something that is to come.

Jerry Rawles says it well:
People throw all sorts of good stuff away and I thought no point in having that in a landfill when I can do something with it

AA - Cote d'Ivoire President Ouattara Sacks a Minister Over Toxic Waste Dumping Scandal

This week, I am looking at a press release about a situation in Cote d'Ivoire from this past May, called ‘Cote d'Ivoire: President Ouattara Sacks a Minister Over Toxic Waste Dumping Scandal’, and the title surely informs of the problem.  The press release does not give any information as to what the toxic waste scandal is, but it is comforting to know that President Ouattara is ready to terminate any Minister involved in wrongdoing.  The Minister of African Integration, Adama Bictogo, is the person involved in this particular case.

It seems Bictogo resigned from his position prior to appearing in court.  This particular case of wrongdoing reappeared after Jeune Afrique, a French news magazine, published an article that quoted an eyewitness who accused Bictogo of accepting money originally meant to compensate victims of the toxic waste.  Fraternite Matin published another article that mentions advice by President Ouattara's, that any government official violating the code of ethics, or who is suspected of misconduct must be let go and by letting Bictogo go, President Ouattara seeks to keep his promise.  This brings into evidence that when a state goes through a change, such as the recent change in Cote d’Ivoire, good things can come of it!  Let’s hope this continues both for the citizens of the country, as well as for the natural environment.

An article in L'Intelligent d'Abidjan looks at both sides of the issue.  The author wonders whether Bictogo was truly guilty.  The author also states that by letting Bictogo go, President Ouattara has opened a can of worms, in that other dignitaries have a higher chance of also being let go.  By letting Bictogo go, though, President Ouattara has made clear that he is “listening to the voices of ordinary people", rather than allowing himself to be affected by those surrounding him.  As this is a part of the press release, I do not know what the tone of this article is, but based on these two statements, I personally see this as a good thing.  This means that by listening to those who tend to be ignored, i.e. the general public, and by dismissing those abusing of their power, President Ouattara is making evident that he is taking his position as president seriously, rather than taking advantage of the situation.

An article in Le Nouveau Courrier does bring to light that though there has been a dismissal and an investigation is taking place, this does not mean he will be held in custody, as the law stipulates as the action to be taken.  Bictogo is known for having great financial powers, as well as intimidation abilities.  The author does also request that all of Bictogo’s bank accounts, at home and abroad, be frozen in relation to the investigation.

This press release brings to light the complexity of any situation.  We must always be aware that reading one or two news articles does not mean we understand what is going on in any situation.

This week’s quote is by an unknown person.  Chances are the figure is not fully accurate, but it does give us an idea as to the extent of the problem:
$43 billion worth of unopened and unused food is thrown into landfill sites in the US every year, enough to end world hunger.

This Landfill is Your Landfill by Randy Ludacer

Today want to make you aware of This Landfillis Your Landfill by Randy Ludacer.  It is a song that talks about all kind of things that can be found within a landfill and even goes back in the layers.  The part I like best about the video is that his guitar is made of an old box.  It is worth listening to the lyrics more than anything.  The main reason I am posting it is that it is worth being aware of this song, since it talks about this huge problem in a non-threatening way, just listing things that can be found in a landfill.

This weeks quote is by Ed Rendell:

I think a moratorium probably is legal, and we should probably for a short period of time impose a moratorium so that we don't permit any additional landfill permits for the time being, so we don't exacerbate the problem.

SG - Zoomlion Donates 10 New Waste Management Trucks

WaPreG works with religious bodies, schools and the general public in preventing waste.  Despite this, there will be some amount of waste until we find ways to turn all waste into some form of resource and management will be required during that time.  As can be seen in “Zoomlion Donates 10 New Waste Management Trucks” by SpyGhana, executives of Zoomlion Ghana Limited are finding ways to manage what waste does exist.  In an effort to end Ghana’s filth problem, executives donated ten garbage trucks, as well as other equipment to the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Upper East Region.

The Honourable Lucy Awuni, Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, acknowledged that though Zoomlion Ghana Limited, as a company, works at providing sanitation services to the country, citizens must recall that they need to play their part in keeping Ghana clean.  She also made the point that Ghanaians having bad sanitation habits is having an effect on the country's economy, as there is a need to spend much money on this problem that could easily be prevented.  The money that is being spent on the consequences of these habits could be spent on other things, if only there were a change in Ghanaian sanitation habits.

Mr. Abubakari Issaka, Deputy Upper East Regional Manager of Zoomlion, requested that the Chief Executives devote time during Assembly programmes for educating the public on the necessity to keep their environment clean.  This sounds like a call for WaPreG or a similar organization to jump in and help out!  I don’t know when WaPreG will be able to help in this particular area, so if anyone is in or near the Upper East Region, this is your chance to help with this problem!  If you need support, do contact us and we will be very happy to collaborate!

TG - SABMiller: more beer from less water

This week I write about water.  Water is extremely important to livelihood and excessive use of water is a form of waste.  As written in SABMiller: more beer from less water, executives of SABMiller, the company that brews such beers as Ghana’s Club Premium Lager and Castle Milk Stout, have decided to acknowledge water scarcity.  The way they are doing this is during the period of 2008-2015, they are cutting water usage by 25%.  This may sound like a small number, but this is a quarter of their water usage; significant for a company that depends on water for its existence.

Research has given evidence of water scarcity increasing to a 40% gap between water supply and demand by the year 2030.  This demonstrates the importance for companies like SABMiller, which depend on water for all levels of production, to watch their level of sustainability.  The thing is, water scarcity has numerous risks, including ‘competition for resources, higher costs, reduced water quality and the possibility that shortages will limit production’.  This means as scarcity increases, so does the privatization of something that even the United Nations has declared a human right (I remember reading about this during my time in Ghana in summer 2010).

Recognizing that cutting water usage is not enough, SABMiller employees are also working with local communities to protect shared watersheds.  Also, employees are collaborating with NGOs, governments, communities and industry coalitions, taking part in the water debate, sharing lessons they learn and encouraging better oversight of water.

In 2009, the company teamed up with WWF and GIZ, the German Society for International Cooperation (note the acronym is for the actual German name, not the English translation of the name), to form the Water Futures partnership.  This partnership addresses some of the most urgent water risks facing SABMiller's local businesses, surrounding communities and ecosystems.  Though I have my doubts when it comes to corporate responsibility, the goal of Water Futures is to show that the private sector can engage in promoting sustainable management of resources.  The initiative of reducing water consumption has already begun to make a huge difference, as can be seen in such places as Rajasthan, where groundwater is estimated to have risen by 31 feet so far, nearly the amount consumed by SABMiller that year.

I will probably be sceptical of companies for a long time, but the harder they work at their social and environmental responsibilities, the better.  I would much rather be proven wrong about my skepticism than be proven right.

David Ormsby-Gore quote:

It would indeed be the ultimate tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more noble than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump.

WMW - Zero Waste Scotland-Businesses Landfilling Too Many Recyclable

As an organization, we generally work with the public however the private sector must never be forgotten.  As individuals, we often forget ourselves when in the workplace.  I have often seen people, who when at home strive to minimize waste, produce excessive amounts of it in the workplace.  Waste is waste, no matter where you are producing it, so we must always be aware of how much waste we do produce.

This past May, Zero Waste Scotland published a report analysing commercial waste in Scotland, by inspecting mixed waste being sent to landfills.  Retail, education, and health and social work produce over 50% of Scotland's total mixed commercial waste according to Zero Waste Scotland, over half of which could potentially be recycled.  Mixed waste consisted primarily of food, paper, and card waste in all sectors; however other recyclables also showed up in lower quantities.

Regulations passed by the Scottish Parliament require all businesses in Scotland separate paper and card, plastic, metal, and glass for recycling by 2014.  On top of that, those businesses producing over 50kg of food waste per week will be obliged to also separate this by January 2014, with businesses producing between 5kg and 50kg per week following suit by 2016.  According to the report, collections must be available from the council or commercial waste contractor for recycling to be possible.  It must be also noted, that opportunities do in fact exist, encouraging people to increase their use of recycling facilities.

In Ghana, recycling is minimal, though I have found company websites in the past, so it exists.  Now, it is not easy to have this kind of institution where funds are limited, however we have seen in past posts that there is a possibility to recycle from home, even if not in the form of a massive industrial venture.  Possibly my favourite quote in the article is that "it is clear that new waste regulations could boost our economy by getting valuable materials out of landfill and into productive uses."  Regulations may not yet exist in Ghana, but why should that stop us from putting those materials we would otherwise send to the landfills to good use?  Such initiatives as Trashy Bags (I know, I keep mentionning them, but they do great work) or UniquEco in Kenya both take waste and turn it into something people will use, so we know that it can be done!

Tom Udall once said:

It's a national concern, I mean how we dispose of nuclear waste in a safe way, how we deal with this incredible amount of nuclear waste we have created over the years.

DO - Use Africa’s Resources for Sustainable Economic Growth

This week’s post is not directly about waste, however there is a link.  I am writing about an article found in Liberia’s Daily Observer, entitled “Use Africa’sResources for Sustainable Economic Growth”.  It seems a few African countries met at the Summit for Sustainability inAfrica in Gaborone, Botswana at the end of May.  These ten countries adopted The Gaborone Declaration.  The Declaration seeks to improve and maintain sustainability, so as to allow human communities to continue to survive on the Earth, through biodiversity and ecosystem protection, lessening of environmental risks and scarcities.  This will contribute to the economic prosperity of future generations.  An additional goal of this declaration is to reinforce commitment to previous treaties, as natural resource extraction in Africa has been primarily focused on short-term economic gains.

Reasoning behind the declaration recognizes that because of the nature of natural resource exploitation, human well-being will be negatively affected if efforts are not made to reverse environmental degradation.  In Liberia’s case, natural resource extraction followed the urge to satisfy the economy, completely disregarding long-term environmental effects, leaving large craters throughout the landscape, much like other resource-rich African nations.

What is great about this declaration is that it does seek to reinforce previous commitments.  Since those same commitments were not met, however, I wonder how we can be sure this one will be met?  Particularly because of the fifty-seven countries on the continent, only ten attended this summit (or 18%).  Various reasons could have stopped these countries from attending, however the fact remains that they did not and by so doing (or not doing), the Declaration loses its strength.  Despite the small portion of nations adopting The Gaborone Declaration, there is a push for African countries make this vision a reality, exploiting resources sustainably, so as to last for the people.

How I would relate this to waste is the obvious of environment, but also that the goal to become sustainable is, for some, at the cost of increased personal consumption.  Many do not want to minimize their habits, instead preferring to increase their consumption with every day.  What we need to understand is that the more we consume, the less sustainably we live.  There is no way to increase our consumption, while still reducing our environmental footprint that I know of, though I would be interested in finding out how if any readers know of ways this can be done.  The reason I say this is that we really need to be self-aware when we make decisions and we need to stop making decisions blindly, however small the decision, and consuming is a decision.  Rather than finding ways to materialize our lives, maybe we should try thinking about whether consumption really does enhance our lives.  If it does, what are the costs of our consumption habits and are they really worth it.  This may seem like a tangent, but remember: our consumption habits directly affect resource extraction.

Guy Debord said this week’s quote:

Young people everywhere have been allowed to choose between love and a garbage disposal unit. Everywhere they have chosen the garbage disposal unit.

Education and WaPreG

This past week Allie started school.  That is why this post is so late and we do apologize for that.  I do, however, want to link this change in my routine to Waste Prevention Group.  If you look to the side, you will see that the WaPreG goal is to prevent further waste in Ghana.  The plan is to do this through religious bodies, schools and the general public.  By working through these means, how do we prevent waste?  What we need to do is educate.  Now, education is not enough if the population does not want change, however many have expressed an interest in fixing this problem.  If you pay attention in Ghana, you can even catch people scolding others for contributing to this same problem.  That means people want to change and they know how.  As a group, WaPreG concentrates on why and how to prevent waste.  By concentrating on these two aspects, prevention will happen on its own.

Now, education is most obviously found in schools, which is one reason we did choose schools.  Those attending schools have great ideas, but may not realize how much power they have to effect change.  They learn something and believe in it, bring it home to their peers – friends, family, others in their communities – those peers who also believe in it make the change, bringing it to their own peers and it spreads.  What we must keep in mind, however, is that even if we eventually reach out to every school in Ghana, there is a large portion of the school-age population not attending school for various reasons and an even larger portion no longer attends school.  Because of that, we realized that a great place to go that will reach the large majority of the Ghanaian population, both school-age and beyond, is religious bodies.  Religion is very important to a great majority of Ghanaians.  Many religious leaders feel that we must not abuse the earth given to us by the creator.  Despite these two great institutions, we must recall that there are still portions of the population we have not yet reached, so we also work with the general public to be sure to reach as many people as possible.

Now when we hear the word “education”, we think of formal institutions with books and exams and paid teachers.  The kind of education related to WaPreG is about communal learning.  The expression “preaching to the choir” comes to mind, but in a good way.  Sometimes, to start the change, you need to bring together like-minded people to share their knowledge, so they can spread the word and that is part of the goal of WaPreG.  We will work with people who believe the problem can be remedied.  We want everyone to bring their knowledge and ideas to the table, so everyone can be on the same page.  We want to come up with ideas as a group.  WaPreG is not about WaPreG members telling non-members what to do.  Instead, the aim is to bring everyone together to come up with a solution that everyone will be pleased with and that will have a positive effect on the majority.  Sure, having started WaPreG, Alfred and Allie have many ideas, but we are only two people.  Ghana’s last census estimated a population of 24,7 million, or 103,4 people per square kilometer (dense compared to Canada’s 3,5 people per square kilometer, yet sparse compared to India’s 368,1).  We have faith that the 24,7 million in Ghana have plenty of ideas, if only they are given the chance to share these ideas.

Quote of the week, by Imelda Marcos:

People say I'm extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage?

GIW - What If YOUR World Had No Clean Water

Today, I am writing about “WhatIf YOUR World Had No Clean Water?”, another post in the goldinwords blog by Benjamin Anyan.  I am writing more about the idea than about the content.  TAPthirst has played a huge part in my life, in many ways.  TAPthirst, or Tapdrinkers Against Privatization, is a student group at Concordia working at bringing awareness of water issues to the local community, particularly in terms of privatization of water.  In fact, it was through TAPthirst, and with the help of other groups and volunteers, that the decision to phase out bottled water was finally made at Concordia.  Much can be said, but I can discuss that at another time.  Through my work with TAPthirst, I learned so much about water and still have a ton to learn.  When I went to Ghana the first time, I couldn’t help but look at the water all around me and the need for pure water instead of tap water (what I was accustomed to drinking) and wonder how could this be fixed.  This is where I saw the connection between water and refuse, particularly in Ghana.

In Canada, we are lucky enough to have safe drinking water coming right out of our taps; water that our taxes fund the purifying of.  In the parts of Ghana I have been to, we may not always be able to rely on tap water, however we can find pure water for a minimal price, as compared to the bottles.  The thing is, not everyone on the planet has those two options and of those that do, not all of them can afford to pay ten pesewas (five Canadian cents) for 500 mL of water.  In that case, they may use water that has been contaminated in various ways, causing various health problems.  If you are reading this, chances are you can afford drinkable water.  If you are spending your water money on the internet, then please stop reading and use the rest of your money to hydrate yourself!!  Now, if you are still reading and have clean drinking water available to you somewhere, can you imagine not having clean drinking water?  This means no clean water to cook your food, wash your clothes, bathe, or anything.  I remember the opening scene of one documentary, I think it was Blue Gold, described dehydration so well that I felt myself reaching for my water and nearly emptying the bottle, despite initially being fully hydrated.  I don’t know what I will do when I have no drinking water available, but I am sure I will do anything for it.  What do you expect you will do?

Now, like I said, water and refuse are tightly connected in Ghana.  I am sure you can imagine why, but I will tell you anyways.  When we consume more than is needed, particularly of consumables that cannot be used again or that cannot decompose, these consumables are tossed aside.  They may end up in municipal landfills or they may end up in private landfills (see the background picture of this blog).  In such places as Ghana, they may be tossed without a thought as soon as use is complete.  The heavier they are, the more chances they will remain where they are and be moved around by humans or other animals.  The lighter they are, the more chances the wind will catch hold of them, often bringing them to our waterways (unless we threw them in the waterway in the first place).  Over time, the refuse builds up in our waterways and you end up with polluted, undrinkable water that is a breeding ground for disease, such as cholera, typhoid fever, yellow fever, the mosquitos that carry malaria, etc.  This is something that could have been prevented, yet we have intensified it.  The worst part is that instead of looking at the problem and solving it from the root, we are fixing the leaves, hoping that the branches will follow, then the trunk and then the roots.  It doesn’t work that way and too many of us are sadly blind to this.

This week’s quote is a well-known one, allegedly from Fort Minor:

I guess one man's trash is the next man's treasure, one man's pain is the next man's pleasure.

Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home

This weeks’ post is about Garbage!The Revolution Starts at Home.  This movie was created by Andrew Nisker, who made movie because of his son.  He thought about pollution and how it affects his son, which then got him thinking that he needs to do something about this.  Nisker lived with pollution through his life, which is related to his asthma, one of the many issues related to pollution.  Here are a few factoids Nisker presented that encouraged him to make this film:

 - North America has 3000 landfills

 - North Americans dump 1,3 trillion gallons of raw sewage in our waterways every year

 - Approximately 1,2 billion cars find there way onto North American roads in the next decade

One of the Greenpeace founders (if I recall this was Irving Stowe) once said to Nisker that “the Revolution Starts at Home”, which is where the title comes from.  Niskers’ goal in making this film is to have a family keep their garbage for three months and connect this to the bigger picture.  The family is the MacDonald family.

Day 1

The first thing the MacDonald family needed to do was to find storage and prepare their garage for three months of storing their garbage.  A few factoids about waste:

1) Organic waste produced by the MacDonald family is sent to a composting center.  The employee at the center explained that there are lots of plastics within the composting sent to the center.  Because of this, they need to separate plastics from the organic waste with a machine that is not unlike a giant washing machine.  This machine separates the plastics from the rest of the compost by beating everything until the plastic bags pop open and then eventually plastics float to the top of the pile, making for easy separation.  Also, methane from the composting helps to power the machinery.

2) Canada has a problem finding where to put its trash, so trash is exported to the United States.  Because of this export, certain communities in the US cannot sell their land.  One example is the town of Huron, which is surrounded by landfills and has trucks passing through at a rate of one truck every five minutes (i.e. 130 trucks passing in each direction each day).

Day 31

The MacDonalds estimated that they produce about 40 lbs of wet garbage per week.  Mr. MacDonald went to a children’s birthday party with his son, noting that everything was disposable, all of which could easily have been reusable items.  Garbage seems to be primarily from packaging, such as meat Styrofoam packaging, cellophane, plastic, etc.  Some points about recycling:

 - There seem to be issues in terms of which types of plastics can be recycled, which is sometimes based on the recycling capacities of a community facility.  Some plastics are layered laminates , which means they can only be used once and be down-cycled, not recycled.

 - Glass that is recycled is crushed and turned into such things as road aggregate, in the worst case.

 - Newsprint can only be recycled a certain number of times, due to the fiber length decreasing over time.  Eventually it must be recycled into box- or paper-board.

A few more factoids:

 - Enough aluminum to rebuild the U.S. airfleet is recycled every month

 - 500 000 trees are cut down for weekly newspapers

 - In California, 3 million empty water bottles are thrown away every day

Day 50 (Santa Claus Parade)

After keeping track of their garbage, the MacDonalds are more aware of what they see at the parade and how wasteful people are being.  The MacDonalds made sure to bring the least garbage possible and carried their garbage back home with them, which was nothing more than orange peels and a water bottle.

Some notes about transportation:

 - Two SUVs contribute 15 tons of CO2 every year

 - 700 million cars on our roads are the leading cause of smog, global warming and asthma

 - Road runoff is the largest source of water pollution in North America, the most toxic untreated unsanitary sewage

 - Car parts break down, reaching your river, as does oil through leaks and even if not, in concentrated form

 - One gallon of oil destroys one million gallons of drinking water.  In fact, the North American yearly road runoff is equivalent to the amount of oil from two and a half Exxon oil spills

 - When cars are recycled, oil is taken and re-used, then the car get crushed.  Even after crushed, cars pollute; they get shredded, the metal then gets recycled, but the sea-foam ends up in the ocean

Some notes about water:

 - Washing dishes and clothes, as well as flushing toilets all pollute water.

 - The United Nations reports that 1,1 billion people are without fresh water, yet many Canadians find themselves with unlimited freshwater

 - In 2005, Toronto dumped 2,6 billion gallons of raw sewage into Lake Ontario

 - In 2006, US cities dumped 1,3 trillion gallons of raw sewage into waterways, which is equivalent to 99 days of sewage being continuously dumped over Niagara Falls

 - Many cleaning products contain phosphates, which cause flora in the water to over-flourish, which in turn reduces oxygen, starving the fish of oxygen.  Also, many of our soaps contain estrogen-mimicking oxalates, causing the little fish to be unable to reproduce.

 - Bleach goes into the environment, creating compounds that can increase mutations and cancer.  When they react with our bodies, they affect our immune, reproductive and endocrine systems, creating various disorders.

 - Indoor air quality in North America is ten to fifty times more toxic than outside air and this is directly related to our cleaning products.

Day 84

Over Christmas, we can see a significant increase in waste.  Many new products have more packaging than the product itself and most of this packaging material is not recyclable.  The high levels of waste around Christmas-time are not just in gifts but also in wrapping, cards, disposable food, etc.  The North American culture shows each other that we value each other by buying and throwing out things.  There is a fundamental disconnect with the way we show each other we care and the way we show our environment we care and ad-busters shows initiatives that encourage truly showing each other you care.  Rather than buying things for those you love, spend time with them and DONT BUY ANYTHING. 

Day 90

The final count: 83 bags of garbage and 320 pounds of wet garbage, for two adults, a seven year-old, a four year-old and an infant.

Updates noted in the credits:

 - Toronto stopped shipping its trash to Michigan in 2010

 - On March 13, 2007, Massey Energy was granted permission to build a second coal silo beside Marsh Fork Elementary School

 - If you are ready for change, visit the movie website to learn how you can start a revolution in your community

This weeks quote is by Jarod Kintz:

Sure, I’ll take your pamphlet. I need to fill up my trashcan anyway.

WEJ - Impact of anthropogenic activities on the Densu River in Ghana

I have chosen another peer-reviewed article.  This one is a very short five pages long, so a very quick read.  It is called “Impact of anthropogenicactivities on the Densu River in Ghana” and was written by Fianko, Osae and Achel.  The reason I chose this article is that by preventing waste, we must prevent all forms of waste.  Often, the term “waste” brings up images of rubbish in our minds however we must not forget that by definition, waste is a variety of things.  In the end, waste is an excess that is not being used.

Fianko et al do not discuss anthropogenic activities affecting the Densu River (see the river dividing the study area east to west) only in terms of rubbish.  The anthropogenic activities are affecting the river through waste coming from municipal, industrial, rural areas and agricultural farms found along the shoreline.  This means that everyone plays a part in the rivers' state.  The study concluded that:

 (1) The ecosystem found within the river is directly linked to anthropogenic activities that will increase nutrients, as well as other oxygen-consuming materials.  When these materials enter an ecosystem, oxygen often decreases, changing the numbers and types of aquatic plants and animals in the ecosystem.  Other undesirable effects and cultural eutrophication often also occur.

 (2) The study revealed that the Densu River is severely polluted, especially in terms of organic matter.  The worst sites were those near urbanized, agricultural and industrialized areas.  Pollution of the Densu River is to an extent that the aquatic ecosystem in most of the exposed sections of the river has been destroyed.  The results make it clear that the Densu River requires an immediate reduction in pollutant input, as well as the treatment of sewage and changes in agricultural practices throughout the country.

Fianko et al do state that government must establish a body to monitor and control discharge of pollutants into the Densu River, however it seems to me that the change must come from the people.  If the change is forced by the government, the change will not last, however if the people understand the problem and come up with solutions that work for them, then there will be lasting change for the better.  There are surely knowledgeable people within the group who understand the problem and can look at ideas holistically and if none feel ready to take on the challenge, help can easily be found.

This weeks quote is by Ruth Ann Minner and it sure does say what WaPreG is saying:

Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. But I'd like to add a third certainty: trash. And while some in this room might want to discuss reducing taxes, I want to talk about reducing trash.

GIW - Who’s Waiting For You

Today, I write not about waste, but about the importance of WaPreG’s goals.  I do not speak of this holistically, but bear with me and this post will become clear.  A while back, I reviewed a blog called Gold in Words, by Benjamin Anyan.  This is a Ghanaian-written blog with topics that vary considerably and which are interesting and thought-provoking.  Today I am inspired by the post entitled “Who’s Waiting For You?”.  It is a post that encourages the reader to think about their purpose in life.  The reader is encouraged to ask themselves why they are procrastinating and what it will do for them, as well as to think about what effect their life work will have.

First, I want to relate this post to WaPreG.  Anyan asks some questions that are worth thinking about when starting up an organization like WaPreG.  I will answer a few (note - the questions are all quoted from the text):

 ₪ If I was waiting for you, then who else is?

The people waiting for WaPreG are the people who see there is a waste problem in Ghana.  The people who want to do something about this waste problem, but who feel disempowered when it comes to finding a solution.  These people may or may not have ideas, but they are Ghanaians of any age, any level of education, any financial situation.  If they care about the problem, they have been waiting for us.

 ₪ How many thousands of humans are there who stand a chance of living a good life because YOU lived yours well?

Any person who sets foot in Ghana will be directly affected by the results of our initiative and any other person who is inspired by WaPreG’s actions will be indirectly affected.  People around the world look at the periphery with differing views and hopefully this will help that view become just a little bit more positive.

 ₪ Do you make decisions convenient to you alone or do you consider the generations of human kind who’ll read about you some day and feel goosebumps all over their bodies because of the challenge and inspiration your life will bring to them?

Native populations throughout North America (and surely many others worldwide) hold a view that is anti-capitalist in terms of their treatment of the environment.  The view is not that the earth holds resources for humans to exploit for profit, but that the earth cares for us, much in the same way as our mothers.  Many groups in Canada (and again, surely elsewhere) believe that the sustainability of all our actions must be questioned.  Each action must leave our descendants seven generations into the future with the possibility of living in the same way as we do.  This view is based on the idea that we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, rather we borrow the earth from our descendents.

 ₪ When you close your eyes and fantasize, do you see your passion giving jobs to 100,000 people the world over, and being the one who makes it possible for those 100,000 people to put 3-sqaure meals on their family tables?

This one is rather difficult.  It seems to me that waste prevention could easily help people come up with some kind of income.  Rather than leaving our waste in a pile behind our homes and then burning this waste every few days, the extremely creative Ghanaian culture can easily take a page from such companies as TrashyBags' (which I would like to remind you IS a Ghanaian company) books.  So many other things can be done with trash.  Why not have a group of people in each village collecting all compostable materials in the village to start a compost pile in an open area.  This could be a farmer, a group of farmers, or people hired by farmers.  The farmers could then use this compost to increase the quality of the soil in which they grow their food, thereby increasing the nutrients in those crops, which will improve the health of those who eat those crops.  So many positive things could happen from this one simple idea.  Waste is greatly reduced, soil quality improves, crops improve, the farmers do not need to use fertilizer, since the compost is the most natural kind of fertilizer and the local population has improved health!  I am surely missing other details but for one simple idea, not a bad start!

 ₪ Does it occur to you that by doing what you’re good at to the fullest, some thousands of people will be able to pay their tithes, and make contributions to humanitarian causes?

Looking at the previous response, it seems to me that the improved health of the local population is in itself giving people an edge to those eating less nutritious versions of the same crops.  Again, not an easy one to answer.

 ₪ How many people are waiting for you to become more responsible? More caring, more romantic? How much longer will they have to wait? 5 years, 9&1/2 years? Is that how long it’ll take you to put that life-draining addiction behind you?

This group of questions goes together quite well.  In relation to WaPreG, we are starting up slowly at this time.  The biggest hurdle at this time is that Allie is still a student in Canada.  That will take another two years, but we have faith that even during that time, we can succeed with at least a small amount.  Afterwards, we can really give a big push and give it our all.  We have faith in our goal being attainable!

Now, I would like you, my readers, to relate this post to yourselves.  Anyans questions are questions you can ask yourself in terms of your own life.  They are also questions you can ask yourself in terms of preventing waste.  Review the post and try to answer the questions from both perspectives.  We would be very interested in knowing your reactions to these questions.  Remember that no matter your limitations, you can do something.  Knowing your limitations and working with them is the best way to succeed and I have faith that each and every one of you can succeed!

And now, a quote by Lynette Fromme:

Keep talking about moving toxic wastes, but never let it cross your mind to quit producing them. Keep judging yourselves in Manson. Don't look in the mirror. You will serve the Earth as much as she serves you or you will commit suicide.