Garbage World

[nacho]

Ever since Nubbins posted that wonderful thread on The Gyre (http://www.greatsociety.org/forums/index.php/topic,3414.0.html), I've sort of been getting more and more into the "casual pollution" that we're all guilty of.  So now it's Monday morning, and I'm exhausted and bored, and I'm thinking -- let's have a thread devoted to that sort of pollution or horrific environmental fuckery.  So nothing like, OMG, Exxon kills seals.  More just the random and seemingly innocuous shit that we're doing on a day to day basis.

To start it off:

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/editorials/a-shameful-harvest

The following is a letter from a member of the NJPineBarrens.com forums to the Pinelands Commission regarding the use of what is essentially recycled trash and mulch to grade the sides of roads by the Ocean County Road Department in the Pinelands.

To Whom It May Concern:

I have brought this problem up three times before. Starting around six years ago I sent letters and emails to everyone I can think of to stop it. I received many promises; from Freeholders, Assemblymen, and even from the parties responsible for doing this. What I am talking about is Ocean County Road Department's habit of leveling the sides of County Pineland roads using ground up mulch and other material from other rural areas of Ocean County. The main problem is that this material is loaded with garbage.

Six weeks ago they did it again, in the Pinelands Preservation District along Lacey Road by Bamber Lake. After the rains, the junk that is mixed up with this material revealed itself. I picked up the below harvest basket of items out of this fill in just 30 minutes.

Your eyes do not deceive you. In just this one random sample, besides the wire and metal on the left, there is an inner tube, plastic action figure toys, plastic bottles, caps, and pipe fittings, a hunk of rebar, bits of wire, junk from home gardens, tennis and wiffle balls, a hair brush, plastic eating utensils, decorative car trim, house insulation, and even a beaded slipper.

This is outrageous to do this, especially in the Pine Barrens, where we are trying to preserve the clean white sands and beautiful roadsides. The below photo shows what it looks like (background). You can see the familiar white sand roadside and typical huckleberry and blueberry plants are gone. In its place grows foreign home garden and lawn plants

What to do? First, the Lacey Township Police Department should issue Ocean County a ticket for littering if they see them putting this material down again. Secondly, legislation should be introduced (fostered by The Pinelands Commision) that prohibits doing this in the Pinelands. And thirdly, the sand plants that reside in the pinelands should be taxed in sand to be used to lay on the roadsides that need it. They certainly should not allow to take and take and not give back something to the Pinelands they are creating holes in.

Many years ago, when I first surfaced this problem, Ocean County told me they were going to fire the people responsible. That is a stupid, wrongheaded solution. No workers should be reprimanded or fired. They are only doing what they are told to do (think Abu Ghraib). This practice must be outlawed by legislation. It has been proven again and again (to me) that there is no other way.

Feel free to foward as required to help me stop this disgusting practice.

Bob Moyer
Bamber

[fajwat]

think Abu Ghraib

[Reginald McGraw]

This isn't a news story, but something I actually witnessed.

I went out to lunch at a local burrito place and brought it back to my car to leave.  I was fiddling with the radio when a fellow patron brings out a bunch of napkins to his car.  Apparently, he had dropped his drink all over his open car door.  I watch as he calmly uses one napkin after another: wipe, wipe, throw on the ground next to the car; repeat.  I was stunned and watched him go through about 15 napkins like this, throw the rest of the clean napkins on the ground, get in his car and drive off.  I thought about saying something to him, but I think it would have just led to confrontation and I'm scared of that with strangers. 

[nacho]

That's certainly a problem.  How about the power to our offices?  12 floors here at my office, and all these computers left on overnight, all the lights.  The stairwell is locked between floors so you're forced to take the elevator even if you're going one level.  On and on... The abuse is amazing, really.

[fajwat]

God, I hate that -- the power.  Such a continuous waste.

[Tatertots]

That's why I'm excited for $5 gas. People largely don't give a damn about the environment unless it affects their pocketbook. So with $5 gas, maybe people will stop using their cars for all those damn 1 mile trips to the local McDonald's. Suburbia needs to die, and fast. So: hooray $5 gas! I hope it hits $100 per ziploc bag of fumes.

Let's go back to rail and busses and bikes and walking and planes.

Well, I can dream, right?

[fajwat]

i completely agree, taters.  in 1991 when i found out gas cost 5x as much I wanted to immediately raise the tax on ours to match it.

[Reginald McGraw]

In fact, let's start using lanterns and wood burning stoves!

[nacho]

Welcome to the village!

[Nubbins]

I agree... it would be nice if high gas prices actually motivate some kind of change.  6-8$ a gallon is both a scary and exciting thought, strangely.

[fajwat]

8% of americans have reported switching to public transport; a little over 4% of DC people have switched.  changes have happened and are happening.

[nacho]

And oil jumped again today... We'll be seeing $5 gallons soon.

[Tatertots]

I'm already seeing $5 gas. What's all this BS about $4 gas? Jesus, you whiners.

[RottingCorpse]

California is always priceier first.

[Tatertots]

San Luis Obispo has the highest prices in the U.S. quite often. We compete with a few other places in CA.