1000 Flowers for the Planet - #318 Deal With Your Own Waste
When you buy yourself a new electronic gadget, what do you
do with the old one? Do you care? Maybe you give it to someone else to use for
a while, but do you have any concern for where it goes at the end of its useful
life? Electronic goods have increased in production since the personal computer
gained popularity, and this has led to an exponential increase in the amount of
e-waste being sent to landfill. The problem is that a lot of this waste is actually
sent overseas, to developing countries where it pollutes the environment with
toxins and its very existence. This is without any care for the people that
live there, and those responsible for it don’t give a second thought about it
because as far as they’re concerned it has all gone ‘away’ – remember that
place that doesn’t exist. But it does exist. Type ‘e-waste’ into your search
engine on the Internet and you will find plenty of reading material.
E-waste is not the only waste problem being sent from one
country to another. Nuclear waste is also finding its way across borders in
illegal dumping practices. This type of waste has an even more serious and
deadly nature to it, as incorrect handling and storage can and will lead to
major health issues for all life forms in its vicinity. Nuclear waste doesn’t
just disappear – it hangs around for thousands of years. We’d have to wait a
mere 10,000 years to feel somewhat safe with it. No probs! Sigh.
If you create waste, then you should deal with it! Insist
your government becomes part of the solution by handling the waste generated
within its border, and stop sending it to other countries who put up with it
simply because they can’t afford not to.
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