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GARBOLOGY: AMERICA’S OBSESSION WITH GARBAGE
Summary
The book contains a straightforward and clear history of garbage management in the United States, the effect this garbage issue on environmental health, and the general socioeconomics. Because of its relevance and significance of garbage management had to be solved, this book introduces us to different individuals who tried to solve this problem. This included the business community, activists among other concerned people. Corporate bigness and incineration with less success and incineration have also been addressed in this book as some of the strategies that have realized less success despite their employment. The generation of garbage in the United States has been historically attached to the lifestyle of the people of modern days. This predicts that the variety of garbage generated ranges from biodegradable to chemical wastes. Humes discusses the effect of pollution through proliferation and how this affects health status, especially hazardous waste and non-biodegradable. He summarizes and presents the statistics; one out of six in the United States is a garbage truck (Humes 6). The packaging system in the United States is another source of potential trash that dominates this country, Humes claims.
The main message is to expose the economic burden that the United States and suggests solutions to how this mess can be solved through reducing, reuse, and recycles. He also appreciates different families who have taken the best initiative to ensure garbage generations reduced; they do this by downscaling their living accommodations and bulk buying without wasting food.
Analysis
Through clear and keen analysis of Humes’ work relates and resonates well with the resources. According to Humes, garbage or trash can be used to produce other resources like electricity, giving an example of states such as Portland and Florida that have demonstrated that trash can be a good source of energy with potential resources for the country’s development.
Humes’ message of garbage directly relates to production; he gives an example of the Coca-Cola Company, which changes and replaced the production of reusable glass bottles for plastics at the expense of damaging the environmental standard. Humes argues, companies involved in the production process should consider the three waste management (reuse, reduce, and recycled) during their production process.
“A society in which consumption has to be artificially stimulated to keep production going is a society founded on trash and waste, and such a society is a house built upon the sand” (Humes, 17). Humes, through his thoughts, suggest that people should regulate the consumption rate, this help consequently help in the reduction of trash. He calls and encourages responsible consumption, extends to bulk buying, and less waste generation.
The main concern in this book is the environmental risk. Hazardous and non-biodegradable are extremely dangerous and present potential risks to environmental health in general; reducing, reusing, and recycling ware all measures directed towards ensuring that environment is safe and conducive for effective health. The pollution through proliferation that he talks about can be reduced and eliminated through encouraging proper use and trash. The environment includes air, land, and water. Adaptation of these strategies proposed by Humes requires proper and economic balance and keen involvement of the greater understanding.
Personal reaction.
As written by Humes, this book is the best that has read as far as waste management is concerned. However, the presentation of the facts and statistics in this book is perfect but lacked proper analysis and support. This is noted when he talks about the economic need for recycling without conceding the amount of income that the company was making through landfills. Concerning three strategies, I fully support, and I think this suits the modern world perfectly. It is both economically preserves the environment. The urge to protect the environment has enhanced. It confirms my feelings. This is a call that every responsible citizen should be paying attention to total member involvement when it comes to the matter of environmental and waste control. Actually, this book hasn’t changed my perception but has stabilized my view of trash and how it can be controlled. The development of citizens’ general well-being and daily operations requires a safe and protected environment.
Finally, from personal experiences, environmental conservation is a key important thing that every government and individual should address. The general of the United States should take personal responsibility for trash management. This should not only be unitive of the government, but everyone should take it. Different authors discussed the effect of pollution through proliferation and how this affects health status, especially hazardous waste and non-biodegradable. Their discussion has not been taken seriously by individuals since there is still poor garbage management in the United States. There is a need to step up the fight against trash mismanagement. People must be taught how to manage the trash, or else the entire country will run into environmental problems.
References
Humes, E. (2013). Garbology: Our dirty love affair with trash. Penguin.