Jane Lake and Recycling!
There was an article in the New York Times ten years ago mocking the need to recycle and the people obsessed with the need to.
I reference it here for your review:
RECYCLING IS GARBAGE!
It caused quite a controversy and was rebuked by many, but quite frankly I have to admit that what Mr. Tierney says makes a lot of sense, and is worth revisiting. To sum up if you don't have time to read it, the conclusions are that recycling takes jobs away from rural areas that need it most, increase costs to the consumer, saves a minimal amount of land, and does nothing for the environment.
I find that this is another example of someone being right at the wrong time. Recycling is a feel good activity and adults and children alike relish in the theoretical benefits. It is big business and thus has a large enough lobby to make Mr.Tierney look questionable if not downright ridiculous.
But we have seen time and time again that it is easy to distort facts, mislead the American public, and hide the truth (yes, I am referring to abortion!).
I have not recycled for a year or so and I have to say I feel pretty good about it and makes my life just a little bit easier. Sometimes I think we just need to question things that are many times shoved down our throats.
By the way, today is America Recycles Day!
As everything is pointless, recycling must be too. And really, if people think they make any substantial change to the carbon emissions of China, by sorting out their trash, they're being stupid.
Posted by
Anonymous |
3:10 PM
Re-cycling isn't pointless. Here in Germany it works quite well. The planet only has limited resources and unfortunately USA uses a lot of them and pollutes heavily :)
Posted by
Haddock |
5:45 PM
The Oregon Bottle bill (where I live) has become the laughing stock of the recycling industry. Back in 1993 when (out of necessity) I started recycling cardboard in California, the paper recycler told me that California was thinking of going the way of Oregon, he stated that funny thing was that Oregon and Michigan were the laughing stocks of the industry and that if California went the way of Oregon, they would pull out, even though they did not even handle cans or bottles. Problem is Oregon’s system pushes out private recyclers (outside of the companies that make the good for nothing redemption machines). Vastly more people are employed by California’s system which also pays scrap value and allows recyclers to profitably pay for paper and other items that here in Grants Pass are useless. Also there is not the dangerous contamination of dirty cans being placed in shopping carts or handled by store clerks.
Oregon either needs a system like California or pure free enterprise, and to stop the arrogance of Oregon leaders who cannot see past all the problems we have with this dirty, wretched, anti free enterprise system here in Oregon. The Oregon legislature brags about the solid waste recycling rate, yet Oregon has a rate of 38% compared to Washington with a rate of 34.82%, a statistical match, yet Washington has NO bottle bill. The point is; The bottle bill kills free enterprise and non-redemption recycling too, such as paper.
Proponents have told me that Oregon pays more than California; NOT TRUE! Do to the free enterprise system at work in California a $.035 can can be worth as much as $.12 after scrap value is added (I am referring to a large beer can here). Also you can smash the cans and plastic, and due to the profitability, you can often bring in paper and cardboard too, as the California system makes profitable for the recyclers to do so. As of this post cans are worth $1.45 per lb. and newspaper is worth $.04 per lb (it adds up fast too).
Bottom line the forced recycling here in Oregon is a sham!
By Carl Strohmeyer
Posted by
Carl |
7:46 PM
I recycle when i can...
but not obsesses with it
they SHOULD make it easier...
easy things the masses do..
hard things they ignore
Posted by
Mojo+ELvis=MELvis |
6:52 PM
I agree with haddock. People have to face up to the fact that petroleum resources in particular are limited, and using and burning them causes all sorts of pollution. Petroleum is essential to making plastic, which is used for EVERYTHING these days. So, when petroleum resources are gone, so is our ability to make plastic as we know it.
If you recycle nothing else, recycle plastic.
Posted by
Blissfully Anonymous |
5:21 PM