Garbage

Today is garbage day in my small area of Scarborough Guildwood. We have three people in our home and we generated about a quarter of a garbage pail of waste in the past two weeks (roughly half a green bag worth). We're not proud of it, but it represents the inevitable residue after recycling, reusing and composting. The garbage truck has come by and our waste has been whisked off to begin its journey to the land fill in Michigan.

Try as we might, we are still years away from being the kind of environmentally friendly society in which nothing goes to waste. Toronto has chosen to bury our waste, out of sight, out of the City and, hopefully, out of mind. Durham is toying with the idea of burning theirs.

On Thursday January 10, 2008, Dr. Paul Connett, noted specialist in Waste Management and Phd at Cambridge University, with 22 years experience in waste management will address Durham's incineration plan at a Town Hall meeting at CAW Local 222 Union Hall at 1425 Philip Murray Ave in Oshawa.

As Durham Environmental Watch notes on its website:

As municipalities determine the costs associated with their disposal options, it is important that they consider the health and social costs associated with the pollution from incineration facilities. More specifically, these costs would include the cost of global warming, acid rain, and an increase in chemicals in our air, land and water associated with emissions of certain pollutants to the atmosphere and to waterways. The increased likelihood of adverse impacts on human health associated with air pollution emissions and the release of toxic substances to the environment also carry a cost. Studies have calculated the total social cost of incineration and landfill, and their findings show that incineration costs are much higher than landfill, both fiscally and socially.

No one wants landfill. But the assertion that incineration will eliminate landfill is just plain false. It will simply add to the problems we face and is not a sustainable solution. There are better alternatives.