I have read quite a bit about living with less, zero waste, and plastic pollution but nothing was quite as informative as Garbology by Edward Humes. This book isn't for anyone who is looking for an easy leisurely read. This book is for people who are determined to understand how our world became this way and want to strive to do their part to elicit change.
This book is jam-packed with information and at times I found it fascinating and other times I struggled to stay awake reading it. This book could and should be used as a textbook in schools because the information that it contains is quite valuable.
The book begins with a vivid description of a home that is inhabited by hoarders. Every last area of the home is cram packed with garbage and no one is aware until part of the garbage mountain inside collapses and the owners are trapped inside. The owners survive and it is revealed that they have tons of garbage in their home. You question how anyone can live this way and how people can make so much garbage. When the author points out that hoarders produce the same amount of garbage as every other American and the only difference is that they keep theirs instead of rolling it out the curb once a week, you stop for a moment and realize what that means.
The book moves you through the different waste management methods throughout the history of our country as well as different areas of the world. From early primitive landfills to complicated cell sanitary landfills, from backyard Smokey Joe's to industrial incineration, from throwing trash in the ocean and streets to garbage munching hogs wandering the streets to designated piggeries, from food rotting in streets and gutters to backyard compost and municipal compost facilities. The book talks about recycling and the lack thereof including the limitations in many aspects of recycling.
I found the science of garbology fascinating in this book. There is a big portion dedicated to the work of William Rathje and his team of scientists that studies garbage. They sorted garbage to learn about consumerism and what people throw away and when. For example, nearly all of Halloween candy is eaten where Valentine's Day candy is largely thrown away. They tracked garbage to see how efficiently it made it to the dump or to the recycling center and found that often times the things we get rid of make long unnecessary journeys before arriving at their final location.
This book will explain how people in first world countries have a 102-ton garbage legacy that they create in their lifetime. It's hard to believe we create this much waste until you delve deep into the problem and you understand that this garbage is the result of our mindless consumerism. You will understand how we came to be this way and why we all suffer from a buy and toss mentality. When you read this and it is staring you in the face it envokes the desire for change. After reading this book you will not only know how to break free of your 102-ton legacy but you will want to.
No comments:
Post a Comment