Wasteland and Recycling: May 2013

College of Western Idaho

Recycling: A Wasteland Revival Tool

Miranda Storey

0081000

English 102-011W

Leslie Jewkes

12 March 2013

Abstract

Landfills are piling high, and not many options are left to help save the Earth from the wasteland it faces. Is recycling the answer to America’s potential wasteland problems? Recycling will not only help with cutting trash, it will cut costs used to generate fresh products and will open doors to future possibilities. Idaho is a place where the effects of trash build up is not seen, Idahoans tend to be more careless when it comes to the environment and this could cost in the future. Careless acts come with huge disadvantages, and Carbon dioxide and its effects are only one of them. Each person generates over 1,200 pounds of trash a year ("Recycling Facts & Statistics Infographic”), this is a HUGE amount of trash piled into landfills every day. The few opponents of recycling affect its proponents tremendously, including an ever-growing carbon footprint. Recycling is the only option to reduce the possibilities of wasteland formation, and it must be implemented in order to make a true difference. Landfills are quickly closing in on themselves and the greenhouse gas emissions released from these landfills are only harming the environment more. It is time to face the facts, face the mounds of trash piling high, and time to turn our backs on the past.

Recycling: A Wasteland Revival Tool

Imagine walking down the street having to step over piles of garbage. Meanwhile, a car drives by and a passenger tosses a piece of trash out the window, adding to the clutter already on the street. In a world where recycling does not exists, one can forget about nature and the health of environment. Trash build-up is an issue Americans are facing. People constantly have to find places to dispose of garbage, because the landfills are piled high and only wasteland remains. In order to avoid something like this an alternative plan needs to be implemented. Is recycling the answer to America’s potential wasteland problems?

As the landfills quickly close in on themselves and are piled high, a huge challenge is created. Where does all of the trash go next and will there ever be a solution on what to do with the trash? The answer is probably not. Making new landfills and ruining more American soil is not the way to solve the growing trash dilemma, because this comes with many other environmental problems. In opposition, recycling may be a potential answer. Recycling needs to be adopted not only to help cut the amount of land that is destroyed yearly by landfill consumption, but to help reduce the environment’s potential future as a wasteland (Weeks). Recycling will not only help with slowing the landfill expansions, it will cut costs and open doors to more options on what to do with trash buildup.

In places where the effects of wastelands are not seen, much like Idaho, people tend to be careless about the environment. It is taken for granted and everyday lives continue without realizing the harm that is being done. Idaho does not affect the environment by trash buildup like much of the remaining parts of the United States. Instead Idaho affects nature by the luxurious lifestyles offered here. Idahoans and tourists partake in daily activities like motorcycling, boating, camping and four wheeling and all of these recreational advantages indirectly harm the environment because of the exhaust released in these activities (Billitteri). As a result of these daily activities around the world, “Scientists fear that Earth faces an irreversible biological catastrophe” and that “conservation efforts [like recycling] could be too late” this will make it hard to preserved the planet’s irreplaceable biodiversity (Arrendale). Idaho is a good example of destroying Earth’s biodiversity by enticing all of the recreational activities described above. These activities are the start to one of the main culprits related to trash buildup, which will prove an even better reason to implement recycling.

Wastelands are a result of careless activities and ruined biota. This “irreplaceable biodiversity” (Arrendale) is effected a couple of ways: increasing population which leads to more human activities and produces far more waste; and more Carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the air. Although CO2 is not the issue directly being discussed, it directly relates to wasteland and recycling efforts. Carbon dioxide is released when a landfill is packed full of trash and begins to decompose. Trash can take thousands of years to decompose, and decomposition rates are not the only problems with landfills.

As waste breaks down in landfills it produces landfill gas, a mix of methane, carbon dioxide and small amounts of other substances that can cause odors or health risks. Landfills also produce leachate, a liquid runoff that can be toxic, when water leaks in and picks up contaminants from garbage. (Weeks)

Where a landfill exists, the ground becomes toxic and the area around the landfill is no longer inhabitable. This yields even bigger problems, as mentioned in the quote above regarding leachate. Leachate is created when rain falls on the waste and the water runs through the decomposing trash. As it runs out of the landfill it becomes toxic because of the chemicals produced in the decomposition process. Recycling will not cut out all landfill production and certainly will not take care of current leachate problems, but these issues will be reduced.

Recycling comes with many beneficial factors. Not only will wasteland possibilities be reduced, but also the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. When contemplating what is beneficial about recycling, the answer is easy; everything. Recycling drastically cuts and saves energy used to create products from raw materials (Spiegelman 8), helps save landfills from piling high, and ultimately helps save the environment from destruction. Another great benefit recycling offers is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, much like CO2 as discussed above. All of the situations recycling helps improve are the problems that need to be reduced. For instance, “Every year, each American throws out about 1,200 pounds of organic garbage that can be composted [or recycled]” ("Recycling Facts & Statistics Infographic”). Twelve hundred pounds multiplied by over seven billion people on the planet. That is ample amounts of trash that can be recycled or used for other purposes. Below is a bar graph that compares the most popularly thrown away items:

What Americans Throw Away. 2012. Waste Solutions on a Global Scale, Harmony. Web. 18 Feb 2013.

Almost all of these materials are recyclable, and the paper and cardboard alone will make a tremendous difference. Now the question arises, that if recycling has proven that it can save, and reduce all of these areas, why do so many people neglect to contribute their part?

Often times those who recycle do so religiously, while those who do not recycle could not seem to care less to ever start. This is because some people perceive recycling as a bigger task than it is a benefit. Sorting trash takes time and can be frustrating and disgusting; but, it does make a crucial difference. Another downfall of recycling is that many people have to go out of their way to recycle their products. There is not a recycling center on every corner, and some people may find themselves driving up to 30 miles to recycle things they could just throw in the closest trash bin. In Idaho especially, recycling is opposed by the challenge of relevance. Idahoans are not typically affected by the trash that is thrown out, so the damages of trash buildup are not felt and typically it is easier to throw something away versus recycle or reuse it. If recycling is not adopted by the majority of people, the environment will turn into a wasteland and many more problems will arise from the mass amounts of trash accumulated in landfills. Our individual carbon footprints are only growing, and as they grow, so do the problems associated with them.

Scientists argue that it may already be too late to reverse our impact on the environment, but in order to give the human race a shot at survival something needs to be done. Recycling is our best large-scale option to reduce the possibilities of wasteland formation, and it must be implemented in order to make a significant difference. Now, much like in April of 1970 when the first Earth Day was celebrated, Americans need to stand up for recycling and must make it clear that “the deterioration of our environment and mindless dissipation of our resources,” is not something to take lightly (Billitteri). We only get one Earth and one chance at life, why should we ruin something so beautiful? “No” is no longer an acceptable answer when it comes to recycling. Idaho is making good progress, and in fact is listed as number eight for greenest states in the country ("Recycling Facts & Statistics Infographic"). However this is not good enough and the Earth will slowly be destroyed if something is not changed.

As argued above, recycling becomes our best option to reduce the Earth’s potential of a wasteland and it needs to be implemented everywhere. Landfills are quickly closing in on themselves and the greenhouse gas emissions released from these trash dumps are only harming our environment more. Carbon dioxide is the number one greenhouse gas emission that is closely related to many of our environmental problems (“Waste”), and recycling can help reduce its introduction into the air. Leachate is another problem faced because of the landfill run off water. It can contaminate all water resources around the landfill and can damage the nearby soil too. The benefits of recycling far outweigh the downfalls, and even though Idaho is listed as one of the top eight greenest states in the country ("Recycling Facts & Statistics Infographic") there is still progress to be made in order to be number one. A rule that can guide the future of industry could be, “If the community cannot reuse, repair, recycle or compost it, industry shouldn't be making it…” (Spiegelman 12). This quote is a strong statement that should be taken quite seriously. Products should not be made that cannot be reused or repaired. It simply does not benefit anyone.

The destruction of Earth is not something to be tested, but a pending emergency that needs to be dealt with. Some scientists already fear that it is already too late stating, “that Earth faces an irreversible biological catastrophe…and that conservation efforts [like recycling] could be too late to preserve much of the planet's irreplaceable biodiversity” (Arrendale). It is time to face the facts, to face the mounds of trash piling high, and do what needs to be done to help the environment. Recycling will be the future. Either the Earth recycles itself and all that is inhabited here, or recycling becomes implemented and we help the Earth regain some of the biodiversity that has been destroyed- saving ourselves along the way. As stated in an interview, “we are on the road to the good… Being knowledgable is just step one. Being part of the process is step 2 which will lead to influence of those around you” (Lincoln, 2).

Works Cited

Arrandale, Tom. "Disappearing Species." CQ Researcher. (2007): n. page. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

Billitteri, Thomas. "Reducing Your Carbon Footprint." CQ Researcher. (2008): n. page. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

Lincoln, Mindy. “ Interview by Miranda Storey." Message to Mindy Lincoln. 28 Feb 2012. E-mail.

"Recycling Facts & Statistics Infographic." Waste Solutions on a Global Scale. Harmony Enterprises, 02 Feb 2012. Web. 15 Feb 2013.

Spiegelman, Helen. "Hope In Wasteland." EBSCO Host. (2006): 7-14. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.

"Waste." US Environmental Protection Agency. EPA, 13 JAN 2013. Web. 16 Feb 2013.

Weeks, Jennifer. "Future of Recycling." CQ Researcher. (2007): n. page. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

Wasteland and Recycling: An Annotated Bibliography

Arrandale, Tom. "Disappearing Species." CQ Researcher. (2007): n. page. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

This article is also from the CQ Researcher Scholarly Journal. It is about how due to human activities and increasing amounts of CO2 in the air, millions of animals are becoming extinct every year. This source does not directly relate to my topic, but the information in it will indirectly help me. It is very reliable information and there is even a pro and con argument at the end of the article.

Billitteri, Thomas. "Reducing Your Carbon Footprint." (2008): n. page. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

This article is the last one I have from the CQ Researcher Scholarly Journal, and is about how humans continuously have growing carbon footprints. There is a graph in here that specifically points out how Boise/Nampa area is on the top 5 lowest places for CO2 emissions, and we are also on the top 5 for recycling materials. I will definitely use this information when writing my paper.

Jarvis, Ben. "Recycling in Idaho." Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. The State of Idaho, n.d. Web. 14 Feb 2013.

This website I know has reliable information about recycling in Idaho. It is a government official website, and explains how recycling works along with why it is encouraged across the state of Idaho. I am still debating on whether or not I will use any quote from this website; however this is where I have my contact information for the letter of inquiries.

Spiegelman, Helen. "Hope In Wasteland." EBSCO Host. (2006): 7-14. Web. 16 Feb. 2013.

This article is very reliable and is an online scholarly journal article. It talks all about how the waste production has changed and increased over the last couple decades. This source provides multiple graphs and bar charts that I can look at and analyze for data in my paper.

“If the community cannot reuse, repair, recycle or compost it, industry shouldn't be making it…” (Spiegelman 12). I really like this quote and will be using it in my paper. I think it will provide a great quote in my personal claim paragraphs and will help support my thesis.

Weeks, Jennifer. "Future of Recycling." CQ Researcher. (2007): n. page. Web. 15 Feb. 2013.

The above source is an article from the CQ Researcher Scholarly Journal and offers information about the future of recycling and whether or not recycling benefits the environment. This source directly states our problem with waste buildup and enforces different actions that can take to make a better future for the waste. A zero-waste society is even suggested. There are multiple graphs included in this article and I will most likely end up using the one that shows how much of our waste is recyclable.

Wasteland and Recycling

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Title Page

Introduction/Preface

Local Essay (Essay #1)

Personal Writings (Haiku and Letter Poem)