Comments on: Recycling is evil; pass it on.

By: Louis De Klerk

Louis De Klerk — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:58:27 +0000

No offence (honestly), but a financial understanding of the world really helps. The price of recycled materials dropped hugely in 2008. It hasn’t come back.

The problems with society are rooted in our financial system, IMO. The superwealthy (over $1b net worth) are far too powerful, and the gap between the incomes of the poorest and richest members of society is only widening. These sociopaths don’t want more money because they are greedy, that is a common misunderstanding. They want more money because it gives them more control, more power.

The end result is: a completely biased mainstream media, governments dedicated to serving special interests (this would be called bribery or corruption in the 3rd world) instead of citizens, a failing education system, war for oil (and opium), an instant gratification consumerist economy, and a largely ignorant populace.

It all starts with wealth/income disparity, and a lack of quality education/news coverage.

By: Looking at the big picture « Connections

Looking at the big picture « Connections — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:23:32 +0000

[...] For example, plastic grocery bags: How could anyone who considers the issue, and not just their personal challenge of remembering to bring a bag (we remember our wallet and keys, how hard can it be?), not support the banning of unnecessary single-use items that harm the environment? (And don’t give me the “but I recycle” argument: Recycling is evil). [...]

By: Looking at the big picture « Connections

Looking at the big picture « Connections — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:14:39 +0000

[...] For example, I don’t get how anyone who looks at the big picture could not support phasing out the use of plastic bags. How could anyone who considers the issue, and not just their personal challenge of remembering to bring a bag (we remember our wallet and keys, how hard can it be?), not support the banning of unnecessary single-use items that harm the environment? (And don’t give me the “but I recycle” argument: Recycling is evil). [...]

By: On knowledge versus action « Connections

On knowledge versus action « Connections — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:08:43 +0000

[...] a secure and happy future. But people aren’t. (OK, some people take feel-good steps like recycling – but I am talking about the steps that effect real and meaningful [...]

By: jwindh

jwindh — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:53:29 +0000

Oh, Ukeedog... thanks for your story. But that makes me so sad. It's bad enough sending stuff to Asia from here - but at least we're on the Pacific Ocean - you just load it on the boat (and then ship it a few thousand miles). But from Toronto??? Here's another "feel-good" solution. My "green" light bulbs. Do you think I feel good with all of that plastic? What's the point of that. Oh, but I'll recycle it, because it's OK.

By: ukeedog

ukeedog — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:54:55 +0000

In Toronto, Mayor Miller tackled the city’s horrific garbage problem by implementing a grand scale recycling and green waste management system. I was really pleased to see my garbage reduced to just a grocery bag a week. Most of my trash is packaging, so I’d look for things with recyclable packaging. Once you can separate the green waste and the city takes it away for processing, the city is left with very little to truck out to the dumps in Michigan.

I was delighted until I learned that all of Toronto’s recycling gets shipped to Asia for sorting. What kind of sense does that make? The garbage gets trucked to the states, but the hundreds of thousands of tons of recycling is shipped to Asia? What happens to the green waste? Who is sorting it in Asia? What kind of working conditions are there?

I’ve been a bit disillusioned with recycling ever since.