NeerajKaushal Associate Professor, Columbia University once said, “ Economic growth produces prosperity as well as garbage. The faster the economy grows, the more its people consume, and the more garbage they generate”.
When economic growth is sustained over a long period of time, garbage starts to pile up at a faster pace. We can do nothing aside from they need to be collected, managed and most – recycled.
Yet, as of this day, I will talk only on the local scenario in the Philippines. Where most people never cared about where to put their trash. People still don’t throw in proper trash bins, others just drop the waste on the street and they contribute to garbage problems in the Philippines.
Take a look on this, as Waste Management Commission shows that there are 677 open dumpsites, 343 controlled dumps, and 21 landfills in the country. An additional 307 dump sites are subject for closure or rehabilitation plans but without definite schedules for enforcement. And about 215 additional landfills are being proposed to be set up nationwide.
The lists of the garbage in the ocean were plastic bags 679,957, paper bags 253,013 and food wrappers 103,226. Also recovered were 38,394 pieces of clothing and shoes, 55,814 tobacco-related items including cigarette butts 34,154, lighters and wrappers, and 11,077 diapers. These can cause poison and toxic in the ocean and you may see these trashes in some body of water like the Manila Bay.
With this, are we not putting ourselves as a hotspot for climate change disasters particularly the risk for agriculture and food security?
Aside from this ; news, articles and other related issues warned the Philippines for we could experience famine by 2020, as the adverse impact of global warming takes its toll on natural resources. Thousands will be displaced from their homes especially in low-lying coastal communities. Why? still on non-care by most on the issues of garbage.
This is something really scary because I don’t know what would happen to the Philippines in the future. With simple things like cleaning up garbage can’t be done, while schools and other government and non-government agencies keep on battling this issues by putting up programs and projects and even spending huge amount on these.
For the youth, who occupied the large percentage on the Philippine’s population, there is still a chance to improve our garbage problem by simply starting with our own neighborhood first. I’m sure it would go a long way from there. Again, work hand in hand not for others but for your future.
References:
NeerajKaushal Associate Professor, Columbia University; imagineechoprojectswaste.blogspot.com/ April 2008.
blogs.agu.org › Home › landslide report; Aug 31, 2011
By: MIRAFLOR B. PERALTA | Teacher I | Samal NHS-Main | SAMAL, BATAAN
