Pro Choice v. No Choice

Make up your own reason why someone would send this to me.

Trash and Housing

Another journal entry from India.
Summer 2005

Yesterday was "burn your trash day" around town.

The locals consider their population of about1.25million to be a village; which compared to Chennai, Delhi,Kolkata, it is a village. And, there is definitely a village mentality concerning a host of topics; like trash. I'm told that,around town, there are designed places to place trash and that peoplewill come by and pick it up. However, there are no markers or signs to signify this. Which might explain why trash and dirt are competing for the title of "the stuff you walk on".On the AIIS street there is a huge pile of trash at a T-shaped intersection. Workers do come by with a dump truck and use sheets of metal to scoop up the refuse. There are some things that can not bepicked up, so they ignite it. Usually there are plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wrappers...plastic smoldering stinkys. Now, having a degree in chemistry, I've heard a few lectures from "polymers guys"saying how polymers will save the world. Usually some "old [School] professor" will ask "...what about the combustion products of your polymer, isn't it very destructive to the environment (air quality)?" a bit of a loaded question since the guy has been around long enough to know it is harmful. The "polymer guy" usually give some spiel about recycling, reusing, reducing and how burning is illegal. The really cleaver "old prof" will ask the follow up question "...how about in3rd world countries where burning is common?" and the "polymer guy"will either concede defeat or lie. I never fully realized how irresponsible it is to introduce products into society without the proper infrastructure to handle the problems which the product produces. Especially in densely populated areas (3rd world). Does India use plastic, yes. Do they recycle, very limited opportunity.Is this a problem, a major one. Who is responsible? **crickets chirping**We live in the 'suburbs' of Madurai. Which means that we live in a neighborhoodwhere there are still empty lots around us. The house we live in is a really nice 3 floor + roof. The roof has channels to collect rainwater and plumbing to send the water into the well, the floors are maybe 1500sq ft each. There are metal decorative bars on the windows with shutters that open inward. Crime doesn't seem to be a problem but our family is fearful in some weird way. There is a 4foot wall around the house and the extra lot they bought next to the house.Currently the house is at the end of a street (road half paved, halfnot) however plans exist to extent the street. The family paid about$75,000us dollars for the house. One day we asked the guest family where we put our trash. They said "over the wall" and pointed to awall with an empty adjacent lot. The family said, in a very righteous way, that whoever buys the land is responsible for clearing and cleaning the lot before construction begins, so "they will dispose of our trash". And, of course, there are plenty of wondering cows, goats, dogs,etc which will take care of the organic matter and paper products.Hummm, that sounds like a big fat "not my problem" to me.

Hypothetical Syllogism

Knowledge is power,
Power corrupts,
Study hard…be evil