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UP IN SMOKE

© Linda Little

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

All those who has been interested in environmental issues for any time will recognise this slogan. It is the ideal way to ensure maximum usage and minimum wastage of the Earth's precious resources. It can be adapted a number of resources including wood, paper, water, metals and plastics. We reduce by not buying too many or unnecessary products; reuse by repairing products or using worn products for different purposes and we recycle by sorting out our rubbish into types and sending it back to the manufacturers to be made into other products.

In this article I will be looking particularly at recycling. I want you to look back quickly at the bold type in the last paragraph. Recycling is about taking old products and making them into new products, not burning resources to convert them into energy. It is important that you remember this, because those who want to persuade you to accept incineration will tell you differently.

Waste-to-Energy Incineration

Waste-to-Energy Incineration has a lot in common with energy produced through the burning of fossil fuels:

1. It uses up and destroys finite natural resources.
2. It creates both solid and gaseous waste products that are polluting.

We need energy. That is true. But, shouldn't we be looking at natural, renewable forms of energy like solar energy, wave energy or wind energy?

Recycling and Energy Production should not be in competition

The Earth itself carefully reuses and recycles its own resources. (See my article 'Circles for examples of this.) Fires do happen, yes, but they are not frequent occurances. Only humans use fires regularly to meet their energy needs. The rest of nature relies on more benign sources of power: solar power to heat and light the planet, enable plants to grow and animals to be healthy; muscle power for home-making, transport and hunting.

I know that human beings have acquired more complex needs than animals and would not advocate going back to days where children died frequently and adults who were over 45 were considered old. Nevertheless, if we are to ever have a hope of living sustainably on this world, we must be thrifty with our resources and use more benign forms of energy.

So what can you be done about this?

There are a number of things we can do:

1. Don't be fooled into the idea that Waste-to-Energy Incineration is anything but a dirty form of energy production.
2. Oppose plans to build an incinerator in your area, and be persistent. Many Incinerator builders wait until the initial furore has died down and then quietly go ahead with their plans.

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