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Post by kerouac2 on Apr 8, 2019 15:04:44 GMT
One of the best recent initiatives in France (and of course many other countries) has been trash collection by citizens, on the street, in parks, in the woods, in the middle of nowhere. It has proven to be an excellent way to meet like-minded citizens and move on to other operations. There was a report on the news last night about it (not the video below) that showed that it is spreading even to the "dirty" countries. Anybody who has been to sub-Saharan Africa has probably noticed that proper trash disposal is not a priority. But even there, citizens are getting together to clean up places in Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Mali and other countries.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Apr 8, 2019 18:12:30 GMT
There are similar groups here, we have regular council employees out collecting trash and sweeping the gutters...emptying the bins etc. In my area the combination of a chip shop, pizza place and Chinese take away (and a smallish branch of Tesco) means that hundreds of passing motorists, and employees of the many factories on the industrial estate (that squats at the back of us) avail themselves of the facilities and just abandon their rubbish. They don't live here so there are no consequences to them if they litter here.
I don't know if it's worse than it used to be or if I'm just noticing it more.
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Post by rikita on May 5, 2019 23:39:55 GMT
currently by far not as conscious about things as i should and would like to be, i hope i'll manage to take the moment mr. r. moves out as momentum to change some habits (like plastic bag usage, packaging of things i buy, etc.) - though i am also wondering about some things ... like, i suppose reusable bags for loose fruit (especially things like grapes or strawberries or similar) seems not so easy to find ... and i wonder how i can avoid the constant use of bags for the garbage can and bio-garbage can - it is much easier to carry thigns down in a bag when i leave the house anyway, instead of having to take the can down and back up four floors (apart from that the bio-garbage can would get gross very quickly). how do you solve these things? also, while there are shops in the area that sell some things (rice, pasta, grain etc.) loose rather than packaged, those are also the more expensive shops ...
but okay, this is not answering the original question ... when people don't care ... well, it depends. there was once this colleague who told me he doesn't care, because he will die to soon to feel the effects. in that case, i told him that i am offended he cared that little about me - i was in my twenties at the time and certainly planning to live much longer (still am). but that was because it came up in a conversation, of course if i see a random stranger doing something i consider bad, i won't walk up to them and say something, not my place. and in the case of mr. r. (who in conversation is concerned about the environment, too, but in practice cares much less about some things), i said something once or twice, but in the end had to decide to pick my fights ... my brother has a tendency to make remarks to me (as he is much stricter about a lot of things), and it can get quite annoying - so, i don't want to be like that, either ...
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Post by bjd on May 6, 2019 7:44:18 GMT
There are initiatives here too of people getting together and cleaning beaches or walking areas. I find it a shame that those who just leave their garbage don't even think about it, despite all the news about whales full of plastic, etc.
When we first started coming to this area on vacation, it was usually off-season when the beaches were no longer regularly cleaned as they are in summer. The amount of plastic garbage coming in from Spain was terrible, because of the currents. It seems to have improved, although there are still plastic bottles and other garbage washing up. There is still plastic coming from fishing boats.
One positive thing that I have seen increase dramatically over the past few years is the number of people who bring bags to the market to be reused. I have been doing it for a few years but see that lots of others do so too. And the sellers on the market no longer have single-use plastic bags. That said, the thin biodegradable ones rip in no time. I'm not even sure they "degrade", they just break up into tiny pieces.
The thing that still drives me nuts are drivers, especially of diesel cars, who leave their motor running while they go to buy a loaf of bread or a newspaper.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 8, 2019 23:18:37 GMT
I am sure that every single one of those polluting drivers who gets a phone call, wants a nap, or is waiting for someone else makes a beeline to in front of my house. There he or she uses a special meter to insure that he/she won't drive off before my house is full of exhaust fumes.
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Post by questa on May 9, 2019 1:24:32 GMT
South Australia has been leading the rest of Oz in recycling, re-using and cleaning up the environment. Since 1970s drink containers have a 10cent deposit which is used by charities or kids like my eldest who would take bags to the cricket and collect them...bought himself a good bicycle at 10 years old.
Plastic bags have been banned for about 10 yrs, we all use cloth ones. Batteries and electronics are collected and recycled at supermarkets.
The councils provide 3 bins per house, organic, recycle and household waste. Unwanted furniture is collected by charities along with clothing and homewares.
People will leave items on the kerb and these get taken by others who can use them.
Council will do 2 pick-ups a year per house to remove Junk (After the scavengers have been through it)
Community clean up days twice a year get rid of the rubbish on the beach and rocky foreshore.
Visitors often comment on how clean the city and suburbs look.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 9, 2019 4:48:29 GMT
In Paris, we have free junk pickups (appliances, furniture, toilets...) every day. You call the municipal service and they give you a time to put it out on the street with the reservation number clearly displayed -- otherwise you can be fined for littering, although when you live in a building with 20 other flats, there is not a great risk of being identified. Of course, a lot of the junk disappears by magic before it can be picked up.
In other news, it was announced this morning that the EU has used up all of its resources for this year as of today. For the rest of the year we will be sponging off the rest of the planet -- until the day comes when we can't anymore.
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Post by bjd on May 9, 2019 6:17:41 GMT
Where we used to live, in the Toulouse suburbs, they seem to have reduced ecological things over the years. Council pick-up of junk was reduced to once a year from twice, then last year eliminated and replaced by having to call them, and with only a set number of items per pick-up, up to 5 times a year. They also stopped collecting garden waste years ago and you have to take it to the dump yourself.
They also stopped picking up glass once a week and now you have to take it to special collection points yourself. The recycling bins went from weekly pick-ups to once every two weeks. And for household waste, you pay each time you take out the garbage.
Where we moved to now, no individual pick-up, but there are big bins in all the residential streets which are emptied twice a week. Recycling bins are in various places around the town. I actually walk to the nearest one when the bag gets full but most people drive up, and leave their engines running while they put stuff in the bins!
But I noticed after Christmas, that most of the neighbours didn't even bother to do that, they just pitched all the toy packaging into the household garbage.
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Post by onlyMark on May 9, 2019 9:13:45 GMT
It seems to take a lot of effort to recycle nowadays. You have to have a certain amount of dedication.
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Post by questa on May 9, 2019 14:01:06 GMT
In the run-up to our elections it seems that in spite of all the usual promises re taxation, Health, education. security and pensions, the most pressing issue across all voters interviewed is the Environment. The leaders are not happy because they will have to actually DO something, and be seen to do it. No more waffling.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 9, 2019 14:10:24 GMT
The problem is that in just about every developed country, the voters are not happy that they will have to do something about the environment for anything to improve. The idea of banning first diesel and then all thermal engines is not pleasing to ordinary people, nor is the idea all of their plastic bags and other items will be taken away and their air conditioning and heating will be greatly reduced, and let's not even talk about taking away unlimited meat. I totally understand why the politicians do not dare to tell people this, but it will have to be done sooner or later.
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Post by bjd on May 9, 2019 15:55:36 GMT
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Post by onlyMark on May 9, 2019 17:16:59 GMT
Did you know Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Indiana, Mississippi, Florida and Wisconsin have banned plastic bag bans? Also -
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Post by kerouac2 on May 9, 2019 17:43:21 GMT
It looks like Africa has the greatest number of countries with a total ban. In the Western Hemisphere, the only place with a total ban is... France (French Guiana).
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Post by questa on May 9, 2019 23:40:38 GMT
Plastic drinking straws are no longer being sold and the 'cool' people are carrying personal stainless steel re-usable straws. The big take-away places will supply paper or bamboo straws on request. There has been no legislation about this yet, the impetus has come from the High School students who have created an interstate organisation to protect the environment.
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Post by mich64 on May 10, 2019 16:58:56 GMT
Plastic drinking straws are no longer being sold and the 'cool' people are carrying personal stainless steel re-usable straws. My husband put a package of stainless steel re-usable straws in my Christmas stocking. I do not see myself carrying one with me, but I will use them at home. Most restaurants now use paper straws in our area.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 10, 2019 17:13:21 GMT
I think I stopped using a straw at about age 12. Even on my rare visits to a fast food place, I remove the straw and take the plastic cover off the cup to drink normally.
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Post by onlyMark on May 10, 2019 19:54:19 GMT
I'm sure you could make a good shank out of a steel straw.
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Post by rikita on May 14, 2019 23:13:13 GMT
the one problem with all those straws is that they don't bend. the steel ones are sold with a slight bend, but that isn't enough if the main reason you need straws is so small children can drink at tall restaurant tables without tilting the glass (and thus spilling the content). i have considered trying out silicone ones, as i suppose you might be able to bend those, but haven't do so, yet. fortunately, agnes is at an age now where she is able to take the glass from the table and drink from it without spilling, but a couple of years ago at restaurants we really needed the straws ...
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Post by kerouac2 on Dec 22, 2020 18:03:00 GMT
Food boxes are an initiative that is gaining ground in France. Not so much in Paris which has huger problems and different ways of trying to deal with them, but the small towns of France are seeing more and more food boxes on easily accessible window sills or just placed on the ground in areas where a lot of people pass. Anybody can add items or take what they need. Naturally, it is not just food but also packages of masks, hygiene products or even little toys. This won't save our shitty world, but at least it tries.
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