Posted on 11/17/2008 11:08:18 PM PST by neverdem
AS THEY PUT ON PLASTIC GLOVES FOR THEIR first litter hunt, the third graders knew what to expect. They knew their garbage. It was part of their science curriculum at Bridges Elementary, a public school on West 17th Street in Manhattan. They had learned the Three R's -- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -- and discussed how to stop their parents from using paper plates. For Earth Day they had read a Scholastic science publication, "Inside the World of Trash." For homework, they had kept garbage diaries and drawn color-coded charts of their families' trash. So they were primed for the field experiment on this May afternoon.
"We have to help the earth," Natasha Newman explained as she and her classmates dashed around the school collecting specimens. Their science teacher, Linnette Aponte, mediated disputes -- "I saw that gum wrapper first!" -- and supervised the subsequent analysis of data back in the classroom. The students gathered around to watch her dump out their bags on the floor.
Do you see any pattern as I'm emptying it?" Miss Aponte asked.
"Yeah, it stinks."
"Everybody's chewing Winterfresh."
"A lot of paper napkins."
"It's disgusting."
"They're throwing away a folder. That's a perfectly good folder!"
"It's only half a folder."
"Well, they could find the other half and attach them together."
Miss Aponte finished emptying the last bag. "We've been learning about the need to reduce, reuse and recycle," she said, and pointed at the pile. "How does all this make you feel?"
"Baaaad," the students moaned.
Miss Aponte separated out two bottles, the only items in the pile that could be recycled. She asked what lesson the students had learned...
(Excerpt) Read more at query.nytimes.com ...
I’ve long been suspicious that the very same thing happens here in the Seattle area.
King County now has, you guessed it: *mandatory* recycling. I haven’t heard of any citations yet, but supposedly there are people that go around checking street-side trash cans, and they will issue a citation if the recyclable content of the can exceeds 20% of the trash.
I almost hope to get one of these tickets. On trash day I make sure to throw in a few extra aluminum cans at the top of the can. Just to give them something to do.
Thanks for the link.
That’s another thing. If we do really recycle everything possible, what will future archaeologists study?
btt
‘Zactly... We’re takin’ their jobs! :-)
About that “Rubbish!” book... One amusing thing that’s in the book and that we discussed over a couple of bourbons once is the phenomenon of the “Coors Layer”.
Geologists have the term “Irridium Layer” that describes a thin layer of Irridium pretty much all over the planet, which identifies a specific moment in time. Well... the “Coors Layer” is just like that in landfills.
Some of us remember back when beer and soda cans had removable pull-tabs, right? Then there was that awkward phase as many different designs were tried for a non-removable pop-top.
One of those was a total disaster: the Coors punch-down button top. Remember... it had those two little buttons that you had to punch in with your thumbs. Not only did it tend to slice little circles in your thumb, the top air-hole was positioned just right to cut the end of your nose. So... it only lasted on the market for a very short time, about 1974 IIRC. Find the layer in the landfill that has those cans... and you know you’re at right around 1974.
Neato, huh?
Yes indeed! Actually, I remember when cans were steel and had no opening at all. Had to use the pointy end of a “church key” can opener. ‘Course I wasn’t a beer drinker back then. :)
The old country store in the town I used to spend my summers in, back in the ‘60s had a Coke machine out front. It dispensed cans, and had a clamshell-like can opener on the front. The can opener got a layer of sugar on it after a while, and one day the yellow jackets discovered it. No Coke that day.
The story explains why they might.
As a former newspaper editor, I can attest to the rise in paper costs being a HUGE reason for the downfall of newspapers (beyond the reduced literacy of the American public).
thanks neverdem (quite a combo!):
Dems Target Private Retirement Accounts
Carolina Journal Online | November 04, 2008 | Karen McMahan
Posted on 11/18/2008 4:45:37 PM PST by Clintonfatigued
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2134324/posts
Many doctors plan to quit or cut back: survey
Reuters | Nov. 18, 2008 | Reporting by Maggie Fox; editing by Chris Wilson
Posted on 11/18/2008 1:18:58 PM PST by socialismisinsidious
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2134156/posts
Obama discriminates – against gun owners (some interesting conclusions!)
WorldNetDaily | November 18, 2008 | Brad O’Leary
Posted on 11/18/2008 6:31:59 PM PST by neverdem
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2134409/posts
And I'm backed up!
Shhhhh, I don’t recycle. I refuse to be a slave to my refuse.
Penn & Teller did a good episode on Bullsh!t about recycling.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.