The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

While I'm on the light-hearted topic of garbage, let's talk about the great mass of plastic bags floating in the northern Pacific Ocean, called by some as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Yes, there's a large mass of plastic bags and other unbiodegradable things floating in the middle of the ocean, collected there by the currents pattern and left to disintegrate into small pieces, where they are eaten by sealife and enter the ocean food chain. Because it's in no country's territory, there's no specific party that is responsible for cleaning it up. Thus, it sits there, accumulating plastic, growing bigger every day.

I don't really have anything cheery to say about this, now, it's just another part of our altered environment. I just hope we figure out what to do before it's too late.

Naples: the Proverbial Canary?

The end of the world has come to Naples, Italy: there's no place to put the trash.

The city's garbage has been piling up in the streets since December, when the last landfill was closed. New incinerators are not yet operational, and the residents of neighboring countries are, understandably, not thrilled to take other people's garbage into their own land. People's health is at risk, especially with illegal burnings, dumpings into the ocean, and just sitting there, on the street, rotting.

Although part of Naples' problem can be attributed to politics and organized crime, I'd argue that part of it is the modern lifestyle, with tons of disposable items being used every day, little composting, and the stuff you don't want can just be magically taken away on garbage day.

Our way of living is starting to stink!