This month we’re talking garbage…San Francisco, the city beside Silicon Valley, is cutting edge in the world of garbage. It was the first US city to require food composting for residents and businesses. SFdiverts the most waste of any US city from landfill, about 77 per cent.Recology hopes to get that to 90 per cent. Emily Wilson told us how this city on the Pacific ocean uses a very low tech way to keep pollutants out of the ocean – falcons.
The health effects of drinking water with vestiges of drugs, is just starting to be researched. We know some of the effects of meds in the water on fish and marine life already. And common sense tells us that recycling drugs is by far the best way to deal with unwanted meds.
Some pharmacies take them back. Non profits are springing up across the States helping people to gain access to expensive cancer drugs for instance. In fact 38 states in the US have some form of recycling drugs program. Its only just getting started in Canada. Yes, its fraught with difficulties; Drugs have to handled by pharmacists and doctors, people who understand them. You cant just let anyone who wants to, share your meds. That said, I love the idea of giving drugs to people who cant access them otherwise and saving our dear planet from being drugged up!
All this talk of garbage leads me to composting. It seems simple enough but I never found that the loamy soil youre supposed to get. So if you are like me and thought you knew, or you pretend you do, this is for us. Our environmental word of the month is compost and the Research Director for Greenpeace USA Mark Floegel is our go to guy.
Listen to this month’s podcast and explore more stories in the Greenpeace Podcast archives.
