Our waste, where does it go, where does it end?

There are many words written in the various newspapers and on TV about the state of the oceans and seas. The plastic problem. But it is overlooked that in the western world it is us who are so careless. Even in a backwater such as the Rhondda in South Wales the roads, paths and byways are clogged with discarded paper, plastic wrapping, cellophane, small gas canisters used to sniff gas. Left-over food from places like McDonalds or Burgerking are all over the place. Especially in those small places, badly lit where cars can be parked and people dealing drugs. That is the society we have built up in the 21^st century. It is not a very good credit on our collective earth balance. Basically we are all guilty of ensuring our species will go the way of the dinosaurs. This might be quick but could be agonisingly slow. Unless we come to grips with the situation. There is not an easy solution as it will necessitate a complete re-think of what we want our society to be like. Cars will have to radically be reduced in numbers. Multiple car owning a no-no. And moving into electric cars, full stop! We will have to think differently about distribution of goods. Think differently about the problems that excessive profits bring. We cannot have a laissez-faire society with 7 billion people around. It is a fact that companies in the main do not think about their impact on society. Take McDonalds, do they really care about their impact on society? That their waste clogs the roads and waterways and eventually arrives in the oceans. That their demand for beef has and still is cutting down the Amazonian forests? They deny all of that and will tell us they do everything in their power to clean their bit and they do try but their products are used by us, the most unscrupulous beings on the planet that have no problem in discarding all unused packaging and left-over bits all around. Indeed, we are the problem, we need to change our attitudes but so do the companies and businesses. It needs to fit seemingly together. Well, I keep on dreaming.

Ed I forgot to say that the waste we produce and we talk millions of tons every year, unless recycled into other products will be with us for years to come as landfill. Even the waste that is exported to Chine amongst others is poisoning all and sundry. We really do need a good approach to packaging, but besides all of that we need a public change of attitude. We must, it is essential, take pride in our environment because it is the only, YES ONLY, thing that we need to stay alive! It produces our air, our food and our water, need to say anything else?