Environmental Awareness

993 Words2 Pages

In today's society, people have become very wasteful. Many Americans have never lived or been exposed to an environment where resources were not plentiful, so there is a lack of appreciation for the resources that are easily accessible. The United States of America generates hundreds of million tons of solid waste per year. The commonly known term for solid waste is trash or garbage. Solid waste has become a major problem- it is a potential threat to public health, it scars the environment, and it can be a block to the economic development of an area because of the negative image it presents (Cardinali, 2001).

It is important that solid waste be disposed of properly or it could potentially become a hazard to the health of the environment. Disposal of solid waste on land is by far the most common approach in the USA, and accounts for about 90 percent of the nation's municipal waste. Incineration accounts for most of the remainder composting of solid waste. The choice of disposal methods is typically made on the cost to maintain the disposal site. Landfills are currently the cheapest way to dispose of the trash and garbage. In a modern landfill, the garbage is spread in thin layers, each of which is compacted by a bulldozer before the next is spread. When about ten feet of waste has been laid down, it is covered by a thin layer of earth or soil, which is also compacted. In essence the garbage is being packed and pressed down into the ground. It is very important that when choosing a site for a landfill that the location is not easily subjected to flooding. Flooding of a landfill can spread hazardous bacteria through the water and into other areas. This could cause contamination to crops and the grasslands were the cattle eat. It could also cause contamination to the waters where the fish live causing them to die. If bacteria is in the foods that we eat it could cause disease and health risks to the people who eat the contaminated foods (Cardinali, 2001).

Trash also gives off a negative image because it produces a foul odor and is not appealing to the eye. It can cause an economic barrier to the development of certain areas because people attract to places that have clean, fresh air and where the environment appears to be in good shape.

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