We call ourselves a civilized nation yet over the holidays the garbage rotted in the streets because for three weeks and counting the garbage collectors have not been seen in some areas. It is now a regular occurrence that they are not seen in some areas for as long as a month and citizens must resort to paying privately to have their garbage removed or just leaving it to rot until a garbage truck appears. It is telling that in the street where I live there were no white envelopes this year from the garbage collectors, who many would gladly tip at the end of the year because they work hard trying to manage the solid waste from a population of many who seem unconcerned about the cleanliness of our country. Our garbage issues are not just because the garbage is not being regularly picked up. Had we truly cared about keeping our environment clean, our streets, trenches and seawall would not be littered with garbage , and we would invest more in reducing waste by reusing and recycling. Beautiful spaces would not be turned into dumping grounds. Had we truly cared there would be loud ongoing cries because the garbage bags are piling up, the unpleasant smell of decay is permeating the air, worms and rodents are multiplying, and the dogs are having feasts and making messes. It seems simple enough that in a civilised nation, the people would not have to worry about when the garbage collectors would be seen again. Civilised people would have a schedule they can depend on. Civilized people would not dump their garbage in the trenches, on our streets, and litter the seawall thinking it okay because volunteers will clean it up or the ocean will drink it. These behaviours are indications of human beings regressing – of men and women returning to a state of darkness when perhaps we did not walk or talk. But the Earth was of course a much cleaner place then – unpolluted by the greed, fury, and carelessness of mankind.
