Comments on: Behind the scenes of a city: Trash in L.A. http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 04:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Aaron Valdez http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1419801 Aaron Valdez Thu, 10 May 2012 02:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1419801 I saw a really great documentary about Cairo's Garbage City. It's part of a series called Cities on Speed. Sounds like what you are looking for. Also I collect old 16mm educational films and found a film from the 70's called Toast by Daniel Hoffman that follows the energy grid from start to finish (bread popping out of a toaster) and shows the hidden cost supplying energy. It has a soundtrack by members of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream I believe. Far out. The trailer on YouTube doesn't do it justice. http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/t.html I saw a really great documentary about Cairo’s Garbage City. It’s part of a series called Cities on Speed. Sounds like what you are looking for.

Also I collect old 16mm educational films and found a film from the 70′s called Toast by Daniel Hoffman that follows the energy grid from start to finish (bread popping out of a toaster) and shows the hidden cost supplying energy. It has a soundtrack by members of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream I believe. Far out. The trailer on YouTube doesn’t do it justice. http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/t.html

]]> By: Andrea Romero http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1418994 Andrea Romero Wed, 09 May 2012 16:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1418994 Here's a great NPR article that tries, "Following Garbage's Long Journey Around The Earth," from the perspective of US waste and consumption.  http://www.wbur.org/npr/150735732/following-garbages-long-journey-around-the-earth Here’s a great NPR article that tries, “Following Garbage’s Long Journey Around The Earth,” from the perspective of US waste and consumption.  http://www.wbur.org/npr/150735732/following-garbages-long-journey-around-the-earth

]]> By: Andrea Romero http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1418995 Andrea Romero Wed, 09 May 2012 16:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1418995 Here's a great NPR article that tries, "Following Garbage's Long Journey Around The Earth," from the perspective of US waste and consumption.  http://www.wbur.org/npr/150735732/following-garbages-long-journey-around-the-earth Here’s a great NPR article that tries, “Following Garbage’s Long Journey Around The Earth,” from the perspective of US waste and consumption.  http://www.wbur.org/npr/150735732/following-garbages-long-journey-around-the-earth

]]> By: themac http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1418343 themac Wed, 09 May 2012 02:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1418343 Mr. Roger's Neighborhood 2.0 Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood 2.0

]]> By: BombBlastLightingWaltz http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1418191 BombBlastLightingWaltz Wed, 09 May 2012 00:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1418191 Consume less, worry less.  Consume less, worry less. 

]]> By: penguinchris http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1418064 penguinchris Tue, 08 May 2012 22:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1418064 You get some sense of how these things differ by living (or just spending a fair amount of time) in different places. Even just adjacent cities - most Orange County cities have their own waste disposal systems, for example. What you have to do with your trash (i.e. how much it needs to be sorted) gives you a good idea of what will happen next. It's also interesting to compare to systems in developing countries. Spending any amount of time in such a place makes you grateful for how much effort is put into waste disposal and recycling in developed countries! You get some sense of how these things differ by living (or just spending a fair amount of time) in different places. Even just adjacent cities – most Orange County cities have their own waste disposal systems, for example. What you have to do with your trash (i.e. how much it needs to be sorted) gives you a good idea of what will happen next.

It’s also interesting to compare to systems in developing countries. Spending any amount of time in such a place makes you grateful for how much effort is put into waste disposal and recycling in developed countries!

]]> By: devophill http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1417777 devophill Tue, 08 May 2012 20:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1417777 That video is pretty great, the only thing I would add would be footage of what happens after the landfill. <a href="http://www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org/" rel="nofollow">It can be quite beautiful.</a> That video is pretty great, the only thing I would add would be footage of what happens after the landfill. It can be quite beautiful.

]]> By: Gyrofrog http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1417713 Gyrofrog Tue, 08 May 2012 19:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1417713 Here's the Prince George's County, Maryland facility: http://youtu.be/ye2ekLMnurM  I wondered if and how they sorted the recycling, as they pick it up in regular garbage trucks.  Until a few years ago they used a different type of truck, with separate bins for different materials. No garden hoses! Here’s the Prince George’s County, Maryland facility:

http://youtu.be/ye2ekLMnurM

 I wondered if and how they sorted the recycling, as they pick it up in regular garbage trucks.  Until a few years ago they used a different type of truck, with separate bins for different materials.

No garden hoses!

]]> By: eljefe900 http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1417680 eljefe900 Tue, 08 May 2012 19:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1417680 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ermDZy6Flr0 Here is a local video, more informative but less stylish, from the County of Santa Barbara. I helped make this video, and we need to work on our lines more! Working in this field, I don't think there is that much difference in the system, except for the fact that most of the country isn't doing as well as LA or where I work in Santa Barbara County. Recycling rates nationally are way below LA's 65% or Santa Barbara County's 75%. This is because most areas don't have the same active markets in recyclables. However, these systems are similar to the electrical grid in that they are often not designed in a single step. One reason is that existing landfills and transfer stations are important as siting these facilities is difficult (NIMBY). I haven't had the pleasure of reading your book, but I am sure you could see more parallels than I can from where I am sitting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ermDZy6Flr0

Here is a local video, more informative but less stylish, from the County of Santa Barbara. I helped make this video, and we need to work on our lines more!

Working in this field, I don’t think there is that much difference in the system, except for the fact that most of the country isn’t doing as well as LA or where I work in Santa Barbara County. Recycling rates nationally are way below LA’s 65% or Santa Barbara County’s 75%. This is because most areas don’t have the same active markets in recyclables.

However, these systems are similar to the electrical grid in that they are often not designed in a single step. One reason is that existing landfills and transfer stations are important as siting these facilities is difficult (NIMBY). I haven’t had the pleasure of reading your book, but I am sure you could see more parallels than I can from where I am sitting.

]]> By: Funk Daddy http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1417643 Funk Daddy Tue, 08 May 2012 19:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1417643 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60DEmKtB0Es  There's an okay example. For tons more Google "to landfill" and video search. Maybe add -9/11 -911 -"9 11" as there are a bunch about people waste from 9/11 going to landfill  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60DEmKtB0Es 

There’s an okay example. For tons more Google “to landfill” and video search. Maybe add -9/11 -911 -”9 11″ as there are a bunch about people waste from 9/11 going to landfill 

]]> By: Kurt Benbenek http://boingboing.net/2012/05/08/behind-the-scenes-of-a-city-t.html#comment-1417628 Kurt Benbenek Tue, 08 May 2012 18:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=159350#comment-1417628 Very nice and entertaining video. But there's there's one important step missing - that's the step where dumpster divers, the homeless, identity thieves and the plain curious pick through the dumpster in search of discarded electronics, bric-a-brac and assorted broken junk to re-purpose or sell This important step usually occurs most heavily during the crucial hours immediately prior to trash pick up day, when bins and dumpsters are at their optimum fill capacity. Many people depend on trash bins and recycling bins as supplemental sources of income. Loose-knit groups such as the Freegans have sprung from this phenomenon Very nice and entertaining video. But there’s there’s one important step missing – that’s the step where dumpster divers, the homeless, identity thieves and the plain curious pick through the dumpster in search of discarded electronics, bric-a-brac and assorted broken junk to re-purpose or sell

This important step usually occurs most heavily during the crucial hours immediately prior to trash pick up day, when bins and dumpsters are at their optimum fill capacity. Many people depend on trash bins and recycling bins as supplemental sources of income. Loose-knit groups such as the Freegans have sprung from this phenomenon

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