Waste Waste Wate Waste Waste And Waste - Page 2

Squat · #11 04-12-2008, 08:03 AM

Dominicans are dirty... It is politically incorrect to write it down in a forum post, and I am sure many readers will bash me for stating it, but bottom line is that it is a fact.

They contaminate their nation at a fast rate. From the poorest to the richest...

I am sorry if I hurt some sensibilities when I write such an observation...

Skippy1 · #12 04-12-2008, 08:30 AM

I think its an evolutionary problem.......you look at the history of UK France etc and you will find many stories about the lack of sanitation and refuse left to pile up in the streets.

They even designed high heeled shoes to help people walk in the streets and keep their feet out of the raw sewerage. That was 200 years ago for us but the third world are in terms of development about 100 years behind the first world.

I know this is a generalisation but having travelled to many poor countries you will see the problem is common to most...not all I agree. Sytems of local governance are what will change this, when you get local people with funds and or desire to tackle the problem then you will see the education and an improvement. Meantime the eviroment will suffer and many more people will be effected...perhaps a replay of the Black Death would accelerate the process like it did for Europe...I am not wishing that on anyone I use it more as an example of what it took to turn the countries of Europe around.

Small local projects are the way to go at the moment I think. If the government wanted to really do something they could try and ban plastic bags and styrene packaging. Award communities with incentives by having some kind of local award for the cleanest streets encourage Gardeners to extend their thoughts ideas and actions into making the streets look better.
If you ever get the chance to go to England I would suggest you look at some of the entrants is similar contests for village of the year or county shows to see just what can be achieved.
I think I said before how important it is to clean as soon as you get a problem or else like Grafitti it will attract another and another untill the area decends into a total wasteland. Anyone who has seen the pictures of the Creek will no doubt agree this can't go on any longer without serious harm to the Island and its reputation.

Skippy1

suarezn · #13 04-12-2008, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squat

Dominicans are dirty... It is politically incorrect to write it down in a forum post, and I am sure many readers will bash me for stating it, but bottom line is that it is a fact.

They contaminate their nation at a fast rate. From the poorest to the richest...

I am sorry if I hurt some sensibilities when I write such an observation...

I don't have an issue with your statement per se, as I understand what you're trying to say, the issue tough is the way you said it and generalized. As I'm sure you know Dominicans are some of the cleanest people probably on earth when it refers to their body, their hair, their nails, their house, their car, etc...in essence what they consider their own space.

There's however this culture of not caring about what they consider public space (Not theirs). So since this space is not mine I don't care if I throw trash there, because someone else (i.e. The government) is supposed to pick it up, I don't care if I spit, pi$$ or even sh$t on it, because after all IS NOT MY space.

I've asked questioned some fellow Dominicans before about this phenomenon. Asked why they keep their house very clean, while not caring about let's say all the trash piled up on their sidewalk and they invariably will draw a line and say "De ahi pa lla eso no e mio...asi es que..." - Translation: "From there on...that's not mine, soooo I really don't care what happens over there..."

Skippy1 · #14 04-12-2008, 08:40 AM

Maybe they will care when people start dying of illnesses spread by rats.......read the history of Europe and the reason for over 20 millions deaths then ask them if they would be happy for a repeat preformance live and close up????

Its time everyone woke up to the fact that its a shared problem for everyone rich and poor expat, tourist or native.

Skippy1

CyaBye3015 · #15 04-12-2008, 08:55 AM

How soon people forget! Here in the USA back in the early 60's there was garbage everywhere. Until 'Ladybird Johnson' started the "clean up America" campaign!

retiree · #16 04-12-2008, 08:59 AM

The United States produces more garbage and pollution per capita than any country in the world. I would hope no American would come down here and put down a developing country because of litter when their own country is such a problem for the world. We have noticed that when garbage bins are provided and the streets repaired, the surrounding areas are kept super clean.

Chris · #17 04-12-2008, 10:13 AM

If one is concerned about how you're going to eat and buy food on an ongoing basis, the trash becomes a problem that you don't want to deal with. Also, the DR has very few trash handling mechanisms. One cannot deal with trash without any infrastructure at all.

Squat, your comment is in bad taste. Please show me your personal trash handling mechanisms as you must be setting the standard for all of us.

Skippy1 · #18 04-12-2008, 10:20 AM

Sounds like the chicken and egg argument to me.
If people wanted to do something they would!!!!!!!
the simple truth is the majority don't care.......
You do not need a 200,000 dollar dustcart to collect rubbish and dispose of it in a friendly way.
Look at the pictures of the Creek KeithR posted for me and tell me you are not ashamed that a Dominican did this to their own land???????
I challenge you to justify it in any way you can by saying this person was poor!!!!

Skippy1

Squat · #19 04-12-2008, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

If one is concerned about how you're going to eat and buy food on an ongoing basis, the trash becomes a problem that you don't want to deal with.

Chris, you and I know very well this is not the case here... This is not Haiti...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Also, the DR has very few trash handling mechanisms. One cannot deal with trash without any infrastructure at all.

While this is true for many Dominican region, it is not the case in Las Terrenas, as Europeans are providing Dominicans with trashcans (drums), everywhere, in the village and around... It doesn't change anything in the loitering behaviour...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Squat, your comment is in bad taste. Please show me your personal trash handling mechanisms as you must be setting the standard for all of us.

Chris, I understand your statement. In fact, I was expecting such when I wrote my bad taste comment. I felt like telling it like it is, since the title of the thread is "waste, waste, waste"... I certainly don't mean to hurt anyone, but sometimes, one has to speak his mind, regardless of PR's... I am by no means "Mr.Clean", but I try my best to improve a bit everyday... Sorry to be so frank, no offense... I stand up to my comment.

Quote:

As I'm sure you know Dominicans are some of the cleanest people probably on earth when it refers to their body, their hair, their nails, their house, their car, etc...in essence what they consider their own space.

That is a clever observation, Suarezn !
I couldn't have said it better !
Now, why is it that they are so "clean" for their shirts, their shoes & their jeepeta, but so dirty when it comes to everything else ? Because, as a matter of fact, it is their space too...

Chris · #20 04-12-2008, 10:38 AM

Skippy, tell us, how do you dispose of the trash that you see in the pictures? What do you actually do, to dispose of it in 'a friendly way'?