In Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, written in 2012, Edward Humes, a Pulitzer prize and PEN award winning journalist and author in California, educates his readers on the economic, social, and environmental issues revolving around the waste. Humes begins his novel by describing landfills and the struggles many face with maintaining them due to incorrect sealing, being uneducated in waste management, and making excuses. Humes determines that the only way to “fix” our mess is to change our behaviors and become less wasteful.
In part one of Humes novel, Garbology, he informs readers of the landfill, Puente Hills, the largest active dump in the country, and the hazardous materials, such as “leachate”, that is infecting the area of Los Angeles County (25). He declares that Americans disposed of trash in the wrong ways and it effected the air we breathe. Humes states that some …show more content…
Humes hints that the only way to make improvements is if we start with ourselves. He introduces Andy Keller and his Chicobag, a bag he created to replace plastic bags in grocery stores. The author explains that Keller created this product after witnessing a landfill and being disgusted by the stench and the amount of plastics. Humes describes a family that changed their life style and only had a jar full of waste after a year. This family made this choice because the mom, Bea Johnson, realized that she didn’t need her extra items. Bea Johnson lives by the 4 R’s: “reduce”, “reuse”, “recycle”, and “refuse” (274). Humes brings to our attention that Portland, Oregon is the “greenest” city in America. He talks about the different ways Portland became more green by creating more bike paths, public transportation, and reducing greenhouse gas. Humes states that although Portland, Oregon is the “greenest” city in America, it lacks in its amount of
In part one of Humes novel, Garbology, he informs readers of the landfill, Puente Hills, the largest active dump in the country, and the hazardous materials, such as “leachate”, that is infecting the area of Los Angeles County (25). He declares that Americans disposed of trash in the wrong ways and it effected the air we breathe. Humes states that some …show more content…
Humes hints that the only way to make improvements is if we start with ourselves. He introduces Andy Keller and his Chicobag, a bag he created to replace plastic bags in grocery stores. The author explains that Keller created this product after witnessing a landfill and being disgusted by the stench and the amount of plastics. Humes describes a family that changed their life style and only had a jar full of waste after a year. This family made this choice because the mom, Bea Johnson, realized that she didn’t need her extra items. Bea Johnson lives by the 4 R’s: “reduce”, “reuse”, “recycle”, and “refuse” (274). Humes brings to our attention that Portland, Oregon is the “greenest” city in America. He talks about the different ways Portland became more green by creating more bike paths, public transportation, and reducing greenhouse gas. Humes states that although Portland, Oregon is the “greenest” city in America, it lacks in its amount of