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December 4th, 2012:

Trashed No Place for Waste

Watch trailer: http://vimeo.com/41514228

BioCycle: http://www.biocycle.net/2012/10/commentary-trashed/

“Trashed: No Place For Waste” is a new film by Candida Brady, narrated by Jeremy Irons. It now joins “Wasteland” and “Gasland” as must see movies that are providing critical insight and forming popular opinion on the human made problems that literally threaten the basis for life on the planet.

Like most zero waste and recycling advocates, Brady became hooked on waste after following her initial curiosity about what actually happened to the garbage she discarded as part of everyday life. We should be thankful for the results. “Trashed” conveys the message from the U.S. and worldwide recycling and anti-landfill and anti-incineration movements with dramatic footage, common sense reasoning and, at time times, shocking scenes of the devastation to the environment and human life.

Vivid graphics and maps underscore the thoughtful and reflective commentary by Irons, a distinguished and academy award-winning actor. His dialogue complements the scenes of devastation wrought by carelessness and greed. In one, Irons is seated on the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea in the ancient Lebanese city of Sidon, which has been operating an open dump landfill since the l960s. A Saudi prince was moved to provide $5 million for clean up programs, which have had absolutely no effect as is evident in the scene. We see the waves that had formerly washed over pristine beaches, now wash over hills and valleys of garbage from the lives of the city’s businesses and residents. There are plastic cups, toothbrushes, medical supplies, small and large appliances, food remnants and readily recognizable packaging from every day consumer purchases.

The waves recede to the sea through rivulets and lakes of garbage, with floating debris and detritus. Sea gulls are overhead. People recover recyclables and food for daily life. We listen to the rush of the turf as Irons takes in the bewildering scene. A beautiful sunset looms over the blue picturesque Mediterranean Sea.

An interplay of maps and graphics follows the cumulative impact of dumping garbage on this shore while contaminating water and beaches throughout the Mediterranean. Similarly footage and graphics show the contamination of the atmosphere from incineration of garbage in Europe. Irons finds the incineration alternative to dumping unacceptable. He looks at how once productive farmland in Iceland has been made useless from toxic air emissions from a nearby incinerator.

Paul Connett, a chemist, clearly explains the basic laws of biology and chemistry that are interrupted by garbage incineration. His headshots are interspersed with the filming of this agricultural and human tragedy. Other, mostly European, scientists succinctly present the known scientific impacts of dioxins, mercury and other contaminants from air emissions and ash residues on the human species worldwide.

From poor countries to rich countries, garbage, and the complex problems that result, is ubiquitous. The film conveys a deep understanding of the problems created by consumption without attention to discards.

Contamination of the sea is further explored through interviews and footage of the work of Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Foundation. Moore and his colleagues were the first to document the prevalence of plastic residues, which according to the film outnumber the amount of life-giving plankton by a 6:1 ratio. (Currently, the ratio has reached 21:1.) Every ocean in the world contains a film of plastic soup that lies just under the surface of the seas.

What To Do?

“Trashed” explores the alternatives to burn, bury and dump, although not adequately enough. Jack Macy from San Francisco, the world’s leading recycling city, briefly describes the city’s goals and methods available to any city on earth. But the full extent of what the recycling movements across the world have and are accomplishing environmentally and economically are not properly presented.

Unfortunately, the grass roots zero waste and recycling movements that have defeated hundreds of planned incinerators worldwide are not mentioned. These are the organizations, citizens groups and business networks that have actually turned the direction of the waste industry over the last decade. Yet it still will take years to right the system of industrial scale production and distribution that has wrought the crisis.

Although “Trashed” is an extraordinary asset in this endeavor to right the system, it does not give the proper dimension of the solutions already at hand. It does not provide the vision of what an environmentally and economically sound discard economy can readily become. As Paul Connett demonstrated in his earlier documentary, “Pieces of Zero,” the anti-incineration zero waste movement has grown from seeds to commercial and industrial dimensions. Viewers can envision an ‘unwasted’ economy and society. “Trashed” does not present this practical vision nor confront any name brand industrial giants, which produce the abandoned products and packaging, and leave the environmental and social scars so vividly depicted and described by Brady and Irons.

This lack of messaging on corporate accountability in the film is unfortunate. When Irons did have face time with a high level Danish official, the result is palpable. The official is practically speechless in hearing Irons’ common sense questions about the failure to attend to an incinerator in the face of scientific evidence of demonstrated harm to farmers, animals and agriculture. It would have been nice to see Irons interview a Nestle, Monsanto or Coca Cola sales executive vice president.

“Trashed” has not been publicly released. The film’s website is www.trashedfilm.com and a trailer is available at vimeo.com/41514228.

Amazing film trailer: Landfillharmonic

Please check out this beautiful video clip about an upcoming film about kids in Paraguay who make musical instruments from trash. It’s amazing!

http://vimeo.com/52711779

Incinerator closed after dioxin breach

http://www.mrw.co.uk/news/incinerator-closed-after-dioxin-breach/8639626.article?blocktitle=Latest-news—recycling-and-waste-management&contentID=2182

Incinerator closed after dioxin breach

4 December 2012 | By Neil Roberts

A waste incinerator in South Wales has been shut down and an Environment Agency investigation launched after the facility was found to have breached emission limits for the second time. The Materials Recovery and Energy Centre at Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea was found by EA officers to have exceeded the limits set out in environmental permits for dioxin emissions. Steve Brown, area manager for EA Wales said: “Environmental permits are there to make sure that local people and the environment are protected from the impact of sites like these. “They have strict conditions and emission controls which we will enforce. The operator is complying fully with our investigation. “We will make sure they do all that they can to rectify this problem as a matter of urgency and we will consider taking further action if it is appropriate.”
The facility, which processes household waste from Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend councils, was previously shut down for breaching emission limits and accepted a caution from the EA in 2011. It has been dogged by legal wrangling and controversy since it opened in 2002 with residents’ complaints about odours, and fires at the facility in 2003 and 2010. Huw Brunt from the Public Health Wales said: “Raised levels of dioxin emissions over a short time period are unlikely to pose an appreciable health risk to the local population.”

“However, a number of breaches of the dioxin emission limit have been reported at this site over the past couple of years. This recurring problem raises associated public health concerns and we would like to see this situation resolved as soon as possible.”

EA said it was continuing its investigations at the site and would consider if further action should be taken.

The operators Neath Port Talbot Recycling Ltd, owned by Neath Port Talbot Council have begun cleaning a section of the plant which could be the cause of the breach. EA said energy-from-waste operations at the site will not resume until the company can demonstrate it is in compliance with its permit. Other operations at the facility are continuing. Will Watson, director at Neath Port Talbot Recycling, told MRW there had been three recent test results showing elevated levels of dioxins. “We think we have identified the cause and we think we have a solution”, he said. “We have begun specialist chemical cleaning of a section of duct between the bag house and the stack.”

He said if the cleaning solved the problem and the next test results were ok, the plant would be up and running after Christmas and the cleaning process would be carried out twice as often in future. But if the next test results show continuing elevated dioxin levels he said “we’ll have to have a more fundamental rethink about the waste-to-energy operation”.

Dioxin breaches halt Crymlyn Burrows waste plant

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-20596856

4 December 2012 Last updated at 15:14 GMT

Crymlyn Burrows

The Crymlyn Burrows waste incinerator opened in 2002

Related Stories

A £32m waste incinerator has agreed to stop operations after two breaches of its dioxins emissions limit.

Environment Agency Wales said it has launched an investigation into the breaches at the Crymlyn Burrows site in Neath Port Talbot.

Cleaning of a section of the plant, owned by the local council, is being carried out.

In August last year the plant accepted a formal caution from the agency after emission breaches in 2010.

The agency said a stricter monitoring regime was in place following those incidents and the plant was cooperating fully with the new investigation.

Dioxins are toxins formed by industrial processes and waste burning. They have been shown to contribute to higher cancer rates and to affect pregnant women.

Steve Brown, area manager for Environment Agency Wales said: “Environmental permits are there to make sure that local people and the environment are protected from the impact of sites like these.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

A number of breaches of the dioxin emission limit have been reported at this site over the past couple of years”

End Quote Huw Brunt Public Health Wales

“They have strict conditions and emission controls which we will enforce. The operator is complying fully with our investigation.

“We will make sure they do all that they can to rectify this problem as a matter of urgency and we will consider taking further action if it is appropriate.”

Huw Brunt from the Public Health Wales said: “Raised levels of dioxin emissions over a short time period are unlikely to pose an appreciable health risk to the local population.

“However, a number of breaches of the dioxin emission limit have been reported at this site over the past couple of years.

“This recurring problem raises associated public health concerns and we would like to see this situation resolved as soon as possible.”

The plant, which opened in 2002, processes household waste for recycling and incineration from Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend.

It is operated by Neath Port Talbot (Recycling) Ltd – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Neath Port Talbot council.

More on This Story

Related Stories

09 JUNE 2011, SOUTH WEST WALES

24 DECEMBER 2010, SOUTH WEST WALES

From other news sites

  • Environment Agency   Agency investigates incinerator permit breaches 5 hrs ago
  • Agency investigates incinerator permit breaches
  • 04-Dec-2012
  • Officers from Environment Agency Wales have launched an investigation after an incinerator breached strict emission limits set out in its environmental permit.
  • Test results from the Materials Recovery and Energy Centre at Crymlyn Burrows, Swansea, have indicated that the site has exceeded the permitted limit for dioxin emissions on two occasions.

    The operator is co-operating fully with the Agency and has stopped all operations until the cause of the breaches can be established.

    The operators accepted a formal caution from the Agency last year following emission breaches from the site in 2010. A stricter monitoring regime is in place following those incidents.

    The operator has already started cleaning work on a section of the plant as this could be the cause of the breach.

    Dioxins are produced by fires, including bonfires and car exhausts, which can have an impact on people’s health if they enter the food chain.

    Steve Brown, Area Manager for Environment Agency Wales said:

    “Environmental permits are there to make sure that local people and the environment are protected from the impact of sites like these.

    “They have strict conditions and emission controls which we will enforce. The operator is complying fully with our investigation.

    “We will make sure they do all that they can to rectify this problem as a matter of urgency and we will consider taking further action if it is appropriate.”

    Huw Brunt from the Public Health Wales said:

    “Raised levels of dioxin emissions over a short time period are unlikely to pose an appreciable health risk to the local population.

    “However, a number of breaches of the dioxin emission limit have been reported at this site over the past couple of years.

    “This recurring problem raises associated public health concerns and we would like to see this situation resolved as soon as possible.”

    Environment Agency Wales is continuing to investigate and collect evidence and consider if further action should be taken against the operators of the site.

    The incinerator will not start routinely operating again until the company can demonstrate it is in compliance with its permit.

  • This Is South Wales    Environment Agency Wales investigates Crymlyn Burrows incinerator… 11 hrs ago

Thinking different

Submitted by admin on Dec 5th 2012, 12:00am

Business

LAI SEE HOWARD WINN

Howard Winn

Thinking different

We were interested to hear that Environment Secretary Wong Kam-sing said recently that the Environmental Protection Department would study alternatives to traditional moving grate incineration for its Shek Kwu Chau project. Let’s hope this news filters down to EPD apparatchiks who until last week were still vigorously promoting the traditional moving grate incinerator, which they had lined up for the project.

Other forms of treating municipal waste such as plasma arc technology, which is rapidly gaining traction around the world, were dismissed by EPD assistant director Elvis Au Wai-kwong, who said the technology was untested and could only handle relatively small quantities of waste. Aecom, the government’s advisers in these matters, has advised going for traditional incineration. But, Aecom’s US arm seems to take a different view. Commenting on Milwaukee’s plans for a 1,200-tonne per day plant using plasma arc technology, Aecom’s Mike Zebell said: “We believe that this technology is not only environmentally friendly, but ready for large-scale commercialisation.” And Aecom’s counterpart in Britain does not seem opposed to the technology. Aecom will design, build and operate a £75 million (HK$933 million) gasification plant in Teesside, Britain. Given Aecom’s enthusiasm for adopting this technology, why the apparent reluctance to do so in Hong Kong?

Have you got any stories that Lai See should know about? E-mail them to howard.winn@scmp.com [1]


Source URL (retrieved on Dec 5th 2012, 6:01am): http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1097569/disappearing-paper-trail-more-evidence-need-archive-law

Something is ‘rotten’ in the Prosecutions Department

Submitted by admin on Dec 4th 2012, 12:00am

Business

LAI SEE HOWARD WINN

Howard Winn

By no means dead

The Shek Kwu Chau incinerator may have been shelved, but the Environmental Protection Department is still promoting it. A meeting last week at the Business Environment Council featured Albert Lam Kai-chung from the EPD and Mark Venhoek, CEO of Swire Sita Waste Services, Hong Kong’s foremost waste services company and operator of the two government landfills. The pair of them defended the current status quo and dismissed concerns about the incinerator as NIMBYism.

Sita’s presentation showed a picture of the Shek Kwu Chau incinerator with the word NIMBY written above it, with no attempt to explain the real reasons for opposition.

People are concerned by the string of reports from around the world of health concerns from people that live downwind of incinerators. In addition, there are numerous cases of incinerators being closed down because of their persistent inability to meet environmental standards.

Interestingly, New York recently put out a tender for a scheme to deal with its municipal waste, which specifically excluded traditional incineration methods. However, the EPD appears oblivious to these concerns.

Have you got any stories that Lai See should know about? E-mail them to howard.winn@scmp.com [1]

Source URL (retrieved on Dec 4th 2012, 6:09am): http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1096780/something-rotten-prosecutions-department

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[1] mailto:howard.winn@scmp.com