H ere is a blessing, gifted in ribbon, and as the sun is warmest when faced directly, so is this warmest when read out loud, boldly and beautiful spoken, with that ancient mystery music box, named the human voice.
M ay we be blessed to know the mountains of our ancestors, snow capped, bird soaring heights, pristine and heavenly mantled, in the breath of God, close in beauty, and near as the dirt firm faith we split toed stand. And may we recall the waste of ignorance and waste of forgetfulness, which history speaks into every nation tongue, and no mountains of plastic or trenches of litter cans-can silence, for history speaks always of the people silenced first, in the wake of their error or terror or action. We are blessed to begin with organized waste, a thankful beginning, may we press on and return to the mountains and pristine sight of our ancestors, who knew the two offended natures of waste, a wound to humanity and boon to nature.
S imply put, this book is about our garbage, our waste. Where it goes, how it gets there, even where it ends up (China actually). We are now unfortunately reaching a 102 ton legacy of trash, Mr. Humes intends to help us address this mounting issue, to educate us, and propel us forward into fuller living. There are a plethora of fascinating facts, answered questions and interests in this bright book binding:
The history of the plastic bag, which consumers were never excited about to begin with.
The problem of plastic in our beautiful blue ocean - plastic which in fact we own.
Who is making money off of our trash? Millions of dollars in some cases.
Where are the greenest cities in the world? How are they doing it? Portland, Copenhagen.
A history of the landfill. Better read after lunch, enough said.
Trash detectives and archeologists? With Indiana Jones quality.
Are there artists using trash? Yes, in fact entire communities of Artists using only garbage.
T his is a book for strength, a strong book. Like a vitamin for our health, building depth of character and increasing knowledge to fill the thirsting mind. May we uncover the responsibility our souls desire, and thereby grant dignity and justice to all creation. A sweet nobility.
I f you would like an alternative beginning, start with the courageous and helicopter high inspiring story beginning on page 241. Then perhaps read it a second time round.
M r. Edward Humes has written eleven critically acclaimed nonfiction books, and is the winner of many awards including a Pulitzer. Or better translated, here is a very determined man with the courage to speak, and the will to act, who in his lifetime has dedicated at least roughly 20,000 sweat written pages to life awareness and perception. He has packaged to us, those pages, into multiple book offerings, after devoting hundreds of hours, and mountains of energy to the service of writing, the service of truth , the service of understanding. The seed of penmanship was planted in his heartened mind, at the youthful age of six, and thus He strove and toiled along the word trodden path through colleges, essays, and papery piles, to emerge before us in full Author form. He has decades of writing experience, understanding and knowledge. It is clear that Mr. Humes is committed and dedicated to his work, a service of honor, with an intensity some may only experience on a roller coaster. An Author to behold, an Author to thank, an Author to honor and to trust. May we the readers thank you for your golden work and rumbling dedication.
pg 151 - ...when sanitation departments provide larger trash cans to households, those households immediately begin to produce more trash. He calls this Parkinsons law of garbage...
pg 157 - ...garbage does not decompose inside landfills as most people think...a well maintained, airtight , dry sanitary landfill was more like a mummifer of trash than a decomposer of trash pg
162 - Why are we wasting stuff that we pay for as a product or packaging, then pay for again as trash to be hauled away?
pg 11 - There are only two man made structures large enough to be clearly visible and identifiable from earth orbit. First, there’s the great wall of China in the East, symbol of a past power risen again. And in the West, there’s a newer thing, the grimly named Fresh Kills...Fresh Kills is the world’s largest town dump...
pg 163 - Cultures replaces extravagance with frugality only after the resources have dried up...Always, the fall approaches and the wising up comes too late.”
G arbage, and waste, what is related to us by Mr. Webster in 1828 Hi-Def? Well that could be an entire essay in itself. Interestingly enough, under the definition of Garbage Mr. Webster says “I know not the component parts of this word.” He then goes on to define the word as: “The bowels of an animal; refuse parts of flesh; offal.” Our modern use of the word was not in play back then. Understandably so. A modern definitions from dictionary.com reads: “any matter that is no longer wanted or needed; trash.” Which sounds frightening and problematic. Is this an idea we would like hiding in our culture? What morals is this teaching us, especially on a subtle level?
W aste, the verb, Mr. Webster offers 12 definitions! And for waste the noun he offers 8 definitions! Highly recommended. Defining the verb, Mr. Webster states that waste is "to destroy wantonly or luxuriously." Strong language and haunting! Another is “To suffer to be lost unnecessarily.” Isn’t it we who are suffering by our action of waste? May we dawn a new educational spirit and stewarding attitude toward this delicate issue, and not rely on the misleading idea that “technology will save us.” Surely we are not the first civilization to have this thought. Let us look forward to the pride the comes from little waste, as well spoken and taught in Mr. Humes book.
H as it ever seemed that your trash or fancy clutter collection is trapping you inside your house? Mr. Humes in his book, tells one extreme real-life story of this problem, a garbage jailing of sorts, people trapped in their own homes from their accumulated clutter! However, do many of us have a degree of this somewhere in our own homes? A cubby corner or shelf that is overflowing, perhaps neglected, or even a stack of papers ready to fall over. What does this do to us? Why is this really here? On a deeper level.
I t is also interesting to think we pay multiple prices for material things, but often only consider the upfront over the counter cost. However that is the first of many. There is the physical energy cost, to bring the item inside your home, the mental cost of finding a place for it, the material cost of whatever packaging it came in, the waste management cost to have it taken away, a spiritual cost if the item is unnecessary or in excess, so forth. It seems too often we only use the word cost in regards to economic material items. Really that is only the beginning, what if we began asking each other about the hidden unspoken costs, and if we wanted them?
I t is also noteworthy that those who went through the Great Depression and are still today with us, understand and still cling to the truth Mr. Humes speaks of “culture replaces extravagance with frugality only after the resources have dried up.” That generation throws almost nothing away, wether it be food or other material things. They learned and suffered through a time of great limited resource. May we be blessed to learn from their experience.
W hen we walk past litter, or trash. May we refuse it, by picking it up, and thus humbling ourselves and rather literally “giving earth a hand”. Or as Obi Wan stated it when Luke Skywalker was reaching for his lightsaber, “Use the force Luke.”
1. The Kickstarter campaign: Landfill Harmonic
2.Wendell Barry’s Books and Mason Jars.
3.“Using the Force”