Fresh Kills Summary Response
The documentary, “The Fresh Kills Story”, by Andy Levison, posted on vimeo.com and published in 2012, tells of the transformation of the world’s largest garbage dump into a environmentally friendly park. Fresh Kills began on April 16, 1948 in Staten Island, New York. Covering more than two-thousand acres, the area damaged the reputation, image, and scent of the community surrounding the garbage lot. Nearby residents explained the dump to give off a prison-like impression when they looked at the fences and trees lined with plastic bags and other garbage. Additionally, they noticed those who lived closer to the dump contracted more illnesses than usual. This was a result of harmful chemicals being released into the air
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from the decomposing garbage.
Consequently, environmentalists and residents of the community worked together to close the Fresh Kills dump. The last garbage load arrived on a barge on March 22, 2001, until tragedy struck America. In wake of September 11, 2001, Fresh Kills reopened to receive rubble from the fallen twin towers. Then, the dump closed once again, for good. Garbage that would’ve ordinarily went to Fresh Kills was now loaded onto rail cars and hauled to alternative land fills. To transform the park, environmentally safe sheets were placed over the garbage to rebuild plant growth and wildlife activity throughout the park. Since its reconstruction, the park has held a world's fair and the U.S. Tennis Open every year. To further the remaking of the park, solar panels and windmills will be implemented to help energize the Staten Island communities. Also, outdoor recreational facilities will be placed within the park to increase human activity. Lastly, roads will cut through Fresh Kills to relieve congested roadways
surrounding the previous dump. The reconstruction of the world’s largest dump, located in Staten Island, New York, is an asset to the surrounding communities. While the dump was still operating, the state of health for the environment and citizens was largely put at risk. Chemicals rising out of the decomposing garbage pervaded through the air and spread a rancid scent throughout the atmosphere. Not only creating a bad smell, but residents were breathing the toxins that resulted in health issues for most. Asthma, emphysema, various cancers, and allergies were all a consequence of the contaminated air. Correspondingly, the wellness of the environment was compromised just the same as humans. Along with an unsatisfactory air quality, plastic bags littered outside areas and leakage from trucks hauling the garbage seeped into ground nearby roadways. Now that the dump has been transformed, the image, reputation, and health of Staten Island, New York has tremendously increased. Another example of a dump transformed into a park is Mount Trashmore Park located in Virginia. “The main mountain, Mount Trashmore, now 60 feet in height and 800 feet long, was created by compacting layers of solid waste and clean soil” (“Mount” n.d.). Just the same as Fresh Kills was created, Mount Trashmore Park was built on garbage from when the dump was open. This park can verify the potential and bright future ahead of the Fresh Kills park by demonstrating its own outcome.
The Lowry Landfill Superfund Site is located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, approximately 2 miles east of Aurora. It consists of approximately 507 acres of waste disposal area and is operated by Waste Management of Colorado, Inc. The land surrounding the site consists of native prairie grass and a wetland located along a local creek. Sections around the site are zoned for agricultural use including cattle grazing and non-irrigated wheat farms. 1 The area is home to numerous endangered species including the bald eagle and peregrine falcon. Due to the large amounts of wastes disposed on the site between 1965 and 1980, it became extremely contaminated with a variety of inorganic and organic contaminants. From 1984 to 1993, the EPA oversaw remedial investigation and feasibility studies that were performed by all responsible parties. Since its listing as a superfund site in 1984, multiple remedial actions have been performed in order to rehabilitate the site. These include clay barrier walls around the site, a groundwater collection system, a soil cover for the main landfill, as well as a landfill gas collection system. Groundwater that is collected on the site is treated at an onsite water treatment facility. In 2007, construction began on an onsite gas to energy plant that utilizes the methane produced by the landfill site. The electricity produced by the plant is enough to power 3000 households. 1 Today, use of land and groundwater on and near the site is still restricted by the state of Colorado.1
As of January 1, 2003, the Canadian city of Toronto, Ontario started to ship one hundred percent of its garbage into the landfills of Michigan. In 2003, Toronto exported garbage at a rate of 7.2 tons per minute. Garbage trucks from Toronto run seven days a week twenty-four hours a day, so at the rate of 7.2 tons per minute it works out to be that Michigan imports 10,368 tons of Toronto's garbage per day. But it wasn't always like this, Governor John Engler and his administration turned garbage into a growth industry. The state lowered the liability standards for landfill owners and also provided tax-free financing for new facilities. The result of these changes lead to too many landfills and not enough garbage to fill them. So the landfill owners lowered their prices and searched even harder for garbage. Today, Michigan's private landfills charge ten to fifteen dollars per ton to dump while other landfill owners in neighboring states charge twenty five to fifty dollars per ton. Toronto did the math and realized that it is cheaper to haul its garbage 300 miles and dump it in Michigan then it is to dump it close to home. And on top of that, Michigan has eliminated funds fo...
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest garbage dump in the world. According to estimates made by experts, the patch holds approximately three and a half million tons of garbage. Majority of this garbage is made of plastic. This waste is a threatening problem to the patch’s surrounding wildlife. Many animals are caught in the floating pieces of trash and it is the cause of the deaths of about one million birds and about one hundred thousand other sea animals. Due to the oceans nature and constant moving currents, the trash is also constantly moving. Therefore the size of the patch never stays the exact same. However, scientists believe it be approximately two times the size of Texas. The plastic is mostly broken down from larger materials into small pieces. The patch has been referred to as one scientist as a, “plastic soup”. This garbage poses such a threat mainly because it does not biodegrade. These plastics will be in the ocean essentially forever. Many plastics also contain chemicals, and absorb other chemicals and pollutants they become exposed to. These newly absorbed toxins are then leaked and distributed back into the ocean over time. The chemicals can directly enter the bodies of the animals which consume them. A study was being conducted by scientists of the fish that inhabit the area around the patch. What the researchers found inside the belly of one fish (that was no larger in size than that of a finger), was eighty four small fragments of plastic. It does not take scientists to recognize the impact of this problem, Zach Gold, who is sixteen, is from Santa Monica California. Zach enjoys s...
Harmful emissions from the landfills escape into the air we breathe. The soil and water are also contaminated from our
Then the documentary tackles Puget Sound. The Duwamish River is the largest hot spot in the nation. In 2001, the Duwamish River was classified as a “Super Fund” site. This is given to a site that will receive federal assistance for clean up. But yet, it may be too late. Puget Sound in contaminated with PCP, lead and mercury. The threat comes from the giant industrial polluters of old and from chemicals in consumers’ face creams, deodorants, prescription medicines and household cleaners that find their way into sewers, storm drains, eventually into America’s waterways and drinking water.
Over the next 160 years Central Park has seen many transformations. An early decline in the 1900’’s followed by a revitalization by Robert Moses
Since the Columbian Exchange, consumption has been growing without much concern for the sustainability of the environment. While in some cases such as Brazil the environment was unintentionally preserved; however, there are many more cases of a blatant disregard for the environment. However, we can not just stop consuming altogether, consumers need to be aware of the effects their choices have on the environment and society. Nowadays, there are many products that focus on sustainability and conservation. A focus needs to be placed on conservation and sustainability. This era of mass consumption may have been started by the Columbian Exchange, but the effects of it can still be slowed down. The Earth does not have infinite resource, making conservation extremely important. One resource that is often overlooked is actually space. When cities became heavily populated, space became a major issue, one that we still see today. In London, mass burial graves were used because there was not enough space for the common people to have their own graves. One rather controversial idea was to turn the burial graves into public parks because this would allow more space in the city for citizens to exercise, as well as, clear up the air. The idea did not go over well with many people, and was called immoral and selfish because graves were typically considered a sacred space. This shows just how important
The most known chemical being dumped is a type of pesticide named Kepone (Reich). Manufacturers on the James had been dumping this in the river for about a decade in Hopewell, Virginia (Kepone: More News). An ironic thing about this situation is that in 1972, The Clean Water Act had been passed; clearly there weren’t many efforts to enforce it (Jravirginia). Sixteen months before everything was shut down, one of the sole polluters started manufacturing the chemical Kepone for a larger corporation; this manufacturing plant got away with poisoning many of it’s employees and the environment surrounding it (Reich). In 1978, a news article estimated the cost of cleaning the river to be in the billions; but, since at the the time they didn’t have the right technology to go through with the cleanup, they would have
... things that to be recycled can be and the things that need to be thrown out can be done to. There are organizations out there that are fighting things like this. They want to make sure that all of the animals that live in the water our safe from people who don’t care about anything but them self’s and throw things into storm drains or even right into the lake. Oceana is one of the organizations that are fighting against this. The government needs to take a step into this and help out. They pay to keep the war going. They also need to start funding money so that originations like Oceana can do whatever they need to clean this problem up. If people don’t take a stand soon this could turn into a bigger problem in what it already is. For young adults that are 18 years old right now. There kids might not be able to see a clean lake or even a clean environment. People in this century are destroying the environment and they think since they seen it all that its fines to do whatever they want, but really they don’t think about the future. There kids are the future and if this kind of pollution to the water and even the environment is going to kill it and there wont be an environment.
Simmons, A. M. (2016, April 22). The world's trash crisis, and why many Americans are oblivious. Retrieved November 9, 2017, from http://beta.latimes.com/world/global- development/la-fg-global-trash-20160422-20160421-snap-htmlstory.html
Cluttered trash filled parks, waste filled rivers, and town sized landfills and that is what awaits the people of earth if nothing is done to aid in the efforts to keep the world clean and recycling is one best and most beneficial ways to do just that. The truth is a frightening thing however it is true if we don’t act to improve our habits soon it might just be a reality, recycling should be mandatory for all households in order to prevent this trash filled grim future.
A lot of trash comes from land if the beach is right next to it.
and to cut down on pollution. Since the number of landfills continues to diminish, keeping
Imagine you are on vacation on a cruise having a great time. You look around and see the ocean is covered with garbage. According to Discovermagazine.com, there are patches of garbage present in the middle of the oceans. If you collect all garbage in the oceans, it would be double in height to Mount Everest. According to climatechange.com, if we do not act immediately, not recycling is going to affect our environment. Refusing to recycle the waste materials would poison the food and water we use, leading to our death. Recycling affects the earth more than we can imagine. We’ve got be more aggressive towards reducing and reusing the waste material, as there is an increase in the amount of garbage production.
...or lakes (Weber 2). When people just dump waste products instead of recycling, it is a misuse of the soil and can contribute to serious health conditions in animals, plants and humans.