RECYCLING AND THE FIRST PEOPLE
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In today's world we really do not pay attention into what really goes into our landfills. Even, if some one dared to find out what exactly went into our landfills - really speaking most people would be shocked. Another way to look at the toxicity of our landfills as much as we think we are trying our best to put the best in a place we want to rest - is to measure the toxicity in the Bay and for those that really want to take it to another level our streams, the rivers, the lakes, and even the Ocean.
I never was one to listen to some and take that information for granted. It has been years now that I have gathered empirical data from certain areas on land, various types of water including our Bay and of course the most important the air we breathe. This data is power. My friends it is important to understand the concept that the First People had of our Earth, the waters and the air. Never once when I met a Native American or the aboriginals from various countries all over the world - did any of them want to have anything to do with waste, pollution, and the general concept of greed. Here in the Bay Area some 300 years ago all that we see was pristine. The Ohlone that lived here - lived a good life and they had the best of lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, marshland, sand dunes, bushes, trees you get the picture. So naturally there were the birds, the native vegetation, the animals, the fish, the frogs, the butterflies, and the blue sky and of course there was no smog and pollution. The Clean Wind. The true concept of recycling or reusing something - is not something new. All of us have some one we know that loves to recycle. In some countries what in the United States we think we can throw away - folks in these countries use. It could be a car tire where the rubber is used to make scandals or slippers, bags containing rice or wheat that are used as bags to carry things - I could go on; essentially these folks put a different value and have a different concept of recycling, reuse and really what should and should not go into the landfills or be discarded. Here is San Francisco we all are trying to make sense of Recycling but we really are not educating people in general with meaningful focused groups about the what recycling is really all about. We may have the blue bins, the green bins, the black bins and in future add a red bin and maybe add other color bins for all good or better purposes. Recycling has become a business with real folks doing the real work and others on the side trying to vie for the almighty dollar. The State of California started one program by taxing folks when we use certain products buy a bottle of something, a can, and so on and so forth. May be a customer taxed more for buying certain products that may take longer to decompose but upfront pay more for the mistake of buying the product because of greed. We see this mentality in the millions of products linked to computers and like products. No one thought before the production of such products where such products would end after their use. It took many years for the United States and even San Francisco to think about e-recycling. The State of California makes tons of money from recycling taxes and we the customers do not think much about it - because when we want something and want it fast - we will just pay for it. 300 years ago if somehow we had the opportunity to talk to the First People or the Ohlone - they would find it difficult to comprehend the waste, the abuse, and pollution of Mother Earth. Much like I find it difficult to understand how the San Francisco Environment leaches on some communities and in some areas bilking recycling grants and paying buffoons thousands of dollars. If we evaluate the programs and find that over 50% is spent on administrative expenses only to make a mockery of recycling - somehow, some where some jerks get ticked. The San Francisco Environment does not have a holistic approach to recycling or for that matter anything like Clean Energy, Solar or Wind on Treasure Island or anywhere. There is always dirty politics involved - I see it again and again. Recently, the San Francisco Environment in cahoots with MUNI wanted to use tallow - refine it to a purer level like bio-diesel to operated 20 Para transit vehicles for the disabled. The real reason was getting money from Proposition K funds which mandates a stricter project with precise goals and objectives. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority was aghast. I got close to this project in a round about way and found out first hand how San Francisco Environment works on any level. Mostly clueless about facts and current imperial data regarding day to day uses and operations that make projects tick. In this case the project would succeed better if ketchup was used as a substitute to run these Para transit vehicles. Lots of pumpkins make ketchup and easily available. The First People fine tuned recycling over thousands of years. It is not possible for strangers that have polluted our air, the waters and the land to now suddenly use diatribe to convince the spiritual to address the mundane with holistic goals and objectives. Recycling or not. Much before San Francisco Environment was created an agency that does not get money from City General Funds and survives by creating gimmick projects through grants and large grants like the State monies from recycling some $ 4 million or so. I have talked to the so called experts not all of them that work for San Francisco Environment (and I am not impressed). An exception the Secretary Nelly - she perhaps understands the concepts that allow people to have meaningful dialog and build bridges. I think she sees it all and often wonders what is it all about? Recycling is in my blood much before it became fashionable to say let us recycle. Way back when in the early 1960 we started by cleaning up rivers, streams, forests and other Open Space of trash and other nondegradable objects in this case left by Whites who were materialistic and had no idea about the First People. Recently I had the blessings and opportunity to facilitate the Shellmound Peace Walkers and it was a blessing to see these folks eat and drink little and waste nothing much. Live a simple yet rich life and see a radiance of goodness that I do not see in the many crooks that thrive on grants and have no concern about people in general. It does not matter what word recycling is known as - what one word or another close to recycling really means these semantics mean nothing much to me. I am really concerned in not being materialistic, being holistic, working with all people, not being divisive in our policies, and send little if nothing to the landfills. San Francisco today is more concerned with life style and folks that pervert any project. |
