[GreenYes] Re: Fwd: solid waste call for papers

["Marjorie J. Clarke, Ph.D." <mclarke@no.address>]

At 10:44 PM 6/3/2008, Dan Knapp wrote:
> But for me it raises a
> question:  what's Green about waste?  This Solid Waste
> symposium in its call for papers uses the word waste 16 times in its long
> list of suggested topics.  That's really quite a drumbeat.
>
> How about using the word discards?  Unlike wastes, discards can be
> wasted or conserved.  That neutral word is never once used in the
> conference agenda.  

I think I sent the link to an article I wrote about NYC leaving waste and
production impacts entirely out of NYC's carbon footprint for the Gotham
Gazette, a month or two ago, where I used the term discards quite a bit
(or at least in my first unedited version to Sustainability Watch and the
GG).  

I didn't write the call for papers or prepare the agenda, but I have sent
your comments along to the person who does.  There have been plenty
of papers from people like me that fall well into the purview of zero
waste and we have been giving papers like that at this venue for at least
15 years.  Because they don't use the same language is not as
important.  Recycling and waste prevention are still just
that.  You should know that the vast majority of papers given at
this conference are from third world countries.

> So all discards are
> wastes.  I conclude there is not much room for clean recycling (or
> recyclers) at this conference.

Are you saying that unless a conference is a 100% zero waste conference
that there is no room for waste prevention, recycling and composting at
the conference?   Even in this country, most of the states are
way behind California.  I'm surprised anyone would put down a
conference that does have sessions on upper hierarchy topics.  In
the East (and many places, actually), when they hold solid waste
conferences, they call them that even if zero waste topics are on the
agenda.  If lower hierarchy methods were to be excluded, and all
those sessions and attendees disappeared, I have a feeling the economics
of the conference would not work and there would be no conference. 

I know that in California you can make a zero waste conference
work.  And we had one in NYC once.  I attended the one on April
1 in Oakland.  But I think it's better to enlighten people who
attend about advanced topics in our arena, even if only part of the
agenda for the conference covers it.  All or nothing won't work
everywhere.   Yet.  If those who have the enlightened
information withhold it from those who don't, how will we ever
progress?

There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.
John F. Kennedy

Maggie Clarke, Ph.D.
www.MaggieClarkeEnvironmental.com
Environmental Scientist, Educator
mclarke@no.address
New York City