Hi Helen;
Actually Scott Smithline the CAW representative was
put there to balance the BS. A part of this is the City of
LA Alternate Technology program. This is part of a huge
project to redesign resource management Los Angeles before the landfill
closes in the current 5- 20 year planning period.
The project is managed by Ruth Abbe, a friend to
the earth. There is an engineering team (HDR) but right
now the social planners are in the lead and that includes; Ruth, Gary
Liss, Neil Seldman and me.
In this first year (just completed) of
neighborhood planning we have had; dozens major neighborhood meetings (over
30) and numerous house parties; signed up about 2,500 pledges to
be part of the zero waste team, with thousands attending city wide
rally's and endorsing zero waste (including elected officials and top
city administrators); adopted guiding principles; identified
key policies and new rules, identified the realm of alternatives within
the communities. The results from these community meetings in each
neighborhood were very similar and upbeat.
This year we will be in each of the planning areas and
conceptually designing zero waste plans by community. We have
identified $100,000 million in annual lost revenue and have proven that
right now before EPR, which the city has a big club, our non marketable
materials are about 12 -18 % primarily baby diapers and treated wood. We
have proposed that the Alt Tech project deal with the feasibility of handling
this stuff compared to the alternative of sending it
back.
This project looks to the cynic as a waste to
energy project but in a city with 60 % recycling already and
close markets in China and Mexico and a history of independent entrepreneurs
(this is where i started in 1970) we see thousands of new jobs and
reincarnated money ($100,000 annually)and we are working with
grassroots voters.
I have attended a majority of the community
meetings and see the polling results, and I have a lot of hope here.
I, of course would like this to go faster, but turning a ship this size
takes some rearranging.
I could tell you more if you want or you could ask
Gary Liss or Ruth Abbe
Rick
Ricanthony@no.address
RichardAnthonyAssociates.com
San Diego,
California