On Tuesday evening more than a hundred people of all ages milled about peacefully and rather amiably in front of the municipal council chambers in Bowmanville. They were protesting the proposal to build an incinerator which will burn the garbage from Durham, York and other regions with which the municipality might establish a working relationship. The likely site would be at Courtice Rd. and the 401 highway although two other possible sites have been identified just to the east of Bowmanville.
The euphemism employed by council is Energy From Waste, as though burning garbage will become some wonderful new source of heat and light. Frankly, I view the use of this term as deliberately confusing and an insult to our intelligence.
The idea of Clarington becoming the new Michigan with trucks rolling in from all over Southern Ontario makes me shudder. We do have to dispose of our garbage, but stepping away from efforts to reduce waste and divert it through recycling is not the solution. And there will be more pollutants in our already overburdened air. As Will McDonough and Michael Braungart say in their book Cradle to Cradle, for too long we have hoped that our waste will simply be taken away when there is no "away."
I was proud to count nearly two dozen St. Paul's folk at the rally, from age three to seventy three, or thereabouts. We were called to action by a physician in the congregation who has become a somewhat reluctant public speaker and activist, although she is doing very well in this new role. She sees this as both a physical health issue and a spiritual wholeness concern. We are called to care for the well-being of the planet and its creatures as Christ's people.
3 comments:
It was interesting to be a part of that protest. I have breathing issues and this summer has been very bad for me, it has been many years since I have been on medication as often as this summer. In talking to my physician, the number of smog alerts has only gone up over the last 15 years. From 6 or so in the early 90s to over 30 this year and some 60 last year. Makes one want to think twice about adding more polutants, namely burning of garbage. Sounds from the news reports as if maybe councillors are thinking a little harder about their decisions.
Hi Nancy,
For the first time ever I experienced breathing problems this summer. We went to the Saguenay in Quebec and I immediately felt better. I hope the councillors are thinking.
Since I've moved to SK, I have also noticed that my breathing problems have mostly disappeared. I just love not having to rely on a puffer to escape wheezing problems. David, I wonder if I might use your blog to add to a message I am delivering on Sunday. I am discussing 1 Timothy and focusing on praying for leaders and the decisions that are made, but stressing that sometimes we need to do more than just pray. Do you mind?
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