11 of 12

Disagree

Write now Article Tools

Poverty is not the worst polluter. It just look that way. It is a question of smoke and mirrors. The poor cannot afford the smoke and mirrors, so they have no way of hiding the pollution they generate and live in. I can tell you that I live in the suburbs, like thousands of suburbs in North America. House with two or more cars are normal. Show me one poor person with a car, even an old decrepit model. Poverty is the worst polluter? People in poverty stricken areas just cannot send their garbage and recycling to somewhere else.

Do you have any idea what it takes to recycle? It takes carbon fuel, trucks, and manpower. The poor will recycle your garbage for much less money, less pollution, but more manpower. If you can read this article chances are you are not that poor.

Those who are not poverty stricken use much more natural and unnatural resources. The end result is always pollution. There is an easy way to determine who generates more pollution, those in poverty or those not?

In your lifetime how many cell phones have you discarded?
In your lifetime how many electronic junk like portable DVD players have you discarded?
Itemize all the clothes you own.
Itemize the quantity and type of food you consume.
Talk about the quantity and type of water you use.
Do you have a car? How many cars have you personally gone through?

If you do this exercise with a poverty stricken person, the answers would be striking and divergent. Electronic gadgets or tools are highly polluting because of the toxic nature of the components. Developed countries have in their kindness shipped obsolete computers to the developing countries to help the disadvantaged countries. However, these computers will life a short life and end up in a landfill. Luckily North America for instance will no longer have to deal with them.

They type of water you use is also important. In most North America towns and cities, we flush the toilet with potable water. Sometimes with fluoride enriched potable water.

Do the poor pollute more? Well they might have open fires with wood fuel. They might even strip the forests for cooking fuel. They might even make their living by process the garbage and recycling from there. It certainly looks bad. Some might even argue that if North America for instance shipped its garbage destined for landfill which will be covered with dust, we would be doing many people a lot of favor. So much for generosity.

Poverty is not the worst polluter. It can't be. Wealth is characterized by very nice goods. A wealth of nice goods. Good from anywhere on the planet, shipped by the best way possible. Money is no object.

Learn more about this author, Jobie Weetaluktuk.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Poverty is the worst polluter?
We want to hear your view. Write now!