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Melissa Gardner
Mrs. Benedict
Honors Junior English 1
22 November 2011
A World Like Wall-E’s
It is true that the world today is quickly losing its natural resources due to the rising
demand from the human population. Whether it is coal and fossil fuels for energy, or copper for
electricity, it is clear that eventually our planet will be out of resources. This may happen sooner
rather than later based off the new statistic that the population of the world has reached seven
billion. But not only do people need to recognize the problems of taking materials out of the
earth, they also need to think about what they are putting in it. This brings a new problem to the
surface: waste management. What may seem like a minor detail next to other issues is in fact, a
major concern. Waste management is something that we as people struggle with because of the
large amounts of trash we produce each year. This trash is commonly transferred into landfills
where it fills up and is eventually capped off to decompose in the ground over to course of
several hundred years. The problem with this is where to place these landfills.
Though it may seem simple enough to create a landfill, after all it is just a plastic lined
hole in the ground, the truth is, landfills must be strategically placed. They cannot be placed
above ground water sources for fear of toxic waste contaminating the water. Also, they are
known to destroy the ecosystems around them because of the toxic fumes given off by the
decomposing garbage.
With all of these horrible affects of waste management, individuals ask what they can do
to stop it. There are options such as burning all waste rather than burying it. Few places around
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the world that choose to burn their waste for energy; however, this gives off toxic gases that are
terrible for the air. Some plants have started using filters, so only clean air is emitted into the
atmosphere, however, that leaves us questioning how to dispose of these filters. They are full of
concentrated toxic products. A more efficient way of reducing waste in the ground and the
atmosphere is by using reusable products. In places like the grocery store, one may choose to buy
reusable grocery bags instead of wasting millions of plastic bags every year. Other ideas include
reusable water bottles, Tupperware, and lunch boxes. These few ideas alone could significantly
decline the large amounts of waste produced every year.
Many people seem to toss away their trash carelessly without the thought of reusing these
products. What they fail to realize is that the majority of the trash they throw away can easily be
recycled. With vast amounts of garbage going to landfills each day and countless habitats being
destroyed by trash, people must recognize that waste management is a very real problem on our
earth. It is even the cause of a few other troubles that have to do with the environment. Global
Warming is directly affected by this. According to Matt Kallman, a writer from
earthtrends.wri.org: “As food, paper, and other biodegradable waste breaks down in landfills,
large amounts of methane are released. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is nearly 70 times more
powerful at
trapping heat than carbon dioxide” (Kallman). Kallman explains that excess
amounts of trash not only affects the ground it is in and the ecosystem around it, but also
contributes to the air quality and another big problem: global warming. It is well known that
global warming is a growing problem on earth and it seems to be getting worse. The snowball
effect of landfill, motor, and power plants all giving off poisonous green house gasses is a big
contributer. As a person that is aware of this incredible problem, I plan to do my part by
recycling more. I will chose to use a lunch box and Tupperware instead of paper and plastic bags
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everyday for lunch. Also I will recycle any plastic water bottles I use and invest in a reusable one
for school. As for making an impact on society, I will encourage my friends and classmates to do
the same as well as recycle any extra papers in their backpacks. I can encourage my teachers to
use less paper by using our online website or emails more often. Also printing papers two to a
page cuts paper use in half at schools and it is still just as easy to read whatever is on the page.
Overall, I find it necessary for the human population to take recycling seriously. If we
continue tossing trash at the rate we are at, we will end up in a world like the classic Disney
movie Wall-E where we are nearly swimming through trash. I know I do not want this to happen
and I hope others agree with me.
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Works Cited
Kallman, Matt. “Talking Trash: The World’s Waste Management Problem.” World Resources
Institute. Earth Trends Online. 18 June 2008. Web. 12 November 2011.