Italy's garbage problem reached its flashpoint overnight as trashed-out residents set fire to piles of the the 3,500 tons of uncollected refuse.
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's newly reelected prime minister, may force local councils to accept new rubbish dumps, despite protests. He says, "I am no longer prepared to wait until everyone is in agreement, while the piles of rubbish become mountains of trash."
One city official said local authorities were managing to remove more than 1,000 tons of trash a day while waiting for the decision on where to put it all. He begged residents to be patient and not become vigilante trash removers by setting the rubbish on fire.
Thanks to the additional collections, we should be able to overcome this emergency in four or five days, but people must collaborate. They have to stop throwing bags of rubbish out on to the streets, and, above all, they mustn't burn them.
Would piles of trash for months on your streets inspire you to a firey protest? Is setting the stinky mess on fire just adding to the woes? Is the problem of where to put the trash a troubling sign for global garbage? Are we out of space?
LK Bennett
Colline
Petit Bateau
Even thinking about the stench makes me sick.
1Well since mafia involvement is one of the major contributing factors in this situation, I wouldn't say it's foreshadowing what's to come.
But, I do think that the more we are aware of the fact that things we dispose of take a long time (if ever) to disappear, the more willing we should be to watch what we throw out and try not to be as wasteful.
2that really sucks. Especially for money they'll miss when tourists avoid Naples this summer!
3Yeesh. Even though organized crime has something to do with the garbage crisis in Italy, I really can't help but worry that this problem could become more and more prevalent, given how much crap that isn't recycled piles up so much in landfills. This also makes me wonder about how efficient certain recycling programs are in different cities (then again, I'm in Chicago and I know for a fact the recycling programs are total bull, so I can't help but be cynical). The stench there must be overpowering. Ugh.
4I guess they are not concerned about their caarbon footprint!
5Wow, you guys are pretty racist. In case you didn't know, this is a tradition dating back to ancient Rome and is a proud ritual for Italians. It's called Notte de Fuoco Odore (Night of the Smelly Fire) and afterwards we eat pasta and make love to a family member. You should all be ashamed of your ignorance!
6Why doesn't the govt. create a govt. run waste management system and hire new personnel to run the system?
7"Wow, you guys are pretty racist. In case you didn't know, this is a tradition dating back to ancient Rome and is a proud ritual for Italians. It's called Notte de Fuoco Odore (Night of the Smelly Fire) and afterwards we eat pasta and make love to a family member. You should all be ashamed of your ignorance!"
Afterwards, should we all jump on Vespas and go "Ciao!"?
8OMG! First disco is burnin now it's the trash.
9I'm not really sure how any of the comments were racist. Whether there is a tradition or not, it's not a one night problem- there is a trash crisis in Naples. I don't think stating that fact makes anyone racist.
10Graylen, as an Italian-American, you don't understand what it's like to live in a society where everyone thinks you're friends with Joe Pesci just because you're Italian. Or that you know what wine goes best with fusili. I wake up weeping because I KNOW, some insensitive jerk is going to say "Hey, you're Italian, where's Hoffa really buried?" Enough, I say! Enough!
Damn, I meant to put in another emoticon. Well, I'm also part Jewish, so I'm mad about that too!
11LOL!!!! I think it's hilarious that your statement was taken seriously Rac...
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