Something stinks about our lifestyle

More than one thing really stinks, but I’ll just stick to the bad smell in Wortley Village for now.

[In spite of the smell, I still love The Village, and am even more thankful I don’t live in Toronto right now, what with their garbage strike and temporary, chemical laden, rat- and insect-infested outdoor sites filled with refuse. It must be summer in Cabbagetown, eh?]

Today is garbage day in our neck of the woods, and because we’d had a holiday and our last garbage day fell on a Friday and few people compost and the owner of a St. Bernard bagged the big boy’s droppings all in one go, a thick stink hung in the air (so thick on some blocks you could have cut it with a knife and built a brick sidewalk or spare room) as I walked to The Little Red Roaster for morning coffee.

Not only does our garbage stink, we produce so much of it. (I believe Canada is still number one in garbage production per capita - in the world. And the Maple Leafs are still 8 players away from reaching the playoffs).

The smell in the air is a definite reminder that - until government, industry and retailers actually care about the shear amount of material that gets burned or buried in an unsustainable manner - individuals like you and me should reduce our consumption of all things related to food, clothing, shelter, transportation, communication and recreation as soon as possible.

And the smell is the least of our problems.

We should be thinking ‘resource depletion’ and ‘smaller lifestyle’ every minute of the day.

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Are there reuse or recycle centers in your neighbourhood? Do you know where the closest landfill site is? It’s lifespan, or what we’re burying for future generations?

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