I thought I would go take some more pictures around the same time this year and try to get an idea of how fast the mountain is growing. So these pictures are from yesterday, about one week later than last year. They were taken from the same general area so you can see just how quickly willows and trash heaps grow.Interestingly, the pictures look like they were taken on the same day but I promise, it was WAY colder last year. It actually snowed as I was walking back from taking the pictures. This year it was merely cool and trying to rain (luckily, we got some of that today).
At this rate, it is terrifying just how large this thing could get and I cannot believe that people don't seem to find it distressing. I guess it's just far enough out of sight of most to be out of mind as well.
This panorama shows the whole damn thing in all its glorious splendor.
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13 comments:
It's such a shame that we live in a throwaway society. If everyone had to live next to the mountain and watch it grow, we would all be a lot more careful in the waste we produce.
Ho-ly cow. Have you ever spoken to anyone about the trash that ends up on your property?
Sometimes I wonder if that would even help, Teresa.
Aimee, I should add that I call it our land but it actually belongs to the County now. We are now leasing. But I did bring this up at a meeting two winters ago and was told that there is little that can be done now that the Province allows them to mound vertically...
This is just so sad to read about. I remember that original post and the discussion. It still seems to me that you can change things if you have the community behind you, but it doesn't seem like you do.
Whoa--that's nasty. I'm sorry you need to live next to it, and even more sorry that the county now owns the land, and that's what they do with it!
I'm with Teresa. The question is how to get people to see that we all live next to trash heaps in one sense or another--at least as long as we live in a disposable society.
I have devoted my blog to the issue of litter and garbage in our city, and although I was further depressed to read your post and see your pictures, it does make me a little bit happy to know others share my views and concerns. Sadly, we can rarely escape views like the ones you captures in your photos. We live surrounded by garbage here. I'm sorry that you have to live right next to "the mountain." I enjoy your blog and have been following it for a while.
Thanks MoonRaven. That mountain is on land that they`ve owned for probably more than 20 years now, and I`m not sure the prior owner treated it much better. There was no garbage mountain but the family that owned it liked to drain the lake and let weeds get really bad, etc etc. Then a sale was arranged, via a family member sitting on the County council at the time, which led to it becoming the newest County landfill. And now they own more of it, since my extended family decided to sell 2 years back.
As for if things would be better if everyone had to live by a trash mountain, I`m still not sure it would really help. It`s hard to go anywhere without seeing trash and countless people adding to it. Most do not like it but will not make the effort required to change it. I doubt even having to live IN the heap would have many people. I know the tide is turning but it is still SO painfully slow.
GrandePrairieCleanGreen, thank you for commenting. I`m glad to know someone local has been following along and I`m extra glad that you made contact. I have only glanced around your blog briefly so far but I applaud your effort and I, too, appreciate knowing there is at least one other similarly minded people here. Welcome to the area, I look forward to speaking more!
Er, similarly minded person that is.
I found your blog by way of another local blog you commented on once (something about crocuses), but that blog was not continued by the author. We have not only garbage concerns in common, but also farming. Which is why I have found your blog so interesting to this point. But i will save comments in that regard to another time. Yes it is nice to connect up, and hopefully if we tell two friends, they will tell two friends, and so on..... maybe someday the beauty in our city will shine through and people will care enough to keep it that way. Looking forward to keeping in touch! Praying for some rain....
Oops, I meant to reply to you as well linda. No, I wouldn't say the community is behind us, and there is certainly a political rift between the City and the County (the City buys space in the landfill). But there is some hope, since at least people like GrandePrairieCleanGreen are surfacing now. 20 years ago, no one cared at all, at least not enough to do anything real.
In truth, I haven't even been as active on it as I should be. Lately I have been more focused on whether we really have a future on this parcel of land, beyond maybe 5 years.
We are so good at throwing things "away" and thinking they are gone. We need constant reminders that there is no "away".
For more grand inspiration check out http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/index.htm
EJ
Eek. Reminds me of the T-shirt,
If you aren't outraged
You aren't paying attention!
-Walter
You got that right Walter.
Ditto and thanks for the addition EJ.
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