The Issue of New York's Solid Waste Management - Term Paper Example

Environmental science - New Yorks solid waste management problem Introduction The issue of environment pollution has been of great concern in the past few years. Several studies have revealed that environmental pollution is a challenge that threatens the world economy and social life of the human race. Some of the diseases that have erupted in the recent past can be attributed to the worsening condition of the environment. Some of the major contributors to environmental pollution include poor disposal of solid waste, poor disposal of chemicals and uncontrolled release of greenhouse gases to the environment (Kinnaman & Takeuchi, 2014). The New York City has been identified as one of the cities in the world that are experiencing the challenge of environmental pollution. In fact, garbage management problem has been identified as the major challenge facing the city. Essentially, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the New York City’s waste management problem and provide commendations that can be employed to solve the problem. Overview of the waste problem The New York City is one of the most populous cities in the world. Apparently, environmental surveys reveal that the waste management problem of a place is directly proportional to the size of the population. In this case, it can be identified that the waste management problem experienced in the New York City can be blamed on the ever increasing population in the area. Essentially, an analysis of the available demographic statistics of New York shows that the population of the area increases subsequently from one year to another. The sanitation department serving the city is said to collect over three million tons of waste annually. Most of the collected waste in unrenewable and, therefore, Apparently, waste management has become a gigantic challenge for New York. The New York government has not established proper and safe waste disposal infrastructure that can handle the problem of garbage collection appropriately. In essence, heaps of garbage can be observed as one walks around the city. The time taken to collect the heaped garbage is inappropriate as far as the cleanliness of the city and environmental safety are concerned. It is important to identify that the environment is an essential component for human development. In this regard, anything the poses a threat to the safety of the environment should be whipped out on time before making the environment unpleasant. In this case, it can be identified that the management of the city has a significant role to play to ensure that the city environment is kept safe and clean. There exist three types of environmental pollution, which are; land, water and air pollution. The tree types are related to that occurrence of one opens the door to the other. For instance, uncollected heaps of garbage results in land pollution. Prolonged stay of heaps of garbage on land contributes to water pollution. Essentially, the heaps of garbage can be washed away by the rainwater and find its way into rivers, lakes and seas. In this case, it can be recognized that unplanned disposal of waste on land contributes to water pollution. It is imperative to note that water pollution endangers the existence of aquatic creatures. Therefore, the waste management problem in New York City endangers the life of fauna and flora. Basically, it is crucial for every individual to be responsible for matters of environmental pollution. This way, a notable change would be experienced in the waste management department in New York and other densely populated urban centers across the world. Causes of solid waste management problem in New York City There are numerous factors that instigate solid waste management problem in New York. Some of the challenges include; insufficient budget allocation, unplanned disposal of solid waste by residents, corruption, ignorance, and many others. In this section, the identified causes will be described briefly to give a general overview of the problem. Insufficient budget allocation The solid waste management practice might be seen as a cheap and easy undertaking. However, everyone should understand that solid waste management is an expensive process that requires adequate funding. Research has shown that the funds allocated to the sanitation department for solid waste management is not sufficient. For effective management of solid waste, sufficient resources such as trucks and manpower should be provided. Currently, the available trucks are not sufficient for serving the whole city. A cognitive assessment of the issue of insufficient resources depicts that shortage of funds is the major cause of all these troubles. Essentially, the amount of money allocated for waste management In New York is limited to use in some areas. Actually, the budget for solid waste management does not include funding for programs that can aid in handling emerging trends. In this regard, collection of solid waste is delayed thereby leading to accumulation of heaps of garbage in some parts of the city. Unplanned disposal of solid waste New Yorkers are usually not keen on matters of solid waste disposal. In essence, it takes the sanitation department considerable time to collect solid waste from various points. In essence, the sanitation department employees are usually faced with the challenge of locating the various disposal points created by residents. Therefore, solid waste management becomes challenging since the waste is not disposed of in one central place (Pariatamby & Tanaka, 2013). Basically, everything requires appropriate planning for effective management and control. Several scholars have identified that the management of scattered units of any establishment is quite challenging. In this regard, lack of a centralized disposal point has been one of the major challenges in the management of solid waste in the city. New York City is a busy city and comprise people from different parts of the world. It is worth stating that diverse parts of the world have varied culture and styles of livelihood. In this regard, the hygiene of the city is based on various constructs since the residents are from diverse cultures. Corruption Corruption has been a controversial issue among the political leaders and heads of various government departments. In essence, the public service sector has been hit hard by the corruption menace. Apparently, most government officials are out there to enrich themselves and not to serve the public interest. In this regard, money allocated to aid in developing the sanitation department is pocketed by a few individuals. Several allegation have been raised indicating that some government officials engaging in financial malpractices that result in embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds. Actually, it is quite clear that corruption and self-interest among the officials serving in the city’s management board have contributed significantly to the solid waste management problem. A recent survey revealed that the procedure followed to recruit new workforce in the sanitation department is not genuine. The top management officials give priority to their friends and relatives thereby denying competent and visionary potential employees chances of serving the city. In fact, nepotism has been quite common during recruitment drives. It is imperative to identify that corruption is a social evil that results in adverse economic, political and social repercussion. Many organizations and departments have failed due to the high cases of corruption and failure by the management boards to devise means of whipping out corruption. Actually, many studies have identified that most top management officials are in the forefront of promoting corruption and other unethical work behaviors. Ignorance Information is an important developmental tool in all sectors of life. In some instance, people fail to perform their tasks as expected due incomplete or lack of information. A substantial number of people in New York are not aware of the consequence of reckless disposal of solid waste. In essence, education on conservation of the environment and the various ways of preventing pollution has not been done comprehensively in some parts of the city. It is worth to recognize that the New York City management body should organize environmental sensitization campaigns to create awareness among the residents about the benefits of proper disposal of waste. Effects of solid waste management problem Cohenn (2013) states that solid waste management problem is an issue that has adverse effects on the environment and the people. Some of the effects of waste management problem include health complication, distortion of the beauty of nature, loss of funds and many others. Health complications Human health is quite responsive to the nature and the structure of the surrounding environment. Therefore, challenges in solid waste management poses a great challenge to human health and physical wellbeing. For instance, some solid waste materials such a plastic containers and metallic cans become habitats for disease-causing vectors such as mosquitoes. Once disease-causing insects establish habitat in an area, the incidents of illness increase. For instance, mosquitoes are known to cause malaria. Studies have shown that malaria is one of the most dangerous diseases in history. In essence, malaria is a major cause of death among children under the age of five years especially in developing countries. Actually, improper management of solid waste can be very dangerous to humans on matters relating to health and duration of lifestyle. Distortion of natural beauty Poor management of solid waste destroys the beauty of nature in that disposal of waste is not controlled. For instance, when heaps of solid waste are scattered everywhere, the planning and the general appearance of an area appears unattractive. Actually, the place where the waste has been disposed becomes unfit to stay. Moreover, people in the surroundings stop enjoying the beauty of nature due to issues such as odd smell and poor visibility. Loss of funds The solid waste management problem costs the taxpayers enormous amount of money. In essence, it opens doors for misappropriation of funds. Moreover, the amount of money that is spent in restructuring the management structure is quite much. Therefore, it can be noted that the solid waste management plays a significant role in creating poverty among the city residents. Management issues The New York City management board has a great role to play in restoring faith to the residents. The only thing that can make the resident have faith in the leadership of the city is establishment of policies and technology that aid in effective management of solid waste. Presently, several development have taken place in the environmental field. Moreover, several policies have been development to promote environmental conservation. Essentially, several non-governmental organizations have been established to fight for environmental conservation and safety. In addition, the United Nations has established an environmental organ whose responsibility is to ensure that all member countries participate in the journey towards sustainable development. In this regard, the management board of New York City should not be left out in the fight for environmental conservation and safety. The existing laws relating to environmental safety and conservation require some amendments to match with the emerging trends. The modern technology has proven to be effective in simplifying things. Actually, the modern technology facilitates performance of various tasks under one platform. In this case, the management board and other relevant bodies that monitor the development and condition of New York City should embrace the modern technology in the management of solid waste. The modern technology offers various alternatives for handling problems. Therefore, it is appropriate for the stakeholders involved in the day to day running of the city to adopt modern technology. It is imperative to recognize that the modern technology offers many strategies for teaching city residents important factors concerning the environment. Recommendation The government and the private investors should combine forces and educate the residents of New York City the importance of maintaining clean environment. Essentially, educating the masses on matters of environment safety and the different ways of evading pollution can be a mega transformation towards sustainable development. The government should establish policies and structures that facilitates effective inclusion of the environment discipline in the education curriculum to ensure that students are prepared early enough to conserve and maintain the environment. Environmental clubs should be formed in every estate to evade the problem of reckless disposal of solid waste. Such a strategy can aid in controlling disposal of solid wastes and thereby make the management task easy. The sanitation department should ensure that employees undergo regular training you facilitate proper handling of pollution cases. Essentially, regular training equips the employees with skills that can be used to address environmental problems resulting from emerging issues such as industrialization. The organs responsible for the development of the city should develop policies that promote the use of modern technology in the management of old waste. Basically, the modern technology facilitates timely identification of environmental concerns and, therefore, provide sufficient time for intervention. For instance, the use security cameras to monitor disposal of solid waste can be very good strategy for managing the issue. Conclusion The environment is an important feature that supports different activities of man. In this regard, it is important to protect the natural environment so as to maintain the beauty of nature. The issue of managing solid waste has been a great challenge to many populous cities. The New York City is a good example of urban cities that have really struggled in the management of solid waste. The city has spent enormous funds and resources to develop an effective structure for managing solid waste. There exist numerous approaches that can be adopted to facilitate effective management of solid waste. Therefore, comprehensive research should be done to identify the most appropriate approach that can be used to boost the management of the solid waste. In summary, everyone should be responsible for maintaining a clean and safe environment. Reference list: Cohen, S. A. (2013). Sustainability management: Lessons from and for New York City, America, and the planet. Kinnaman, T. C. & Takeuchi, K. (2014). Handbook on waste management. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub. Ltd. Pariatamby, A., & Tanaka, M. (2013). Municipal solid waste management in Asia and the Pacific Islands: Challenges and strategic solutions. Singapore: Springer,  Read More