Talk:Litter
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[edit] Earlier talk
I think most of the additions added by Norm are great. However, Norm also ad ded this one section, which is POV:
- Who is to blame?
- The rise of fast food companies serving their food in cardboard and plastic instead of using reusable plates have increased the ammount of litter in modern times. Smokers are also blamed since a lot of their ciggarette stubs end up as litter. Younger people often litter because they think it is "cool" to litter.
To say fast food restaurants are responsible for litter is like saying Smith & Wesson is responsible for gun-related crime or that McDonald's is responsible for making people fat. Fast food restaurants don't hire people to spread litter: in fact most encorage their patrons to responsibly dispose of their trash. The smokers sentence is also a little POV, but it is true a lot of them do toss their butts out of their car windows. Perhaps something should also be said about how they can spark fires? I don't know if the "younger people" sentence is completely accurate either. In short, it needs NPOV'ing and then can be added back in. Anyone want to take a shot at it? — Frecklefoot | Talk 18:46, Sep 13, 2004 (UTC)
[edit] No Citations
Can anybody provide references for the history section? It contains a large number of unsubstantiated assertions. It also contains informal opinions (e.g. "People do not care that they are violating the earth") that should be removed.--72.199.241.47 19:50, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
On March 19, 2007, I provided numerous citations from my paper, DO MESS WITH IT! A Sociopolitical Study of Littering and the Role of Southern and Nearby States. -S. Spacek
[edit] What Is Litter?
Responses to Below: SEE my paper. Provides thorough Definiton of litter. <Spacek, S. http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/27/> Stevewonder2 21:48, 19 March 2007 (UTC)stevewonder2
I'm curious just what is defined as litter and what is unavoidable human detritus? I assume that hair and skin that naturally fall off aren't considered litter but what about seeds that get stuck in our shoes or crumbs from our food that can find their way accidentally into a vulnerable ecosystem they could disrupt? Or perhaps even vomit, which surely isn't littered intentionally. In response to the aforementioned reasons that littering is good: Why should anyone be hired to pick up trash? When someone is paid to do a job they are often motivated to try to preserve that job by assuring that the need for their job remains. If I were hired to pick up trash, it would be in my best interest to do exactly what this person is telling us to do. If I were employed to pick up trash, I would encourage everyone to litter so that not only would my job be more secure, but I might even get a raise. Isn't this the same tactic that tobacco companies use when they encourage kids to smoke? Why do we punish tobacco companies for trying to keep their income secure and not punish trash collectors for trying to encourage people to litter? At least acknowledge that the temptation to promote oneself at the expense of ones community exists. Now, I'm baffled that this person thinks that the lack of an alternative to littering is a reason FOR littering. And I'm also baffled that they can't think of any good alternatives to littering either. However, it's not my job to come up with solutions to littering. There's a limit to how much help I'm willing to hand out free of charge. I find it very hard to follow this persons reasoning and can only recognize one sound, albeit controversial, reason that littering COULD have a positive impact. Eddietoran 22:19, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
- Speaking of smoking, how are smokers expected to not litter? When you're done with a cigarette you have no choice but to throw the butt on the ground, unless by some chance there happens to be one of those public ashtrays there. You have to get rid of your cigarette before you can get on a bus, and I doubt anyone just pockets it.
- No, you're supposed to throw it in a public trash can. Unless you're smoking on some rural park trail hundreds of miles from civilization, or you live in a city with really bad public services, there is always a trash can nearby. And if you're driving, that's what the ashtray is for; you're supposed to keep the stubs in the ashtray until you get to a trash can (and of course all gas stations have cans). --Coolcaesar 03:38, 28 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Legal Consequences
Responses to below: See My paper, DO MESS WITH IT. <http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/27/> AN online document can answer your law availibility questions. ALL states have anti-litter laws. See National Center for Environmetal Decision-Making Research. “Review Laws,” in Decision Maker’s Guide to Controlling Litter and Illegal Dumping. [online] [1]
