Going the Way of Waste

American bears are getting fat. And it’s not the healthy, pre-hibernation kind of fat that we expect of bears each winter. No, American bears—like American adults, children and, yes, even American pets—are packing on unhealthy pounds.

Yet this fact should come as no surprise. Researchers at the Wildlife Conservatory report that bears become overweight precisely for the same reason that we do: overeating. As we all know, an overabundance of food leads to fatter humans and, of course, more trash to be disposed. The group’s survey of waste deposited in dumpsters in the Tahoe area of California and Nevada—which are easily accessible to bears—showed that the animals gorge themselves year-round on an endless supply of processed, highly fattening, leftovers.

But bears are not to blame for their burgeoning waistlines. It’s the American attitude towards their immense amount of litter—that is, an extremely apathetic one. We slavishly overindulge to our heart’s content without concern for the waste we produce as consequence. This gratuitous attitude is what has imposed a health hazard on our country’s indigenous fauna; and, it must be changed.

In 2000, the United States produced an estimated 225 million tons of trash. That’s nine times as much trash per person as compared to an average person in Africa, and about twice as much as many industrialized countries. And the worst part is that nearly 75% of our trash can be recycled yet we, as a country, are nowhere near that efficient.

And as a school, Harvard’s students don’t elude this trend. In November, the Resource Efficiency Program (REP) piled up bags of trash—“Mt. Trashmore,” as it was cleverly called—to bring attention to how much waste we produce daily. REP reports that Harvard’s Houses and dorms produce about 540 pounds of trash per day, yet the total amount recycled last academic year marked a depressing decrease of 26%.

Confronting a culture of overindulgence and wastefulness, it should be top priority for the University to stymie such sloppiness in order to create a more conscientious class of students. Sure, it’s safe to say that any increased concern for our waste disposal may not make a dent at the national level; however, as the leaders of tomorrow we should be working to enact productive changes that will prove beneficial in the future.

This year, Harvard placed fourth in the Recycle Mania contest, where Bowling Green State University took first place for recycling the most—a rather poor performance considering only eight schools participated. Furthermore, the “Eco Reps” promised for freshman entryways to help encourage efficiency amongst students have hardly made a concerted effort to effect any change in recycling habits.

So, what more can Harvard do? Well, any respectable Ec10 student could tell you this fundamental law of economics: people respond to incentives. Any sort of program that promotes recycling and more efficient consumption could be very effective if incentives are involved—monetary or otherwise. No matter how scrupulous students seem to be, we will not recycle or curb careless waste unless it is convenient for us to do so.

Until we witness cultural changes that encourage more moderation, we will continue to be the improvident consumers we are today. But if we wish to keep the bear from going the way of the average American—ballooning to obesity and cutting down on life expectancy—then we must at least encourage more recycling and less wastefulness. The future is in our pudgy and prodigal hands.

Matthew R. Naunheim ’07, a Crimson editorial editor, lives in Wigglesworth.