Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Mama, What Is A Landfill?


Did you ever watch the show "Kid's Say the Darndest Things?" You know the one with Bill Cosby as the host? This used to be my favorite show. My husband will tell you that while other college students were out drinking their weight in rum, I was in my dorm room tuning in and laughing my head off to this show. Because it's true, kids are hilarious and brilliant.

I was reminded of it this morning when, as I was emptying our garbage cans, Tucker asked:

"Mom, where does the garbage go?"

"To a landfill honey."

"What's a landfill?"

"It's a place where they dump all the garbage from everyone in the area."

"And then what do they do with it?"

"Ummm, nothing. It just sits there."

"For how long?"

"Forever pretty much."

"Yeah, but what do they do with it?"

"Sweetie, they don't do anything, it just sits there and then when there is enough they cover it up and grow grass on it."

"And can I roll down the grass?"

"No, not that grass. There is yucky stuff under it."

"Yucky stuff like vegetables?"

"No, worse then vegetables."

His wisdom amazes me once again. I am an eco-warrior every day and yet I seldom take the time to stop and think about how ridiculous the concept of a landfill is. Seriously-the trash just sits there. It doesn't DO anything. This idea is totally unfathomable to a four-year old! Maybe it should be to us grown-ups as well.

1 comment:

Lucy Pursglove-Jones said...

I find myself worrying about landfill often. The thoughts of it really un-nerve me.
We're even doing it to space; years and years of junk from satellites and expeditions up there floating around already!