EU Tells Italy To Take Out The Trash, Already
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden 
on 05. 7.08
Photo courtesy eternallycool.net
Newly re-elected Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the European Commission believe they can do something about the appalling 15-year long trash problem in southern Italy's Campania region around the city of Naples. Berlusconi said he'd spend three days each week in Naples until the trash problems are solved, and the Commission has sued Italy to try to impose hefty fines to the ongoing waste management crisis.
In the past, citizens of Campania have taken to burning piles of trash that get too big or when warm weather made them too stinky. Graffiti artists such as Ruffo are also using their skills to make a point about the trash. Ruffo's depiction of the Mona Lisa holding her sorted trash bags is supposed to get people thinking about recycling - at around 5 percent nationwide, Italy has one of Europe's lowest recycling rates. The trash problem doesn't seem to have an easy fix, however, as local politics seem to be hindering the process of building energy-recovery incinerators and setting up a better recycling and trash infrastructure. The region has lost tourism, and recently the Commission was also forced to take action when Campania's famous buffalo-milk mozzarella was found to be tainted with dioxin thought to have come from uncontrolled trash burning. Via ::ChristianScienceMonitor
See also: Naples Buried Under A Heap Of Trash
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It takes a brave Neapolitan to burn their rubbish - the Camorra take a dim view of people messing with their negotiations!
You got to understand Italy and Italians to really understand their issues. I mean really - think Italy will develop a long-term solution? They change governments more often than I change my underwear. They just don't have time to recycle because they are always in the process of electing a new President. Italians. Jeeze. And somehow it still works out. http://angryafrican.net/2008/04/15/italy-che-macello-what-a-mess/
Italy rocks!!! I've never been there but I want to go!!! I think they should be allowed to burn their trash, I mean, what harm is it doing to other people if they are burning THEIR OWN TRASH on THEIR OWN LAND??? Someone answer that for me??? Please??? And also, people that burn their own trash should be congratulated because they arn't throwing it away, which will result in rubbish dumps overflowing and great socking holes having to be dug to put the rubbish in, which will contribute to the destruction of the O-Zone layer, and we will all die. And I would like to die knowing that I did try to stop the O-Zone layer from being destroyed, and I succeeded, so please leave the trash-burners of Italy to their trash-burning, okay??? Can you do that for Gertrude??? If that is a yes then I would like to get to know you, because we are both happy, environment-loving people that want to die at 111, not 11!!! Even though I've already had my 11th birthday, and I am much older than that, but wouldn't you like your children or grandchildren to grow up knowing that their mum/dad/grandma/grandad was attempting to put a stop to the destruction of our planet??? I know thats what my children and grandchildren think when they think about me!!! So, help us put a stop to the destruction of our planet, and leave long, boring, unhelpful messages like this on all the comment boards on every other website that has one, and we'll all be happy and have nice long lives... See You!!! From, Gertrude Goose Gulliver