Tuesday 3 July 2012

Apply for a Car? Yes, please!

Maybe I'm becoming Ms. Grump, but after a call to Oslo's garbage collectors costumer's service, I'm having serious doubts about a few issues.

Oslo's inhabitants have started sorting their garbage, we use different bags for scraps of food, plastic and everything else. They must not be larger than a carrier bag, though, otherwise the garbage trucks could get damaged (!), and if I want to turn in glass I have to walk to a usually full container and possibly dump my jam jars outside it. For dangerous garbage I need to have a car or travel for 45 minutes to deposit - which means you have to be highly motivated to do so. I'm also one of those somewhat nutty people who don't want a car due to not wanting to support an infrastructure I find almost scary. I travel by bike or public transport. There should be more carpools, having the possibility of taking out a car when in need of materials or for the weekend, not owning one when living in the city and having access to public transport. Actually I think we should have strict criteria for owning a car - like being walking impaired or elderly when living in the city. We need more exercise and seeing a line of cars standing on the highway in the morning with one person in every car when the public transport is running like it should, makes me a bit sad.

The green garbage bags are for food and the contents will be turned into bio gas, which will be used for fuel (!) and heating. We are not allowed to put old plants into the garbage as they are not good for the plant that makes the gas. The girl I talked to at the costumer's service did not know what will happen to the parts of the food that will not turn into gas either. And making bio gas! It seems a reflection of what we are already doing, how our infrastructure is not serving us, but is just being a monument to our thoughtlessness. We behave like we are endlessly rich when one billion people are starving. But  then, we will not turn around before we are forced to do so and our politicians may be more concerned about winning the next election than making some unpopular decisions. Do they not have children?

Ad for the Norwegian State Railways: Raise you hand if you vote for taking the train


Well, Mr. Cravan, I think we may have a case of the blind leading the blind again. But then I don't know everything, do I.

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