Hello all!

I realize that I haven’t updated you in a while about the actual research end of what I’m doing. Currently, I’m nearing the end of a 400 page PhD dissertation paper from Aman Luthra which I’ve found extremely enlightening and very interesting. Honestly, the more I read on the subject the more interested I get, but this particular paper is very well organized and chock full of useful information. So far, I have typed up 25 pages of notes from it. It’s such a lengthy document that I’m not going to go into much detail here about the specifics of the each chapter, but the paper addresses  the relationship between informal waste actors, and attempts to formalize the system through various modes of disposal (Compost, WtE, Vermicomposting etc). In particular, it focuses on the effect newly minted WtE plants in India have had, or are likely to have on informal waste actors in the future. This paper clarifies a lot of the questions I had about how the structure of Indian politics and society effects legislation on waste management. It also clarifies how different relationships within the waste stream are organized, how they function, and what happens when they fail. Aside from reviewing the updated SWM laws now in effect in India, this is likely to be the last large text reference I’ll be reading before my trip. I’m reading small articles here and there all the time though and each one adds another layer of depth to my understanding.

While I’m in India I’ll be bringing along enough notes and materials to help me connect the dots, make references and ask informed questions. I’ll also be doing some research into documentary film making, so that I can apply that to the research video and audio I’ll be taking.

Covanta Facility Visit

This afternoon a representative from the Stanislaus Covanta WtE facility was kind enough to show my around the site and answer my questions. The site is about an hour and a half from where we live in Burlingame, CA and services Stanislaus County, including the city of Modesto.

It’s nearly identical to the facility I visited in Lancaster County, PA except perhaps a bit smaller. The real value of the trip was in being able to ask questions that came up after my first visit and get clarification on specific knowledge I would need for my trip to India. We spent a good amount of the visit discussing India and it gave me a chance to really organize some of my thoughts on the issue of SWM in both countries. Now that I’m home I have some follow-up questions (I always do) but all and all I’m just glad for the chance to visit sites like this. There used to be a show I’d watch called “How it’s Made” which did a lot of filming in factories and industrial sites, so visiting sites in person reminds me of that and I get a little nerdy about it.

The next post is going to be a little special, so keep your eyes peeled for that one. =)

-Ashley