Why do rural folks burn their garbage?
A month ago, while visiting friends in the country, there was a pervasive smell of burning garbage coming from a house about half a kilometre upwind. In many rural areas and small towns, “burn barrels” are a common, traditional practice. In some areas they help reduce garbage pickup fees. When my friend a young MD in otherwise good health had an asthma attack, I offered to write up a flyer and distribute it to the neighbours. We did a little research on the web and whipped up the following flyer. In it, we spelled out the problem and the alternatives, dealt with likely misperceptions & objections and blamed nobody. I distributed it to almost a hundred mailboxes. This weekend my friend called and reported that she and her husband had noticed only one burning during the month, a dramatic decrease from the usual. A happy ending and an example of how simple, direct communication can have a positive effect! Burning = Cancer! Burning plastic, rubber or other man-made materials creates dioxin
