Article: With Cows in Mind, Swiss Farmers Wage Litter Battle
Author: John Tagliabue
Date Published: November 4, 2013
Link: Click here to read this article.
Author: John Tagliabue
Date Published: November 4, 2013
Link: Click here to read this article.
This article from the New York Times covers the growing problem of littering and how it is affecting the Swiss countryside. Farmers recently have come across a much larger amount of empty bottles, soda cans, sandwich wrappers, etc, on their acres of farmland. The abundance of trash is thus getting picked up into the their harvest machines, and ultimately, into the feed for their livestock. The animals that eat this garbage that is unknowingly in the feed result in getting sick, and some even die from the ingestion of aluminum and other inedible substances. Farmers are working together with the Swiss government in efforts to promote awareness of littering and to prevent it from becoming a more severe problem.
I find this growing problem in the Swiss countryside to be a saddening one. Many countries around the world already have a major problem with excess litter in the communities. Although this litter problem may just be in the countryside, it'll eventually spill into the urban communities if nothing is done about it. The United States is slowly becoming more littered, and areas in China are terribly littered already. If we could keep it to a minimum and try to control and possibly even reduce it, we can continue to preserve the beautiful lifestyle and image of Switzerland and its people.
This article plays an important role in the culture of Switzerland. Switzerland is already a highly viewed area to live in the world, due to its cleanliness and stable economy. Introducing the problem of littering in the countryside jeopardizes both aspects of Switzerland. With the aluminum entering the feed of livestock, more animals die, or become unfit for human consumption. This leads to a rise in the prices for such products, and result in a hit on the economy. Also, if the littering situation isn't mitigated, then it will result in spreading to the city, damaging the existing culture and lifestyle of everyday Swiss life.