Sanitary landfills, wastewater, city structure

How Landfills Reflect Social Hierarchies

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Landfills and waste sites reflect societal perceptions of waste and cleanliness. Historically, in states like Massachusetts, landfills are placed in low-cost, low-valued areas. While this is cost-efficient, it often overlooks environmental and health concerns for nearby communities. Additionally, landfills are sometimes located near bodies of water and wetlands, increasing the risk of water contamination. A […]

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Personal Reflection on Landfills

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I found this week’s discussions on landfills to be very interesting overall. In particular, before this week, I was not aware of the concept of a “sanitary landfill,” and I always tended to assume that there was not such a thing as landfills that are designed with environmental concerns in mind. As we discussed in

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Where waste is ‘supposed’ to be

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I think that there is a fascinating discussion around the question of where waste is ‘supposed’ to be in relation to this week’s readings, particularly in relation to the social contract often formed by people and governments. The first thing I find fascinating is how long it took for people to not only become upset

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Reflection on ‘Sanitary’ landfills, wastewater, and city structure.

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The way modern cities handle waste and wastewater really showcases both our creativity and our disregard for the environment. Take ‘sanitary’ landfills, for instance—they’re a step up from open dumps, but they still have significant flaws. While they do a better job of containing waste and preventing immediate contamination, they also contribute to long-term pollution

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Reflection on Boston’s early sewage Infrastructure.

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I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the processes that led to the creation of the Boston we know today. The land under our feet and the sewage systems that we utilize on a daily basis are typically taken for granted. The Main Drainage Works source we read from 1888, describes both the early sewer structure and

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‘Sanitary’ landfills, wastewater, and city structure

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Questions for this week: How did ‘sanitary landfills’ develop? What are landfills primarily composed of? Why don’t things biodegrade much in landfills? What environmental risks do they pose? What waste challenges did Boston and other similar cities face in the early industrial era? How has waste (literally) shaped Boston? Readings:

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