Latest news with #sanitation
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
The Next Phase of New York City's ‘Trash Revolution' Is Here
At sunrise in Manhattan on a recent morning, Anthony J. Martin jumped out of a garbage truck and gave a thumbs up for the driver to lower a set of red mechanical arms to pick up a trash bin from the street. The bin rose high into the air and a cascade of trash bags fell into the truck. As a sanitation worker in New York City for almost two decades, Mr. Martin is well accustomed to tossing bags of acrid, leaky garbage from the curb into the back of a truck. Now he is pioneering a new approach that starts in one neighborhood this week and could expand across the city — part of what city officials are calling a 'trash revolution.' All large residential buildings in Community Board 9 in the West Harlem neighborhoods of Morningside Heights, Manhattanville and Hamilton Heights are now required to use so-called Empire Bins that hold 800 gallons of trash. Hundreds of parking spots were removed to accommodate the 1,000 European-style bins lining the streets, serviced by 16 new side-loading garbage trucks. The idea that New York City is finally putting its trash in cans, long after most urban civilizations have done so, has led to a fair amount of ridicule. But it is a significant change in a city where piles of trash bags have clogged sidewalks for decades. The shift in trash collection is viewed as one of the major achievements of Mayor Eric Adams's first term. Most of his rivals in the mayor's race this year say it is one of the few policies of his they would keep. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘See how cool it can be': B.C. engineer inspired to make music video about wastewater treatment plant
Adam finds out the story behind an engineer who was inspired to write a song and film a music video about wastewater treatment. Adam finds out the story behind an engineer who was inspired to write a song and film a music video about wastewater treatment. NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. – When Sarah Ries was young, she felt like she was living a real-life Disney movie. 'I actually wore a Cinderella dress throughout my whole kindergarten, every day,' Sarah smiles. She would also constantly carry around a toy tape recorder and microphone, so she could sing along to all the songs from 'The Little Mermaid.' 'But (my younger self) had dreams of doing something bigger,' Sarah says. So Sarah paused performing until after she realized her dream of becoming an engineer, specializing in wastewater. 'When we developed sanitation, it was the biggest improvement in public health,' Sarah says. 'So (wastewater management) is super essential to human health.' Sarah's first big job was working on the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility in Tofino. She was so passion about the project, she decided to write a song about it. 'I know that most people just flush and no one ever thinks about it,' Sarah explains. 'So I thought (a song) was a good opportunity to tell people what's going on.' Sarah then summoned up the courage to play her 'Wastewater Song' at a local open mic night hosted by Geoff Johnson. 'She came in the first time,' Geoff says. 'And I thought, 'Oh. This is a little bit weird.'' But the next times, Geoff really listened to Sarah's thoughtful lyrics, noticed the enthusiastic response from the audience, and was so impressed, he pitched the possibility of making a music video 'There was a version of the video that had laser sounds zapping bacteria and they would explode,' Geoff says of the creative process. '(There were) little poop emojis dancing around and stuff like that.' But in the end, Geoff and Sarah choose to produce a more professional product. It features drone shots and behind-the-scenes mechanical backdrops, while Sarah plays guitar and sings about the plant's process. While the lyrics offer practical and scientific details about wastewater management, like 'You may not know it, the system is aerobic,' 'Organics get eaten in a vat of bacteria,' and 'We blast it with UV for disinfecting,' the chorus poses the comical question, 'Who's dealing with your s#!t?' The girl who wore fairytale dresses and sang 'Under The Sea' has grown up to don personal protective equipment and showcase the complex process of keeping human waste out of the sea. While it's unlikely a song about treating 'number two' will hit No. 1 on the music charts, Sarah does hope — like the fairytales with morals she once loved — her and Geoff's work both entertains and educates. 'For people to hear at least once how their wastewater is more than many have heard before,' Sarah smiles, before revealing the final lyric of the song. 'I hope you can see how cool it can be.'
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
LA City Council Passes Budget That Trims Police, Fire Spending
The Los Angeles City Council approved a $13.9 billion budget proposal for the next fiscal year on Friday, trimming Mayor Karen Bass's plans to increase public safety spending, in an effort to reduce layoffs amid a nearly $800 million deficit. In an 11-2 vote, council members endorsed a revised spending plan that departs from Bass's original proposal, which called for 1,600 layoffs. The new plan trims the layoff count to roughly 700, still impacting workers in sanitation, street maintenance and administrative roles.
TTG
6 days ago
- Business
- TTG
Tens of thousands to benefit from scheme incentivising people to opt out of hotel housekeeping
Travel's Just a Drop charity has hailed the success of an innovative pilot scheme incentivising Park Plaza Hotel Group guests to help raise money for its clean water and sanitation projects around the world. Guests in 17 hotels were offered loyalty points, bottles of wine and restaurant vouchers in return for opting out of housekeeping – reducing their hotel's water and energy consumption – and a £1 or €1 per night donation to the charity. The ecological programme will allow Just a Drop to support 17 projects across six countries this year, providing 42,000 people with access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Projects include rainwater harvesting tanks and latrines in Zambia, menstrual hygiene training in Cambodia and piped water systems in Nicaragua. "Through the initiative, 22,476 people have gained access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, with an additional 19,551 expected to benefit in 2025," said Just a Drop, adding the partnership had benefited both organisations through 'storytelling and visibility'. It continued: 'Just a Drop shares detailed impact reports, stories and videos, bringing the programme's results to life for guests and staff. These narratives, showcased in hotel lobbies, in-room materials and digital platforms inspire deeper engagement and loyalty." The project enables Park Plaza to cut daily housekeeping costs, but also to reduce water and energy consumption. It said it hoped the programme would 'inspire the wider hospitality sector'.
ABC News
6 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Millions face deadly cholera threat in Sudan
Millions of people in Sudan are now also in urgent need of clean water and sanitation. More than 7,700 cholera cases - including more than 1,000 cases in children under the age of five - and 185 deaths have been reported in Khartoum State since January 2025, according to UNICEF.
