WAR ON WASTE

by Joy Palmer ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1990

This call to action on the production, control, and reuse of household and industrial waste has a strong British accent. In sounding her alarm, Palmer surveys different types of waste from litter to spent nuclear fuel and describes a variety of recycling schemes. Her examples are almost exclusively British; American readers will not only be puzzled by terms like ""tips,"" ""skips,"" and ""dustman,"" but will have little interest in the Water Authorities, whose organization is discussed in detail, or in the ""bottle banks."" Moreover, some of the information here is suspect: Palmer states that exposure to radon gas in buildings ""is not harmful to us"" and that tips (dumps) are considered ""safe for development"" after ""a number of years,"" while offering vigorous reassurance that nuclear waste is being disposed of safely. Cartoony, energetic charts and drawings contrast oddly with staid, dark b&w photos. The media-graphy and long address list are exclusively British. Except for cultural comparison, Miller and Berry's Wastes (1986) is both more relevant and more dependable. Index.

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Batsford--dist. by David & Charles

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1990

Categories: CHILDREN'S