Word: peru
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Jose Luis Gonzalez, 60, has been called many things - almost none of them nice - in his 40 years working the streets of Lima, Peru's sprawling capital. "They call us vultures or scavengers most of the time, but sometimes they are meaner, saying we are thieves, criminals. It has never been easy work," he says. Gonzalez is one of an estimated 100,000 people in Peru who make a living diving through garbage to collect refuse - paper, metal, glass - that can be resold for a profit. It is a hardscrabble life, but one thing positive may now be handed...
...National Movement of Recyclers of Peru is hoping to change that. Founded six months ago, the group has an ambitious plan that would double income levels while helping the country's municipal government deal with the problem of solid waste. The first step is changing the image Peruvians have of this army of cart-riding men and women, promoting the word recycler instead of more traditional and derogatory terms like garbage picker and scavenger. "The movement increases self-esteem. Society has always scorned recyclers, seeing them as the last rung on the ladder," says Galo Flores, who provides support...
...Peru's recyclers, with the help of Flores and the backing of a few companies and some lawmakers, have moved quickly to solidify the movement. They have a strategic plan for the coming five years and helped draft legislation on behalf of recyclers. The bill, submitted in October and currently in committee, would facilitate the formalization of recycler associations by granting them government recognition. The legislation has the support of President Alan Garcia's administration through the Environment Ministry because of the contribution it could make to cleaning up this Andean country's towns and cities and contributing to Peru...
Habla Espanol? Intrepid Travel is offering a buy-one, get-one-half-price deal on Latin American packages. Choose from sailing and snorkeling in the Galapagos, sipping your way through the Malbec wine region in Chile and Argentina, or climbing to the ruins of Peru's Machu Picchu. Package prices range from $1,705 to $2,480. You can take a companion, or opt to use the half-price trip yourself as a separate booking. Travel must be arranged by Feb. 28. Quote code...
...touted by the sustainable food movement? I just don't think it's realistic. We should be eating as locally and seasonally as possible - no argument there. But someone who says we should eat only foods from within 100 miles - that's stupid. I don't want asparagus from Peru in December; I want collard greens from North Carolina because I consider that local. It can be better without us being extreme in our demands...