Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into the issue of littering in Latin America, comparing it to the historical littering habits of first-world countries. He highlights the cultural and economic factors that contribute to the problem, including the lack of recycling infrastructure, the role of garbage collectors, and the impact of tourism. Mueller also touches on recent efforts to ban plastic bags in some parts of Latin America, such as Honduras, Panama, and Costa Rica, and reflects on his own littering habits, admitting to only littering biodegradable items.
Johnny discusses the prevalence of littering as a lifestyle choice, particularly among Latin men, and contrasts this with the availability of trash cans, which are often overflowing. He references a shocking photo of the Caribbean Sea being choked by human waste, emphasizing the impact of plastic pollution. He also discusses the lifecycle of plastic, its harmful effects on the environment and human health, and the lack of media attention on the issue. He mentions the success of a policy in the UK that reduced plastic bag usage by charging for them and notes that even in the U.S., tap water is often contaminated, suggesting the need for water filtration.
The podcast segment also discusses the issue of littering by immigrant communities, particularly from Latin America, in the United States. Johnny attributes the problem to cultural differences and a lack of education about littering and its effects. He references a study by Rosa P. Oaks from New York State University, which highlights the damage caused by littering, including abandoned vehicles, drug paraphernalia, and other items. Johnny also points out that the Mexican cultural trait of littering is well known but rarely reported by American journalists. He provides examples from local news stories, such as in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Decatur, Alabama, where littering by the hispanic community has caused issues.
Finally, Johnny discusses the importance of having a solid plan for expat life in Latin America, emphasizing the need for 'boots on the ground' and proper preparation. He promotes his expat insider seminar, offering early bird discounts and highlighting the benefits of attending, including personalized phone consultations. He also mentions the availability of a free nine-hour expat essentials video course and a free Spanish learning book by Jack Brett. Additionally, he touches on recent news from Latin American newspapers about public criticism of police using patrol cars for personal use, including images of officers with families, goods, and even fishing.
Topics
Littering in Latin America, Cultural and economic factors in waste management, Impact of tourism on environmental policies, Recycling and waste separation in Latin America, Comparison of littering habits in first-world and third-world countries, Environmental damage from plastic pollution, Impact of microplastics on human health, Success of UK's plastic bag policy, Water contamination in the U.S., Littering by immigrant communities, Cultural differences in littering behavior, Education and upbringing in waste disposal
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:01:09 Littering in Latin America: The Common Practice and Its Impact on the Environment 00:02:12 Historical Context of Littering in First-World Countries and Its Relevance to Latin America 00:05:40 Johnny Mueller's Personal Reflection on Littering and Environmental Responsibility 00:06:12 The Natural Decomposition of Litter and Its Environmental Impact 00:06:50 The Shocking Photo of the Caribbean Sea Choked by Human Waste 00:10:25 Water Contamination in the U.S. and the Need for Filtration 00:11:36 Introduction to the issue of littering in uneducated societies 00:12:27 The Mexican cultural trait of littering is well known but rarely reported 00:12:48 The best way to find out about garbage being dumped by the immigrant community 00:16:30 Generalization about latinos not sharing North American love of nature and cleanliness 00:17:52 Seminar Promotion and Early Bird Discounts 00:18:30 Importance of 'Boots on the Ground' for Expat Success 00:19:37 Free Spanish Learning Book Offer for Expat Listeners 00:21:27 Public Criticism of Police Using Patrol Cars for Personal Use 00:23:09 Patrol Cars as Family Vehicles in Latin America 00:23:14 Public Outcry and Cultural Context 00:23:17 Changing Perspectives on Local Customs
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] South of the border, down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came up to play and now I wonder Hello there all you expat wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started Alright, let's talk about some of the stories that are headlining in big latin newspapers. Well here. I see a big article It says nearly all the rivers in Latin America are contaminated. Well, we knew that and spoke about that in a previous show I also mentioned previously that in my experience anyway, and I've been around the world a couple times
[00:50] Latins are the littering is people in the world littering is does that a word? Well, it is now don't think you're not allowed to create your own words I mean how the dictionary spring up, huh, of course to be expected the more educational Latin person has the less He's like a litter still you could be driving behind a guy in a Range Rover and the window will go down and they'll throw Some crap out the window McDonald's wrappers junk food bags cocaine see usual suspects And of course you longtime listeners might remember me telling the story when I first got to Latin America And I actually rode the chicken bust a few times There were signs posted in the front of many chicken buses right up by the driver that said please throw your garbage or pazuda In Spanish out the windows because you know They didn't want their buses to be loaded up with food wrappers and other junk and way back when 27 years ago
[01:37] Where do you think I saw most of those signs in Costa Rica? So with Latin's being the littering is people around There's that word again Maybe we'll start a trend when you come down here whether on vacation or for your plan B You're gonna be slightly pissed off even outraged, but then what well you could say something and get the glazed eyeball look Or you can just bite your tongue I Suggest take a couple of deep breaths and think about this if you look at the recent history of any first world country You'll see they went through those stages to ask your parents or your grandparents There was a time with every developed country when littering was kind of a pastime and all the rivers were polluted, too So with habits that are kind of distasteful even disgusting here in Latin America. It's all about the lag time
[02:24] You know little by little third world countries are getting with it But it will take time and remember that old saying I think Shakespeare said it poor people have poor habits. He also said Expectation is the root of all heartache man. Did he get that right? Huh? Oh, and by the way, the only places in Latin America that you see three separate garbage cans You know where you separate your waste and stuff are in tourist and gringo iced area. Isn't that funny? Meanwhile in the rest of Latin America, you won't see any of that Now there are a lot of very high-end malls in such and wealthy areas way off the gringo tourist trail They look completely first world except they don't have the recycling bins going They just haven't gotten that far along in their mental processes yet Not to mention the garbage men down here. No, they're not garbage men or sanitary engineers. They're just garbage men bass ureros
[03:16] Though Latinos are nuts about titles. There's no sign of PC'ing up the place Not yet. Now if you were to ask a garbage man or a bass urero about recycling He'd say they only bother to separate and recycle stuff. That's got some value to them believe it or not That's how garbage men make extra dough by what you might call professional dumpster diving for them It's got nothing to do with cleaning up the environment or making your area beautiful. It's about the money That means there's a very active metal scrap business throughout Latin America Which is a good thing because it does eliminate some of the waste and provide some jobs, too But the fact is wealthy high-end so-called educated Latins who live in expensive gated guarded communities Always surrounded by very nice first world business and shopping areas
[04:01] Well, it doesn't seem to matter because by our standards most of them are litterbugs, too Yet those places remain nice and even pristine. How'd that happen? Well, that's because they've got so many minimum wage grunt workers picking up after them You might remember from a previous show Latins don't pick up dog poop either and upscale Latins with some education who should know better They don't either even though pretty much every Starbucks That's outdoors in a separate building in a wide open space in an ample parking lot has an actual dog poop station with Dedicated plastic bags. I imagine that's the same setup for Starbucks up in the States though I wouldn't know I never go back even so it doesn't matter it has no impact people don't get it Starbucks workers will tell you no one ever grabs a bag and uses it for that purpose though workers will tell you those bags
[04:49] Do disappear in a hurry so oftentimes they just don't refill them people steal them Speaking of plastic bags and pollution. There's some nasty news coming out of the Caribbean side of Latin America Specifically coming out of Honduras right now the little beautiful island of Rotan like to take vacations there myself sometimes Better late than never they just banned the use of plastic bags in grocery stores and Panama and Costa Rica Have done the same thing, too Which again falls right into that lag time theory? Those are the three most gringoized areas in Central America anyway And so that pressure of having so many gringo tourists and knowing their habits and disdain For garbage and the damaged plastic bags due to marine life
[05:34] It was only a matter of time before they were pressured into outlawing them as for full disclosure I do litter a bit myself, but only biodegradable stuff. For example when i'm peeling an orange or a tangerine Occasionally i'll let it hit the sidewalk But you know here in Latin America millions of trees are dropping uneaten fruit like crazy Hey, if it's all right with mother nature, I guess it's not a sin then right as long as it's truly biodegradable and not processed You know you could say paper is biodegradable, but i'm not going to throw that on the ground But as for an orange peel or an apple core, that's another thing if there is no garbage can around I just might toss something like that on the curb If you don't like it sue me But I guarantee you the very next day it'll be gone and not because some human thought it was a good idea to pick it up How'd that happen? Meanwhile, you've got 95 percent of the latin population
[06:22] littering as a lifestyle choice However, I have to admit it's mostly the latin men the macho guys But that's not to say everyone litters all the time and throws their crap everywhere You know even a dog doesn't poop where he sleeps It seems to me upon observation latins will put their garbage in a trash can if one's available But unfortunately when one is available It's often stuffed to the brim and overflowing and the overspill all over the sidewalk So the government trash pickup service is at fault too and worse. Listen to this article. It says Shocking photo shows caribbean sea being choked to death by human waste Man that grabs your attention, huh? He starts by saying a photographer has captured the damage being done to the planet's oceans with a shocking sea of plastic and styrofoam
[07:11] An image taken near the tranquil caribbean island of roatan So there's a huge plastic blanket of forks bottles and rubbish between roatan and the caillos cochina's island off the coast of honduras Then it says we were on a diving trip and the worst of the rubbish we saw Was around 15 miles off the coast of roatan heading for caillos cochino's marine reserve By the way caillos cochino's means the island of pigs or pig island Rather fits in with the theme. Don't you think then the author says we passed through floating garbage for nearly Five miles adding everywhere. We looked plastic bags of all shapes and sizes chip bags ziplocks grocery trash bags Snack bags and other packages were everywhere. Then she says there weren't just plastic bags and junk food items
[07:59] There were broken soccer balls toothbrushes TVs and so many shoes and flip-flops. I couldn't count them Then the article alludes to the fact that most of the garbage they believe originates from the guadamalan Honduran and mexican mainlands washing into the sea During heavy rains then they ask a question. Do you really need those plastic spoons and forks with that chinese carryout? Especially since the average useful lifespan of a plastic bag is 12 minutes Meanwhile a bag floating in the ocean might not decompose for six months to a year And when it does decompose and break down into its component molecules animals absorb it and then we end up absorbing it Some plastic monomers are so small even standard filtration equipment won't remove them
[08:48] Which is why these days scientists are saying that every one of us has a toxic level of plastic monomer throughout our bodies And why scientists say it's impossible to put a restrictive limit on the amount a body can handle because we're all Overloaded with it. It's one of those taboo subjects The media doesn't want to talk about and if you bring it up at a party people's eyes glaze over They just make an excuse to walk over the bar to get a refill on that johnny walker with a plastic cup and swizzle stick too Oh, and here's a revolt and development. Listen to this It's from a piece of an article called plastic by the numbers. Did you know? Only 12 percent of plastic is actually recycled the rest goes into the environment Worse yet an average of 11 000 pieces of microplastic are ingested by every human each year
[09:37] Meanwhile just a hundred years ago zero pieces of microplastic were ingested by humans and get this in the uk Eight and a half billion plastic bags are used each year in supermarkets Then supermarkets start charging five pence for each plastic bag reducing in one year that eight point five billion to only 2.5 billion a reduction of six billion or 80 percent So they charged about 60 cents for every plastic bag that was formerly free So people started bringing in their own plastic and cloth sacks So it's true Every latin river and lake is polluted and the only place where standing or moving water is really clean in the wilds is up Where the water source is usually in the mountains or water coming right out of a spring
[10:22] Which is why you absolutely have to filter your water And of course, you should do it in the states too because their water sources are contaminated as well No matter what the government tells you sure. I still have friends up in chicago Who drink tap water straight they say i'm not gonna buy that expensive bottled water. It's more expensive than bud light Plus the government says it's okay Who was it that said to be old and wise you must first be young and stupid? Oscar wild maybe can't remember would make a good t-shirt though, huh? So you want some more ugly? Well, listen to this From the po folks have po habits department and i'll paraphrase and just tell you the fun parts All americans living just north of the mexican border cannot help but notice the environmental damage being done
[11:10] By the hundreds of thousands of latin americans Clamoring across the border every month us land and property owners watch silently And in disgust as they see immigrants setting fires dumping litter breaking down fences Spray painting gang signs trashing parks and defacing monuments roads and rest stops That says the problem isn't just the number of people traipsing through the us wilderness areas It's that uneducated societies have no concept of what litter is or the effects it has That's a quirk of prosperous societies the damage to our park shows these cultural differences between illegal immigrants and regular citizens Writing an environmental journal at new york state university rosa p oaks describes the damage to flowers plants and trees as
[12:00] Prehensible then she has a long list of what's being damaged. For example towering cactus. Joshua trees flowering cactus, etc with accompanying photos She notes that immigrants litter includes abandoned vehicles used needles other drug paraphernalia Bedding plastic grocery bags paper empty water containers blankets clothing use diapers amongst other things Then it says get this The mexican cultural trait of littering is apparently well known to everyone Except american journalists who rarely report on it then it says and man is this on pc Hey, but sometimes there's nothing more irritating than the truth, right? The best way to find out about garbage being dumped all over by our vibrant
[12:48] Immigrant community is to look at local news stories from any town that contains an hispanic chamber of commerce That means the town is mostly hispanic. Then it says here are three examples from just last year Number one local politicians in heavily hispanic allentown, pennsylvania wanted to rename 7th street Then it turned out that the hispanic merchants on Had no interest in this idea their number one issue litter Dorcas diviera an immigrant from guatemalan that city said in perfect english the litter problem in latin parts of the city is embarrassing Dorcas who owns a local business says every morning She goes out and personally picks up the litter from the sidewalk before her clients arrive number two graffiti
[13:37] Which some social do-gooders have said is an art form now according to people who study these things 90 of all graffiti in the us is done by latinos and latino gangs By the way, how are you guys on that idea that graffiti is an art form? Yeah, and I suppose rap and ragathon are music man. All I can say is i'm glad i'm here in latin america Now you could say it's ironic But as far as graffiti especially south of south of the border that's south of the mexican border It's mostly where you expect it in the poor slums You only see it in tiny dribs and drabs in middle class and upper neighborhoods funny though down here in the boonies And in the countryside you almost never see it as opposed to tuxon cleveland or jacago I bet a bitcoin that there's more graffiti just in the chicago land area than in all central america combined
[14:27] Remember mexico is not part of central america. It's part of north america In fact one day not so long ago. I was talking to expat eddie about graffiti He's really quite the unsung artist, you know He's one of those guys that can draw a portrait like nobody's business, man I don't have a lick of that kind of talent if he would have just saved all the cool stuff He drew on bar napkins over the years. He could have had a really nice art show I've told him a thousand times if he ever hits the skids again He could just take a pad and pencil sit down on a street corner in any central park in latin america And make a living at it. He's as good as the best of them Anyway, I remember we got into this discussion about graffiti and I said eddie. I don't get it How come there's a thousand times more of it in the states than latin america yet?
[15:13] Up in the states is to latins who are doing it. He said johnny think about it Can a spray paint three bucks? That's a half day salary for an agricultural worker here where we come from that's bus fare But where were we? Oh, yeah, we're talking about news stories concerning latin litter bugs Well, how about this if you talk to parks and recreation people up in the states They'll tell you that after a sporting event when everyone goes home and all that's left is the cleanup They can tell you in a second what general class of person was in attendance. Sure. It's a generalization But generalizations always have basics in fact and by far the sporting events have the most accumulation of garbage surprise surprise Soccer matches. No, not baseball football basketball tennis or god forbid ice hockey
[16:03] Talk about squeaky clean those canadians in their ice hockey, huh? Very low post game litter count there Anyway, the article goes on to say last october the parks and recreation department of decatur, alabama Was again forced to remove goals from the soccer field because of the mountains of garbage Routinely left behind by the majority in attendance the hispanic community So one could and rightly make the unkind generalization That latinos coming to america do not share north american's love of nature and cleanliness And their definition of litter is not nearly the same as our definition of it Hey, so how on pc is that? But you know, you can't argue with what you're seeing with your own two eyes
[16:50] All right. All right before you start sending me emails telling me i'm being way too harsh here and that latinos will surely shape up When shown good examples, well, that's true. And I do believe it's all about education Not schooled education. I'm talking about the education you get from your parents in the home Specifically from your mom and i'm talking to you latin moms out there What the hell's wrong with you that you can't teach your own kids to put their litter in a garbage can Or teach your boys not to whip it out and pee anytime they get the urge Which makes the question you moms and dads up there in cleveland seattle and wonky What would you do if your teenager young adult kids said hey dad pull over? I gotta take a whiz and he proceeded to water the shrubs right on the spot Hmm, I think corporal punishment would make a quick comeback. Don't you?
[17:38] I know it's a different thing if you're out hiking in the woods But still you first scout around for a lonely place even if it's not convenient All right turn in the corner now As this show goes out on friday the 24th of november That means you've got seven days to sign up for my expat insider seminar and still Take advantage of the early bird discounts. That's a 500 discount per person Then on december 1st, we're back to the normal pricing again To check out the itinerary and get the sign up info Just go to the new expat.com website and click on johnny's seminar link And while you're there at the new expat.com Don't forget to check out the itineraries for the pre and post john gault special trips Whether you're just thinking about it or actually putting together your plan b the only way to save yourself from reinventing the wheel
[18:27] Stripping your gears wasting a lot of time and money Is to get boots on the ground in latin america the right kind of boots on the ground Let's face it if you just land down here and follow your instincts and don't have much of a plan Just poking around checking things out Well, that's all right If you got the money and all the time in the world But really how many of us can do that unless we're backpacking college students Like I said, you need the right kind of boots on the ground. That's so important I mean, hey, that's exactly what my expat insider seminar is all about You're drinking from the fire hose in the morning and every afternoon and evening. We got heavy boots on the ground That's why people call it expat boot camp So it's all about the right kind of boots on the ground and that's exactly what the john gault trips offer, too So go to the new expat.com website and click on those links check them out
[19:15] And of course if you can't make it down to the seminar or get boots on the ground just yet The very next best way to get your plan b percolating is to sign up for my nine hour expat essentials video course And you know lately more than half of the people who come to the seminar have taken that course beforehand It's getting rave reviewers. So do check it out at expat plan b.com Oh, and don't forget about jack brett's special offer on his fast spanish book second edition. It just came out last week He's offering it free Exclusively to expat file listeners. Just go to the expat files.com Fast spanish now since jack made that free offer to us last week i'm getting a lot of feedback great feedback Everyone's surprised and pleased and they can't believe he's giving it out for free. I mean, it's over a hundred pages
[20:03] And you know, it's all about his year plus long boots on the ground voyage to find the best fastest and most economic way for gringos and expats to learn their spanish a little spoiler here He found the very best place in all latin america to be in a certain altiplano town in Guatemala, so what are you waiting for get it for free at the expat files.com Fast spanish just one more thing or two more things No matter where you are along the line with your plan b or you're just thinking about it You'll be doing yourself a big favor by downloading my free plan b consultation questionnaire form You'll find that too on the main page of the new expat.com website Download it. Have a look. Everyone's been saying it really helps and speaking of phone consults
[20:50] By the way, if you download that form, no obligation, just have a look at it You know, if you sign up for my expat insider seminar you and i'll be doing a one-on-one hour long phone consultation before you come down That's all part of the deal So if you have any unanswered questions about the seminar latin america or getting your plan b going fret no longer Two heads are better than one unless you're looking to buy a sombrero In any case i'll help walk you through your questions and concerns But where were we? Oh, yeah discussing some of the late breaking news stories in the big latin newspapers Stories that never make it up to the states The headline says in spanish. We'll translate the tax-paying public is critical of Policemen using their patrol cars as family vehicles for personal use
[21:37] Then it shows pictures of cops in uniform Driving their patrol cars around town with their wives kids brothers sisters girlfriends mistresses Whatever seems like if you have a patrol car anything goes and no one's checking There's one shot here by cop driving and there's a lady in the passenger seat all decked out in a party dress High heels makeup hair done up bright red lipstick I suppose out for a night on the town at the local cantina Who knows then there's a shot of a uniform cop driving along and in back he's hauling a refrigerator Yeah, that's all in a day's work for a cop, right? Then there's another shot of a cop in his patrol car hauling what looks like half of an adolescent soccer team in uniform Then there's a shot of two cops with their patrol pickup Loading up on pineapples and papayas
[22:24] Then there's another police pickup with the back end just filled with hundreds of tennis shoes, man It appears the guy's got a business on the side. Hmm. Can't fault him for that And probably the best shot is a cop car parked next to a river with two cops nearby sitting in lawn chairs fishing shades of andy barney gomer and ernest tea bass down by the fishing hole, huh Speaking of fish now, I do eat fish, but I never eat those Antibiotically saturated farmed fish like tilapia You know the ones that live in their own doo-doo as for me I'll only eat fresh catch ocean fish coming in from local boats and it can't be the frozen stuff either By the way, I will be doing a show on farmed fish and shrimp very soon because that's a huge industry here And it ain't pretty
[23:09] But as far as latin cops using their patrol cars as family vehicles If you're watching this show on youtube whenever I get it up there, you'll see some of these photos And finally the public is speaking out. They're pissed And if you're thinking like an uptight first world anal gringo, you might say it's about time Let's punish him too. Maybe court-martial him knock him down a rank and put him back in the barrio walking the beat Now years ago when I first got down to latin america, I probably would have thought that way too But I have to say after living here as many years as I have and seeing how most all the cops south of south of the border That would be cops south of the mexican border are basically the definition of happy lazy lard ass slugs I'll tell you i'd rather have them hauling their daughters and relatives around akin seannual parties
[23:55] Then putting up roadblocks stopping people and hitting them for bribes Here's the thing your opinion about a lot of things here in latin america changes as time goes by It's kind of like the phenomena you see over time with so many bright rational americans That is when they're in high school and college. They're liberal democrats practically socialists Because hell everything they are and have is due to their parents who are paying for everything then when they get out Start accumulating things get a job have bills and mortgages All of a sudden they get struck with a conservative streak Maybe they even vote republican then they discover nothing changes, you know meet the new boss same as the old boss. They become rather individualistic and libertarianish In other words want more freedom, not less less government. Not more more privacy
[24:44] Not less fewer laws less regulations not more In other words in a roundabout way everyone should stand or fall based on his own work perseverance wits and Accomplishments. I mean come on who bus can say we're the same person. We were back in university When more or less it was mom and dad and or government loans or scholarships that footed your bills and your lifestyle Including of course those famous drunken spring break blowouts at fort lauderdale and datona beach back when I was in college That was the pinnacle of spring break excess Of course these days florida is a rather unremarkable and pedestrian place to go for spring break Now kids demand to go to far-flung places on their parents dime Of course like cancun playa del carmin jamaica or costa rica
[25:33] In fact, my sister's entitled kid who goes to school in madison, wisconsin She came right out and said it's cancun or nothing because that's where her friends are all going Now if I was her dad i'd have said fine Nothing it is I mean come on who'd have thought for a college spring break florida was no longer awesome And you know when I hear these stories from members of my own immediate family I'm thinking i'm glad I don't have kids because if I did i'd probably slap them up once in a while till they got the message Then i'd end up in some kind of anger management program in a parental halfway house or something I mean that is the fashion up where you live these days, right? The kids dial an 800 number and the cops come and haul the parents away And don't think down here in latin america when you're sitting around with a bunch of latinos or gringos
[26:18] Subjects like that don't come up. They do Latinos are curious. They hear those things rumors, you know Some latinos have heard if you raise your hand to your kid or even yell at them a bit too much They can call the cops and have you hauled away when I tell them it's true. They just can't believe it They think i'm pulling their leg. I'm having them on in fact One latin guy told me if they had such an 800 number here in latin america if you dialed it No one would pick up One last thing about cops and patrol cars here in latin america As it turns out only about one cop in 20 is assigned a patrol car always with a partner, of course So if you become a cop the odds aren't very good that you're going to get a patrol car But when you do man, you'll won the lottery And since latin cops are only allotted around two gallons of gas a day
[27:07] They're glad to haul around friends neighbors and family Because the deal is they buy the gas And as long as statistics bear out that 90 percent of cops in latin america don't own their own cars for the average slug Being a cop with his own patrol car will always be the dream job dream job number two Motorcycle cop the advantage there you're allotted a gallon of gas, but it lasts all day This is the expat files living in latin america If you want me to help you out with your own plan b just schedule a one-on-one consult Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to learn how to move forward with your own plan b from right up there in the states Go to www.expatplanb.com and check out my three videos. See you