http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22573281/
Lord have mercy, what a scene. Makes the sort of complaints we have about municipal services seem tame. The mob controls much of the garbage business there -- word I heard was they ship upper income northern Italy trash down to the southern, darker region, with toxic waste mixed in.
That's a lot of the problem but Naples could be the proverbial canary in the landfill site. Landfill options are decreasing here in Cal. Recycling is gradually becoming more common, thank God. Palo Alto has the best recycling center I've seen. In addition to all the normal stuff, you can drop off styrofoam, batteries, motor oil and filters, fluorescent lights, scrap metal of all kinds (big NO SCAVENGING sign above the bin for copper and alum), plactic bags, and they even have a Goodwill trailer on site, with attendant.
Could be an export item for us -- that is, trash management. Many parts of Europe are way behind the US and Cal in particular on things like air pollution, recycling. I hear that Cairo, for example, has really bad air pollution. I wonder how their vehicle emission controls compare to Cal's?