Corona, Gabriella

Dr. Gabriella Corona holds a Ph.D in economic history from the University of Naples. She is currently First Researcher at the institute of studies on Mediterranean Societies of the National Research Council in Naples (CNR-ISSM).

Problem of Waste Disposal in a Large European City: Garbage in Naples

2012 0-7734-2905-0
This essay owes its significance to a carefully constructed case study. It examines environmental policies in one particular city, Naples, Italy. But it shows events that could happen anywhere. Re-establishing the cycle of nature through recycling is an exceptionally difficult task. These authors show how the people of Naples attempted to establish environmentally sound policy initiatives by considering all possible solutions. After much deliberation they opted for more efficient methods of waste disposal.

The waste disposal issue in Naples has been at the center of media attention. It raises questions about whether Italy is threatened by a garbage crisis. Taking cues from other countries, Naples discovered that it could incorporate aggressive measures to reduce its waste. The events described in the book start in Naples but extend to Italy and Europe as well.

The two authors of this book are an environmental historian and a waste management expert of international standing. They engage in a straightforward and serene discussion, resulting in a one-of-a-kind work that leaves bias and ideology behind. The complexity of the issue is a result of the speed at which modern society has developed.

The book addresses the inability of the ruling classes to keep up with its frenetic growth rate. Northern and Southern Italy answered the problems of waste disposal in different ways. Hence the need for a debate on the real problems posed by the management of collective property and environmental resources. In conclusion the authors look at future prospects and suggest practical solutions.