Survive Naples

Additional commentary on the Naples garbage crisis is now available in the July 12th airing of CNN’s “iReport for CNN”. You can view the program online here. You may have to look for the July 12th Part 1 program.

To view the full slideshow visit: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-47326

My previous reports have examined the Naples garbage crisis and its development in recent months. The general buzz about town is that things are improving and today’s predicted announcement that Naples is past the worst of it’s problems is welcome. Many, however, continue to wonder what the future will hold.

These images show photos taken of sites in late June contrasted with photos taken today, July 18th. In some instances there has been improvement, in others the situation has stayed the same. The Italian Government stated that its new efforts will concentrate on the development of a more sophisticated collection system. Without this system in place now, however, the piles will continue to regenerate.
Many piles have gone untouched, others have been cleared away, but no alternative dumping site was proposed. Other dumpsters are emptied regularly, but the overflowing trash sits right beside the empty dumpster and is not removed.

Garbage lining the country roads is in close proximity to the regions buffalo ranches used to produce the premier regional product, mozzarella di buffala. In March investigations showed that a small percentage of the product was made with milk contaminated by dioxins. These chemicals were a direct result of illegal dumping and burning of garbage.

The final image of a man throwing garbage onto an illegal dumpsite displays what be the government’s biggest problem…educating the public and changing the habits developed over the last decade.

News outlets are reporting today that Italian government officials are planning to declare the worst of the Naples trash crisis over. During recent weeks there has been a noticeable effort to pick up garbage piles throughout the suburban areas of Naples. Large trucks accompanied by small front loaders have scooped up garbage by the ton. Great, right? Well….not so fast.

Illegal dumping sites have been picked up intermittently and replaced with caution tape and lye to cover the scent of the decaying garbage. Smaller pieces of litter are left behind and are present on nearly every inch of every road. Many legal dump sites, those where dumpsters are placed, have had their piles collected, but the dumpsters are either not returned or are placed back on the ground on their sides or upside-down. The piles then begin to accumulate in the same place

Has there been improvement? Yes. Is the worst over? That remains to be seen.

To view the show please follow the link below:

CNN’s “Today on iReport.com” for July 17, 2008

If you have a story to tell or information to share regarding the current situation in Naples, please register here and submit a comment to this posting with a summary of the article you would like to write.

Survive Naples was down for the last 24 hours. Some changes on the server had an unexpected impact on the entire site. Please accept my apologies as the site grows to bring you up to the minute news about events in Naples and the opportunity to share information so that we can all Survive Naples!

While driving to Ikea to furnish what I am fortunate to call a comfortable lifestyle, I was unexpectedly confronted face to face with the other side of humanity. As I pulled onto the expressway, I saw two people walking up the ramp onto the road. Given the often unpredictible and unsafe conditions on Neapolitan roads, I was initially concerned for their safety. What I saw next stunned me even more.

Looking to my left as I drove up the ramp, I was shocked to see small buildings constructed from the garbage that is common on the streets and highways surrounding Naples. Caught off guard and without my camera, I continued on my way.

Today, approximately one month after my first experience, I returned to the site with my video camera and shot this footage. As I pulled up, a woman, her husband, and teenage son were walking up the ramp. I pulled over to the right side of the road, asked them in my broken Italian if this was their home.

“Si.”, they replied simply and strangely with smiles on their faces. I can only assume they thought I would provide them with food or a handout of some kind. I had nothing to give.

“Di dove sei?”, I asked. “Where are you from?” in Italian. The reply, “Romania.”

When I asked if I could photograph them the smiles quickly turned to frowns and they hastily walked away. I respected their wishes and photographed only the outside of their homes in an attempt to show the world what poverty truly is and that it exists in its worst forms in unexpected places.

Two other men later emerged from the home to investigate me. Keeping their distance they asked for food, but again I had none. Not wanting to disturb them further I continued on my way.

Please read the story posted on CNN at:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/15/italy.gypsies.ap/index.html

additional video available from CNN here in this report by Alessio Vinci.

Many people in Naples have been clinging to the recently elected Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s promise to take action to clean the streets, to crack down on illegal immigration, and to bring an end to the influence of corrupt officials. His self imposed deadline of July 31st is only three weeks away. Regardless of whether he is able to push through legislation to resolve these problems the challenge only begins there.

Naples is a city without laws. There are law enforcement organizations in the form of local police, Caribinieri (civil-military police), Guardia di Finanza (financial police), and others. Despite the quite visible presence of these organizations, garbage is dumped illegally, traffic violations are routinely ignored, prostitution is permanent and in the open, and illegal immigrants peddle their wares throughout the downtown streets.

I was recently walking downtown with guests, taking them on a tour of the many beautiful buildings, ruins, sculptures, and art to be found there. We turned down a side-street in search of a restaurant. Finding all the restaurants closed, we turned around and found the small alley suddenly filled with African immigrants, who I can only assume to be a part of the illegal population. Each held a blanket filled with purses, watches, belts, or whatever they were selling on the street. I waited with them to see what would happen. It was a surprisingly long five minutes before the Guardia di Finanza car passed the alley. The officers, however, never left their vehicle to patrol the streets in earnest.

This charade takes place daily. The police come, lookouts provide the signal, the vendors hide, the police pass, and the impromptu stores return. Of course this takes place in major cities around the world, but the scale and audacity of it here is amazing.

Prime Minister Berlusconi’s laws must also overcome the years of routine that have developed. The people here don’t see a problem with tailgating, driving without a seatbelt, setting garbage alight, or even stopping to pick up a prostitute. Of course there are those who see these problems for what they are, but I never cease to be surprised at the number who seem to be complacent or guilty of these crimes. Any new laws will have to be accompanied by a public education effort to teach people about the dangers of the lifestyle they have been living.

I hope that any new laws will take immediate effect and that Naples will find its feet again, and walk forward to the future with her head held high. I just don’t see it happening in the near term.

Unfortunately the problems being discussed on this site are not new. I have seen comments referring to garbage piled high in Naples dating back as far as the 1970’s! Here for those seeking more history on the topic of the Naples garbage problems are some resources of interest:

CNN reporter Alessio Vinci’s excellent description as to why things are the way they are can be found here.

Newsweek blog posting by Barbie Nadeau about the sadness she feels when she sees Naples in its current condtion.

Also of note, I just got off the phone with a CNN International producer. The videos available here are going to air with some of commentary this weekend on CNN’s “iReport for CNN“. Please watch and encourage others to watch on television or online so that we can continue to raise the awareness of this issue.

I appreciate all of the support you have shown and the many ideas you have all shared with me regarding these issues. Continue to support CNN’s iReport program and return here for more updates.

This more refined update of the Naples trash situation provides a contrast between the beauty of Naples and the blight caused by the uncollected garbage. Hopefully by bringing attention to the issue we can remove the sore on the face of bella Napoli!