ACADEMIC CRUSH: Judith Petts

Alright, I know I'm a complete dork, but I think I'm in love with a new scholar in my field. Meet Judith Petts - she's a scholar in the field of risk management. I'm slowing becoming better acquainted with risk assessment as I do more and more readings. It's pretty interesting stuff.

In her article written in 2000 titled "Municipal Waste Management: Inequities and the Role of Deliberation" she discusses Environmental Justice and the process of siting a waste facility. She dips into optimising profitability, functionality, safety and legality, but doesn't even brush up against anything Robert Bullard would associate siting a landfill with. It's absolutely astounding! I'm so happy to have found contrasting ideas in this field. I was getting a little down about the social justice field, thinking it was so idealistic and cynical at the same time. Perhaps I'm just sick of Ro Bull. He's is actually kind of passe in this field!!! No disrespect thought because he did start the whole social justice movement in the eighties and nineties and he isn't white and bearded like the other civil rights folk that started it out (John Muir...etc.)

But back to Petts - she also talks about GARBAGE MINING in this 2000 article. When I visited New York a month ago, I started talking to a guy who lived with my friends that I was staying with. He suggested garbage mining as a feasible economic opportunity in the future. I kind of shrugged him off because the idea was completely new to me and I remember him looking at me saying "Kim, this has been studied, I didn't make this up." I was floored, I had been schooled in my own field. I thought he was the coolest and I had a big hate for the guy to. I am however incredibly proud to say that I have found an article that talks about garbage mining (for potentially recyclable resources) and I have to send all my love and praise towards the powerhouse garbage queen Judith Petts.