Train Graveyard in Bolivia

The train graveyard is located about 3 km outside the trading town of Uyuni, in the south western part of the Latin American country Bolivia. Years ago Uyuni was an important transport junction, connecting major key cities. 

Construction on the network commenced in 1888. Aniceto Arce, Bolivian President, encouraged this project, believing that his country would flourish with a very good transport system. Nevertheless it was sabotaged by the local Aymara indigenous Indians because they believed that it intruded their daily lives. 

The mining companies mainly used these trains; nonetheless in the 1940s many trains were abandoned because of the collapse of the mining industry, partly due to the mineral depletion, hence creating the train cemetery.   

Rubbish in Mozambique

Growing up in a European capital where rubbish is put in the dustbin and from there the rubbish dumps, which I do not know and in a way I don't want to know where they are. People in the cities choose to distance themselves from these facts and get quite annoyed when the trash is not collected on time. 

However we forget various other places around the world which receive our rubbish. It is a fact that trash is moved around, massive quantities are thrown in the oceans and the third world. These of course produce many illnesses and infections to the people close to this 'mountains of rubbish'. 

Are the pictures here the answer to the problem in the 21st century? We have been hearing that a futuristic solution would be to send our rubbish into space. Maybe recycling should be taken more seriously. These images are appalling, showing how colonial attitudes from the Western powers towards the South, mainly Africa, continue even in the post-colonial era.