DURBAN – Visit any dump site or landfill in the developing world and you will see people picking through the waste, alongside flocks of birds doing the same. Most of us who live comfortable suburban lives will shudder and turn away, either horrified at the desperation or repulsed by the idea of sorting through others’ grubby, messy leavings.

But we should not. We should applaud the waste pickers as strong and independent people who are making a living off our excessive trash – and as heroes in the struggle against climate change. Read more