The Incinerator as Eye Candy -Response

The incinerator as Eyes Candy article by Elisabeth Rosenthal talks about the incinerators in Europe where this incinerators are close to neighborhoods due to their little harm of contamination and its benefits of producing electricity and heat and hot water to the neighborhood. Well, considering all this benefits that come up from the incinerators, I wouldn't mind to have one in my neighborhood because it will not only help to get hot water or electricity but to the reduction of trash. I would feel at some point happy because trash would be reused or regenerated instead of being piled in landfills creating bigger mountains of trash. This doesn't means that if we have one in our neighborhood the trash problems will end. I believe that trash reduction takes more than an incinerator in our neighborhood. It takes more to fix our garbage waste problem.

Edward Humes GArbology -Chapter 8

In this chapter we were introduced to Bill Rathje an archeologist who was specialized in the study of ancient Mayas ruins. He created the Garbage Project a study that analyzes trash garbage. He is the first garbologist that with his archeological tools and techniques help to understand the civilization of Americans from its garbage(163). Through his methods he developed a new language to identify pieces of trash from the landfills to discover what was it before. In this chapter is also mentioned that when the students study the trash from the rich and the poor neighborhoods they thought that poor areas will produce less trash because of the difference of the economy but instead the result were surprising because they produced almost the same amount of trash. Well, in the other hand this study also demonstrated that consumers purchased more food when shortages occurred because they were buying more things they were not normally buy(165). It was surprising that with the trash we disposed others could know a lot from us like Rathje did during his project. I was astonish when he could help the government to calculate the number of households when they were having trouble with the Census and how he did it? Well all by the trash. He could determine how many women and babies even the age based on the trash they threw away. Well like its mention before trash and our consumption really says a lot about us.

Edward Humes Garbology - Chapter 7

This chapter talks about a project that bring up the concept of "smart trash". Smart trash was a  project created by MIT and scientist and artist of the SENSEable city Lab. This project consisted on giving selected trash a trackers.Volunteers were invited for the project and they would be giving their trash and after putting the trash trackers on their trash, they would disposed the trash like they would normally do. This project allowed scientists to track where the trash was heading after being disposed and how many places they would travel before they arrive to the place were they belong. The project took place on Seattle a green community that recycle about 50 % of the trash that came to the town. Also, I found very interesting that Seattle residents are not only a green community but their system charge them the amount of trash they produce instead of a monthly fee like they do in CA. If California would accept this kind of system people would be reducing their trash and managing to create less. This is a good incentive for that people but it would be a good one for us as well because everyone like to save money and we wouldn't be solving money but as well producing less trash. We need that system urgently so California residents pay attention to the amount trash they dispose. We will be paying a fair fee for our trash and we will be contributing to the planet. Lets work together and make this happen.

The Story of Electronics by Anie Leonard

In this video Anie Leonard presented us the disposal of electronics. In the video "The Story of Stuff" she mentioned how companies were designing products for the dump but in this video she gave us a closer perspective about how that works. She explains how companies of electronics use the "design to the dump" system so we consume more and they can sell more. The strategy to make stuff thrown away quickly consists on designing something to last less or broke fast. This strategy is applied to electronics. As a result, companies make it more easier for us to afford and buy a new electronic when they broke than repairing them. Designing electronics that only last eighteen months is the companies system. This means more consuming and more trash as well. After electronics are being dispose they release toxics that they were made of before. They travel to another countries were workers without proper gear extract the valuable metals and burn the leftovers that release more toxics. In addition she mentions that we should take back on companies and demand greener and long lasting products. This is very interesting because most time whens we buy a new electronic is not only because they broke fast but because media persuaded us to buy it.We need to go green, we deserve better world with less trash .This seems that money and sales are more important than out wellness. I will consider all this when I get offers to buy a new electronics.

Edward Humes GArbology-Chapter 6

In this chapter Edward Humes introduced us to Mary Goldstein, a scientist. An ocean researcher who is trying to figure out how plastics ended up in the ocean and how the debris are affecting the ocean and the ecosystems. Goldstein who after reading about the gyres and the garbage patch and discovering the poor the information was known about it, proposed to the University of California Ship Found to devote some money to research about the gyres  and garbage patch. They agreed and sent a SEAPLEX voyage to the garbage Patch. Later on, the Kaise project offered them help and provide their ship to do more research in the ocean. In this voyage, Goldstein discovered that it was too easy to find out trash over the ocean. She found out that high concentration of plastics bits were spread across 1,200 miles ocean. While doing her research she found out that plastic could be seen in the transparent jellies bodies. This is shocking because ocean species are eating plastics and is not healthy for them and their life is in danger. As Humes says those vital organisms are swimming, eating and surviving in the sea of plastic soup. The worst thing is that small fishes are eating plastic and when bigger fishes eats the smaller fishers with plastic pieces they contaminate their body with plastic as well. Also, I was astonished when the 5 gyres research group estimates that the ocean contain about 157 millions tons of plastic that represents 63 % of all plastic made in 2011 in the world. This is horrible not just because is an estimate but because is a lot of plastic spread in the ocean. After reading this I felt sad because of the ocean species. We need to start reducing the plastic we consume and try to manage to live without plastic even tough plastic is everywhere from the socks we wear to the tooth brush we use. This is bad, we urgently need to stop it.I don't want to hear names of species in danger of extinction because plastic.

19 Year old student Develops a clean up array

Boyan Slat, a 19 year old student develop a clean up array that could remove 7,250 000 tons of plastic from the ocean. This is fantastic. When I read that he was just 19 years old it really shocked me because at such a young age he developed a new hope to aquatic animals. This Clean up array device consists of an anchored network of floating booms and processing platforms that could be dispatched to garbage patches and the array would span the radius of a garbage patch, where it would be separated from plankton. Is really inspiring that he was able to develop this array. Is brilliant because it will not only clean the ocean but fishes would be able to eat only plankton. This is the first step to start making changes. He came up with a clean up array to remove tons of plastics, now its on us to prevent plastics or any waste garbage enter to the ocean.We need more of those ingenious solutions.

Plastic in Pacific Garbage Patch Has Increase 100-Fold

This Article says that San Diego Researches release an study that revealed plastics on the Garbage Pacific Patches have increased 100 than they were 40 years ago. This was surprising because this study resembles our never ending consumerism, is all reflected on the waste we produce that ends up in the oceans. Is terrible because in a just few years our garbage plastic have increase so much. Even worst it ended up on the ocean and fishes are eating the plastics. It mentions that mosquitos eggs had been found in the plastics and it could have  a huge impact on the ecosystems through the region. Even the terrible tsunami that was on Japan will add mounting on the debris. Well , at that point this debris can be justify for being there because was a natural disaster but the other plastics on the ocean surface is our responsibility. They are the effect of our actions. I will be recycling more and will be reducing my trash. I believe that small changes will make a difference. We all should reduce trash and consume less and live within our means.