Garbology by Edward Humes Ch.12 Review

    We have not failed to save our Planet just yet. There if still hope for us to step up and take responsability for correcting our wrongs. In this chapter Humes writes about the Johnson family. The Johnson family is a family that has made it there mission to like a waste free life. But they were not always aware of how to like waste free as they were just like us once. Blinded by ads and media to shop and not knowing about the overflow of trash issue we face. It wasn't until they moved to another home that they saw how much trash they consume and items they don't need or want anymore. I know if i were to move out of my apartment I would feel the same. Even when it comes to spring cleaning, that can make you think twice about shopping. So now the Johnson's do whatever they can to reduce waste, from taking glass jars to put food in from farmers markets to using biodegradable tooth brushes from Australia. The Johnson's looks so strange because most of it is empty looking do to the lack of junk they have. Despite the Johnson's lifestyle many people were nasty to them thinking that the Johnson's thought they were perfect when that wasn't the case what so ever. Instead of us hating on people who are trying to save our world, we should look up to them and use them as an example. For they can make our future possible.

Garbology by Edward Humes Ch.11 Review

  In chapter 11 of Humes book we take a look at a green city. But, is it really all that green? The city is Portland Organ. Humes writes how in the city of Portland they recycle a lot, have many more bike lanes than California, and are coming up with new ways of eliminating trash. like by steaming it down instead of burning it. Overall Portland does what most of us should be doing which is finding better ways of doing things.However one thing that Portland fails to do is reduce how much they consume. So even though they recycle and have green resources, they manage to still contribute to what Humes calls "the 102 ton legacy". Portland is so close to truly leading the way to more green life style, they just need to control their spending habits. "They make a lot of it in Portland-a shade more trash even than the Average American's 7.1 pounds a day, and a half pound more than the average Oregonian."(249)

Garbology by Edward Humes Ch.10 review

  In chapter 10 of Garbology Humes brings up a man named Andy Keller. Andy Keller is the founder of Chico bags. Chico bags are reusable bags that you can use when you go to the grocery store instead of plastic. This is an amazing product that is actually good for the Earth. The cool thing is that Keller got his inspiration to develop the bag after a visit to a land fill by his home. Keller noticed that there was a lot of Plastic bags in the landfill so he wanted to reduce the plastic waste in landfills. Whats cool about what Keller developed is that he saw something negative happening to our planet, and he stepped up to take action. If Keller can make a difference, then so can we. Even if it is by just using Chico bags. What was annoying about this chapter was how plastic bag companies were suing Keller for reducing plastic bag sells. All Keller did was bring to attention the issue that is the "Bag Monster", where he wore a full body suit of plastic bags. Its just so sick that their are people out there that care more about money than life. Besides what good is money if there is no world left to enjoy it with. Chico bags are the future, so lets use them and make a change for the better.

Response to "The Incinerator as Eye candy" article

I honestly wouldn't really mind if one of these state of the art plants was located by my home. As long as it's not hurting my family and community I'm fine with it. Besides all it does is provide heat and hot water to the buildings. Plus the buildings look pretty cool and futuristic.

Garbology Ch.9 Review

    I have to say that chapter 9 has been one of my favorite chapters to read. Its was cool to read how artist can make a difference in the world wide trash epidemic. In this chapter is discussed how many artist have gone to landfills to gather materials to create beautiful pieces of art. That's an amazing idea of how to make trash useful and beautiful. When I was a little boy I remember haw my father would go out into the town dump to find things we can us and that were in good condition. Which after reading Garbology its highly likely that most things in dumps and landfills are useful. One day my father came back with a CD player for me that was water proof and some toys like old Hotweels. I was so happy even though the things I got were not new. Then that got me thinking how a child doesn't need to be given brand new toys to be happy. They can be happy with recycled things just as much. That goes to tell you that things in landfills and dumps are not necessary trash. But things people have chosen to abandon whether its a toy car or pieces of beauty scattered threw out a dirty field. Landfills are a true wonderland that just need the right person with a vision to discover it's priceless values.

Garbology Ch.8 Review

 In chapter 8, Humes focuses on "The Garbage Project" and it's founder Bill Rathje. Before reading this chapter, I have never heard of the Garbage Project. So to clarify, the Garbage Project is a group of people who focus and study trash. I's amazing what they can discover by simply just noticing what types of garbage they find in landfills and everywhere else. And if you were wondering what in the world does Garbology mean we finally get an answer for that in this chapter. "The study of a community or culture by analyzing it's waste."(168) And that exactly what Bill Rathje is. "The worlds first garbologist".(159) They say ones trash can say a lot about a person's life. Garbology has proven this to indeed be true. As the garbologists team studied garbage they found that it can be linked to year this piece of trash was most common. A perfect example is how two years after AIDS broke out infecting many, the amount of condoms increased thus more people where practicing safe sex.
  What was very shocking to me is the amount of food we waste. The garbage Project found that there is a lot of food we just throw away. Some haven't even been opened. This is very true as I myself have trough away unpackaged or still good food simply because it might have expired or doesn't look appealing any more. And keep in mind Costco and all the "deals" it offers. Do you really think anyone could finish all those big portions of food. Just the other day my mother was trying to buy some muffins but the cashier told her she had to get another batch as well because that's the way they sale them. We didn't even eat all those muffins. Schools are another reason so much food gets thrown away daily. Students often waste food and throw it away not thinking about how much waste they are producing. Then again this is the schools fault. In my old High School they would make use take everything or else we would have to pay. I remember arguing with the lunch lady about me not wanting to take milk. I ended up taking the milk as usual so I wouldn't have to pay and as soon as I stepped out of the lunch line I would through my milk in the trash. I wish I would have known about the Garbage Project while still in high school.

Garbology Ch.7 Review

   In this chapter of Garbology Humes writes about a study that was made in Seattle 2009 by MIT scientists and Bruce Sterling. The study asked volunteers to put a tracking devise on a piece of trash of there choice like a Coffee cup or a an old shoe; Which is why the name of the chapter is titled "The Trash Trackers". What I liked about this study was the idea of knowing exactly where our trash goes and ends up at. "Innate intelligence would, in sterling's vision, allow us to direct all objects-specifically the objects we throw away-to the best and most efficient path for refuse, repurposing or recycling"(146). It's cool to think that knowing where our garbage goes can open the window to truly informing society what we need to do and about the importance of recycling in order to clean up our world.
    The chapter also mentions that the scientist chose to conduct the experiment in Seattle because they are a "Green city, 50% of the people there recycle and the average U.S city recycles about 30%"(148). At the end of the study the volunteers were called back to see where there garbage ended up at. I was surprised to see that most of there trash ended up in other states than the one that they threw it away in. In some cases even further or just lost track as the devise attached to it must have been removed somehow. This would a good experiment for all of us to do in order to be aware of where exactly our trash goes and how it ends up in oceans, streets, and how it trashes our overall planet.