Chapter 9

I found this chapter pretty interesting. The word garbage means items that are no longer useful in our daily lives. It all becomes trash. Now let's give garbage a different name. Let's call it Art. What does art mean? Art could mean many things. What is really extraordinary is the idea of making new creations and items with trash. Why trash though? Well trash comes from people all around the world and it leaves an imprint and a history behind it. Pieces of trash have history hidden. Now to creating new art with trash leaves us the audience with plenty of interpretations. If someone makes a picture made out of waste, it wouldn't just be a picture it would symbolize much more then what it seems. Trash is part history and to join all that history into one peace, it creates a new form of art.

The Incinerator as Eye Candy

In this article written by Elisabeth Rosenthal, it introduces us with a new way of solving this trash epidemic. Rosenthal explains how new and efficient incinerators are the solution. Old fashion incinerators get rid of the waste that is burn. However, pollution is thrown out in the and most of that pollution are toxins. Thesesnew incinerator get rid of the majority of the pollution from the trash we produce in a daily bases. This could be the new and safest way to get rid of our trash. Yet, this is only fixing the trash that we produce and the trash that is already on our land but what about the trash that is in the ocean? This new idea will reduce the trash epidemic but it won't fix the damage that the ocean has faced.

Chapter 8

Bill Rahje a Harvard University- educated archaeologist who specialized in the study of ancient Mayan ruins is the founder of the Garbage Project. "The idea for a Garbage Project for a systematic and unprecedented deep analysis of modern waste using the same skills, tools and modes of inquiry archaeologist employ to understand the ancient world"(Hume 160). Trash has no political value all it contains is historical facts and hidden messages. It is amazing how people could understand other individuals by just going through their trash. For example, "based on the garbage recovered, the students concluded that, income notwithstanding, the two sets of families consumed similar amount of steak, hamburgers and milk. The poor families, however, bought more household cleansers and spend more on goods related to child education"(162). It is amazing how different groups can be determine    differently because of their trash.  The Garbage Project came up with a catalog for trash. 001 was beef, 003 was chicken, 090 was powdered baby formula 139 was plastic container. There are 190 separate codes in all. This could help many researchers understand trash quicker. Over all it is in interesting chapter. I like how Humes is now introducing us to solutions that many people around the country are coming up with.

The Story of Electronics

In the video called The story of electronics the main quote that really got my attention was "Design For The Dump." This technically means that many objects such as electronics are meant to be design poorly in order for they can break that way people keep on consuming.  Moore's law is a processing speed that increases every 18 months, however, the people that have the power decided to make devices last up to 18 month which means they only last that long. This gives more money to the corporation but gives us more pollution and destruction. The high tech industry isn't clean has we have pictured; they have created their product with toxins that affects their workers. Most of all the electronics carry toxins and when they are thrown away the toxins are released. We produce 25 million tons of e-waste a year and most of all these products are full of deadly materials. We need to create a new way of designing new products. Moore's Law has to become more reliable and more recyclable that way it would be safer for people around the world to use and get rid of.  

Chapter 7

       Throughout this chapter Humes takes his audience to a new way of solving this situation. Smart Trash is the main topic of this chapter. This new technology changes the way we view our own trash and how we get rid of it. Smart trash consists of putting a small device in the things and products we use. This would help the way we recycle and get rid of our trash. Tim Pritchard, a 50 year old volunteer that participates in Trash Tracking became one of the most deeply involved people in this experiment. "While the average U.S. city recycles about 30 percent of it's waste, Seattle topped 50 percent the year Trash Track came to town"(Humes 148). However, there are people that believe that this technology was too expensive and a waste of time. The question that many people had going through their minds were, "How long would the battery life for this device last?" Well, "The devices went to sleep whenever they stopped moving as a further energy saver. Smart trash had enough battery life to last up to thirty hours of constant motion; standing still, it could last through three to six months of hibernation"(150).   In 2009 the MIT volunteers and Pritched released the smart trash experiment. Stage one was to drive around and get random trash that was abandoned. Stage two Pritched collected six hundred pieces of smart trash. This allowed him to see how long and how far our trash was traveling. However, there are some trash that couldn't be considered as "Smart Trash." Some object contain poison which is dangerous to recycle. Yet, this isn't the main problem that the American people are facing, it's the amount of trash they are creating over time without even realizing it. Seattle is a community were trash is their main priority, they understand stand that this trash problem is major. If only our world was able to do the same. We could really make a difference and actually find a true solution for this major trash epidemic.    

Interesting Picture

I found this picture on the web and I believe has a great message that it is trying to portray. Are we to late to save out planet? Is it time to stop thinking about solving this problem and time to thinking about surviving? Great picture.

Chapter 6

In this chapter Humes explains to his audience how this plastic situation has increase over the years. We are introduces to the Scripps researchers which was form by Miriam Goldstein. Their main priority is to accurately estimate the true size and concentration of the debris in the Pacific Garbage Patch and, more to the point, whether or not it is growing over time (Humes 133).  These researchers are trying to find the accurate numbers of trash that is in our oceans. The United Nation states, "That a minimum of 7 million tons of trash ends up in the ocean each year, 5.6 million tons of which is plastic." The ocean has gone through so much over the years, in 2011 the British Petroleum Gulf of Mexico oil spill was the largest man-made disaster in history. Plastic was invented in 1905 by an Belgian American chemist. He revolutionized the way we use things and opened new doors for new inventions. Plastic has been called the "Miracle Material." It has surpass other materials such as aluminum and steel. Plastic has become one of the materials that we use every day. It is everywhere and in everything; it is hard to believe how this new material has taken over our daily lives. Even though this material is an outstanding thing, it is causing more harm than good. Our oceans have turn to plastic soup and we have no idea how to clean it. Goldstein says "We made it. We own it." We have created this major epidemic; it is our responsibility to solve it. It is our destiny to solve and fulfill what our ancestors have created over the years.

19-Year-Old Student Develops Ocean Cleanup Array That Could Remove 7,250,000 Tons Of Plastic From the World's Oceans

Brayon Slat, a 19 year old student has created a new idea that would change the way we clean up our oceans without killing any sea creatures. The Ocean Cleanup Array is design to remove 7,250,000 tons of plastic waste of the worlds oceans. This makes me very glad to know that a young mind created such an idea. If one person revolutionize the idea of solving the trash epidemic imagine what could be created if the majority of the world population took the time and effort to create a solution. Slat took the a step to create something new that would help our environment and could possible create a new beginning in technology.

Scripps Study Shows Plastic in Pacific Garbage Patch Has Increased 100-Fold

In this article written by Leon Kaya states that Scripps Institution of Oceanography has released a study that shows how the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has increased its trash by 100 times the amount of what was found in the region 40 years ago. In the article it states how sea skaters are laying eggs in the region of the pacific. However, they are laying there larvae in pieces of plastic garbage. Sea life is surrounded by plastic. What makes it even worst is that sea creatures are consuming the plastic items and is stuck in there system, which soon kills them in the long run. Trash is entering Pacific Patch and we haven't found a solution to slow down the process. Kayas only plan is to make the the world aware of the major situation we are facing. Great article.    

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Down To The Sea In Chips has to be one of the most interesting chapters I've read so far. Humes finally took us to a new path. The ocean is the new setting now and I have to admit that things just got more interesting. Earth is 71% water and most of that water contains our own trash that we provide everyday. What type of trash you may ask? Plastic is found everywhere in the ocean and the scary part is that sea life are engulfed with plastic. Mary Crowley a former teacher became a sea captain is introduced throughout this chapter. Crowley understands the major problem we are facing when it comes to this trash epidemic. She states " The ocean, had turned to plastic chowder" (Crowley 109). Talk about saving mother nature. What a great disappoint it is to understand that people just don't care! We are repeating history once more, Egyptians use to throw their trash away in the Nile River. Where they bathe and received their drinking water. We are reliving history and it just brings me great disappointment. Further on in the chapter we come to a understanding that our fish and other sea life contain plastic in there system. Our sea creatures are dying because of the plastic that is the ocean. A name has even been create,  Pacific Garbage Patch. This place is know for the trash that is all over the water. Charles Moore's stated that we have live in a plastic ocean now. I couldn't agree more with Mr. Moore's. This trash epidemic is seriously getting out of control. Could anything be done in time to save our planet!?

Chapter 4

     I found this chapter interesting. This chapters main idea was about the history of the landfills. Humes introduces us with the background of the landfills. He shows the ideas that people had during the beginning of the landfill era had. Later on inthis chapter he talks about Waste Management Inc, the hottest investment prospect in the country. Building new power plants was the idea that the American government came up with. Why not burn our trash and produce clean energy that way our trash becomes useful? However, we weren't about to do that. Many people believed that building power plants would create more pollution. Puente Hills is where all the trash is taken and where it gets stacked into a pile of trash to create a mountain of trash. The idea of the power plants was for the use of clean energy by using our own trash. However, San Gabriel Valley, didn't like the idea of this new solution. They believed that the power plants would make there land less appealing to people in the neighborhood because the beautiful mountains would be blocked because of the power plants. They rejected this new solution and now they are stuck with the same old tradition of building a trash mountain. I really did enjoy this chapter. It made me think and question why people don't do things that are reasonable?

365 Days of Trash

Well this came to a surprise to me. Who would of thought that a trash museum could actually be made and be use to educate. The 365 day experiment is interesting because you have to be careful for what you keep at home. Many things can produce toxins when they are decompose. However, this man did his research and was really careful to pick out what to keep and what to throw away. One of the most interesting thing was the museum of trash. To teach people of all ages the history of trash and what it could create is fascinating. Makes me what to start collecting my on trash. Great article in my opinion teaches us what peoples curiosity takes them.

Humes Interview

To be honest I believe that Humes is truly passionate in this topic of trash. In this interview you could comprehend that this wasn't just written for the money. It was written to make a difference in our community our society our world! I enjoy the fact that Humes gives examples of previous historical civilization and how they deal with this crisis during their time period. What is  really interesting is the way that Humes explains exactly what toxins are being spread through the community. Methane is one of the main chemicals that is burn into the atmosphere and we can use this chemical to produce electricity. What I find annoying though is the fact that there is no true solution. Humes continuous talking about the situation and there is still no solution being show to the audience. What is truly shocking is the fact that people still don't understand the affects that our own trash has. To through away our trash into the ocean is unbelievable. Our fish are dying our waters are getting polluted and what is being done? I really hope a solution is shown later on in the book. I believe this interview was fantastic because gives plenty of information.

Chapter 3

In this chapter Humes continues to talk about landfills, namely the Puente Hills landfill in Los Angeles County that has been nicknamed "Garbage Mountain." Big Mike, who is a heavy machinery operator, is the father of Puente Hills.  What interested me the most about chapter 3 was what Big Mike believed in. Big Mike says that he loves his job and love what he does. However, he doesn't believe that Puente Hills will be around forever. Humes continues to talk about the crisis that we are facing and we are still not informing of what is being done today. Hopefully in the next few chapters we come across a solution.  

Summery of article and the video

I found it pretty interesting how there are people out in the world that really want to make a difference. Yet, we are faced with extraction. We are destroying our own world. The video says that we are 5% of the worlds population and we are slowing trashing our land. It's been said that 80% of our rain forest are gone. Shocking how we know little about this issue. There are chemicals that are dangerous to the human body, however; the highest toxins that is produced  is breaths milk. That is unbelievable young babies our the future and they are drinking toxic things. The amazing this is that the economy go is to sell the toxic product faster then other products. Little do we know where all the smart part of those products come from. It is difficult to believe that we live in a world with such a nation of consumers. We live to consume, this is what the system has brainwash us with and we have no idea we are consuming more then we did 50 years ago. I really enjoyed this article and video. It gave fantastic information.

Chapter 2

I enjoy the fact that Humes gave plenty of facts throughout the second chapter. The information that is given is amazing! I always ask myself...How long did it take Humes to get all this amazing information? All the ways to solve this trash epidemic. In this chapter it explains how in early history the trash epidemic affected the people in the rolling twenties. It is amazing  how people survived around this time period. New York was one of the most filthiest city in the world. To live though all that trash and survive is unbelievable. I love how he introduced the the Valley of ashes during the chapter. It was a great way of introducing a classic. The Great Gatsby.  

Chapter

Humes does a great job in introducing the topic that he wants to talk about. He starts by explaining an event that happen with a family during the 1900's. Trash has become a big problem in the United States and around the world as well. I enjoy how Humes is really interested he is in the topic of trash.I quite enjoy reading all the facts that he throws out throughout the book.