In keeping with last week's blog, "The Building Blocks of Education: Plastic?", which discussed the use of eco-bricks, this week's focus is also on eco-friendly bricks, on a smaller scale. Additionally, the title of this blog "What You're Missing Missing About the Climate Crisis" is fitting as this news was released in 2018 and I missed it myself, just as you may have! So, if you haven't guessed by the title yet, the topic of the week is Lego's new line: Plants from Plants.
Lego released their line of Plants from Plants Legos in 2018 as the first of many steps for the company to reach a completely sustainable status for core products and packaging by 2030. The plastic used to create the Legos has been verified as 98% plant-based by using sugar cane plants as the base. Wait, it gets better! The sugar cane plants are sustainable as they grow at the same rates, or faster, than they produce the plastics for the Legos. Lego has also partnered with the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) for guidance on how to best source the sugar cane plants.
The plastic does not taste or smell like sugar, and is not any visually or textually different than other Legos. So that means kids can pair their old Lego bricks with the new plant based ones for seamless creations. Even the most loved of plant Legos will not be damaged as they are not biodegradable (I suppose you can't have it all...yet), so they are just as durable as the previous plastic ones.
There must be a catch, right? Wrong. The price of these Legos will not be affected by the fact they are sustainable and plant-based. If you still aren't convinced to reach for these over the old Legos because of their sustainability, and fair price, they're also perfect for boys and girls, so you can't go wrong! There are kits available including complex tree houses and countless creatures. Even though a kid may not understand the value that these eco-friendly toys pose, they'll sure understand how cute the botanical characters Shy Marvin and Woody Wheel are.
For the parents or purchasers who do understand this value, there are very few reasons to reach for any other toys. Lego is setting a great example for every other toy company on the market by proving sustainable products at equal prices are possible. 60 years ago, the first plastic Lego brick was created, and in less than 20 years the classic plastic will hopefully be completely replaced by modern and sustainable materials. Lego has already made other great strides toward sustainability and encouraging kids to help rather than harm the Earth with toys like the model wind turbine, and are continuing this with their plants from plants line. Changes like these coming from large companies make big differences and encourage many other companies to do the same. They are heading in the right direction and hopefully many others will follow their path.
Find Plant From Plant Legos Here:
https://www.lego.com/en-us/campaigns/plantsfromplants
Friday, October 25, 2019
Friday, October 18, 2019
The Building Block of Education: Plastic?
In various regions of Latin America, schools and classrooms made out of used plastic bottles are continuously popping up as a result of Hug It Forward. Hug It Forward is a non-profit organization which defines itself as a "multicultural organization operating at the grassroots level in the region of Latin America, with an emphasis in Guatemala". The organization works to construct classrooms by using plastic bottles filled with inorganic waste, or "eco-bricks" as walls. First, they stuff the bottles and stack them, (filling gaps with plastic bags), and then surround them with chicken wire to keep the frame in place. Finally, the chicken wire is coated with cement and painted. The finished product looks just like a regular school and shows no signs of the plastic frame.
To make all of this construction possible, Hug It Forward focuses on community effort, so as much of the construction is as local as possible. In addition to this, they also focus on education and consciousness regarding proper disposal of waste in the future. By doing so while building the classroom, they are physically showing their volunteers how much damage is caused when it is not properly recycled, as plastic is sometimes retrieved from nearby rivers and countrysides. The sense of pride that the volunteers are left with after not only cleaning up their area, but taking part in building something leaves the community with a sense of pride which is carried on into other aspects of life.
Between the community efforts, and use of simple materials, the cost of each bottle school only reaches about $7,000. However, the reward that each bottle school brings to its community such as a sense of empowerment and resilience, but most importantly access to education are priceless. In just 3-4 months a full school is built and changes the lives of so many young kids permanently, as each bottle school is estimated to last roughly 100 years.
So, these bottle schools are a great way to reuse plastic, reduce building costs, and give children the opportunity to receive an education, but what does it have to do with the climate crisis? Well, since 1950 humankind has created roughly 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. In addition, a whopping 91% of that plastic has not been recycled, both according to a recent article in Science Advances. Plastic is detrimental to the Earth in so many ways; its production generates greenhouse gases and uses fossil fuels, damages ecosystems and harms wild/marine life, biodegrade to micro plastics, and so much more. The best solution is to stop creating more plastic at all. However, the plastic that is still presently degrading at a rate incredibly slow cannot all be incinerated, as that emits massive amounts of CO2. Additionally, not all plastics can be recycled quickly or easily. Reuse of plastic on the other hand, has a less damaging effect. The bottle schools are able to set an example and be an inspiration to future construction problems outside of just schools. This building method has the potential to take massive amounts of plastic waste out of communities and landfills to be put to use rather than incinerated or left to biodegrade.
The innovative thinking behind bottle schools has potential to go much farther than just school buildings and aid the massive problem of excess single use plastic products.
So, these bottle schools are a great way to reuse plastic, reduce building costs, and give children the opportunity to receive an education, but what does it have to do with the climate crisis? Well, since 1950 humankind has created roughly 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. In addition, a whopping 91% of that plastic has not been recycled, both according to a recent article in Science Advances. Plastic is detrimental to the Earth in so many ways; its production generates greenhouse gases and uses fossil fuels, damages ecosystems and harms wild/marine life, biodegrade to micro plastics, and so much more. The best solution is to stop creating more plastic at all. However, the plastic that is still presently degrading at a rate incredibly slow cannot all be incinerated, as that emits massive amounts of CO2. Additionally, not all plastics can be recycled quickly or easily. Reuse of plastic on the other hand, has a less damaging effect. The bottle schools are able to set an example and be an inspiration to future construction problems outside of just schools. This building method has the potential to take massive amounts of plastic waste out of communities and landfills to be put to use rather than incinerated or left to biodegrade.
The innovative thinking behind bottle schools has potential to go much farther than just school buildings and aid the massive problem of excess single use plastic products.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Really, Google?
No one could’ve seen this one coming. Now Google, beloved Google, has joined the growing list of companies who are not making enough effort to aid the climate crisis, despite their previous claims to want to aid the problem. News broke this morning that Google has reportedly made “substantial contributions” a multitude of other companies that have made their disbelief of climate change incredibly well known. This leaves many wondering the question, if Google has historically been concerned with the climate crisis and attempting to help those fighting against it, why are they supporting deniers? Perhaps the company thought that the addition of these companies would go unnoticed amidst the expansive list of other companies they contribute to, but it did not.
When the United States left the Paris Agreement, we set a terrible example for other nations and allowed ourselves to continue killing our Earth. One company which played a large role in swaying this decision was Competitive Enterprise Institute. CEI has been a known conservative company, who aided the anti environmental climate change policies of the Bush administration years ago. Again, CEI has played yet another part in the Trump administration’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement. The question still remains, why would Google support such an open climate change denying company? Who knows. CEI is not the only beneficiary of Google’s new contributions though.
Other companies such as the Heartland Institute who have infamously criticized Greta Thunberg’s efforts to stop the climate crisis. It’s interesting that one company that is not afraid to blantantly criticize an intelligent teenage girl, but at the same time that teenage girl is absolutely fearless in the face of insult (as her famous death glare shows). The list goes on for about a dozen other companies supporting the removal of climate saving regulations and laws.
Google’s response to the public outcry? Weak. They say that despite their contributions, they do not endorse their agendas, rather agreeing with their technology policies. Google’s spokesperson has also said that the company wants to be open with their users regarding their polictical involvement, yet decline to answer how much they actually contributed to each company.
To say that you agree to disagree on a debate with a friend or coworker, but to do so on an international platform as one of the world’s most well known companies is an entirely different thing. Something that never should and never should have happened. Although Google is not the first to do so, it does not excuse their actions. If anything, it makes the entire situation significantly worse because they argue what they are doing is ok because other companies are too. This thinking is what helped lead the climate crisis to the point where it is at now: next to irreparable.
When the United States left the Paris Agreement, we set a terrible example for other nations and allowed ourselves to continue killing our Earth. One company which played a large role in swaying this decision was Competitive Enterprise Institute. CEI has been a known conservative company, who aided the anti environmental climate change policies of the Bush administration years ago. Again, CEI has played yet another part in the Trump administration’s decision to leave the Paris Agreement. The question still remains, why would Google support such an open climate change denying company? Who knows. CEI is not the only beneficiary of Google’s new contributions though.
Other companies such as the Heartland Institute who have infamously criticized Greta Thunberg’s efforts to stop the climate crisis. It’s interesting that one company that is not afraid to blantantly criticize an intelligent teenage girl, but at the same time that teenage girl is absolutely fearless in the face of insult (as her famous death glare shows). The list goes on for about a dozen other companies supporting the removal of climate saving regulations and laws.
Google’s response to the public outcry? Weak. They say that despite their contributions, they do not endorse their agendas, rather agreeing with their technology policies. Google’s spokesperson has also said that the company wants to be open with their users regarding their polictical involvement, yet decline to answer how much they actually contributed to each company.
To say that you agree to disagree on a debate with a friend or coworker, but to do so on an international platform as one of the world’s most well known companies is an entirely different thing. Something that never should and never should have happened. Although Google is not the first to do so, it does not excuse their actions. If anything, it makes the entire situation significantly worse because they argue what they are doing is ok because other companies are too. This thinking is what helped lead the climate crisis to the point where it is at now: next to irreparable.
Friday, October 4, 2019
Ocean Cleanup Device is a Success
There is officially some hope to be found for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch's removal. First, let's start with some background information.
It is exactly what it sounds like. It is a massive island of various trash created from everything from plastics to baking pans. Its located between California and Hawaii in the pacific ocean and spans more than 600,000 miles, twice the size of Texas.
Humans. The majority of the trash found within the Garbage Patch is from North American and Asian land. Additionally, some trash is contributed by boaters who lose or discard of their garbage into the ocean. On a larger scale, offshore oil rigs and large cargo ships also contribute through the same means as well as through the lose of equipment in the water.
- What is the garbage patch though?
It is exactly what it sounds like. It is a massive island of various trash created from everything from plastics to baking pans. Its located between California and Hawaii in the pacific ocean and spans more than 600,000 miles, twice the size of Texas.
- How did so much trash end up in a swirling vortex of the Pacific Ocean?
Humans. The majority of the trash found within the Garbage Patch is from North American and Asian land. Additionally, some trash is contributed by boaters who lose or discard of their garbage into the ocean. On a larger scale, offshore oil rigs and large cargo ships also contribute through the same means as well as through the lose of equipment in the water.
- Is this the only garbage patch on Earth?
Sadly, no. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest out of the five main patches. The other four main patches are found in the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Oceans. There are more smaller patches in addition to the main five all around the world though.
- What's the big deal?
The Garbage Patch is a major problem for the environment for countless reasons. For brevity's sake, I'll only name a couple The marine life in the ocean is consuming this plastic and becoming extremely sick or dying, which has its own set of repercussions. Additionally, the plastic naturally degrades as it does in landfills. Except in the ocean, those micro plastics are absorbed and eaten by the fish living in the ocean. The fish we humans love to eat. Some studies have even found micro plastics in humans, likely partially caused by seafood consumption.
- So, what is this new device?
It is simply called the System 001/B. It is the first major success of its parent The Ocean Cleanup Project, created by Boyan Slat. The device works in a fairly simple yet effective manner, which aims to collect 50% of the total garbage in the next 5 years. The device is made of a giant C-Shaped ring, a skirt so marine life can pass underneath, and a sea anchor. The C-Shaped ring is pulled around the ocean by the wind and collects garbage as it moved through the water. Simultaneously, the sea anchor slows the device's movement so that the surrounding garbage can keep up with it and be collected. The device is emptied after a few months by a boat that comes to retrieve the garbage which finds the device through its satellites and sensors. So, after several revisions and reattempts to the design of the boom, its creators are hopeful it will be successful enough to collect at least half of the Patch.
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