Resource Management Project - Bottle Bill Abstract

This is the abstract I wrote on a bill called the "Bottle Bill" that relates to my resource management topic of choice; plastic. Feel free to read the abstract to learn more about what is being done in the country in order to encourage recycling (unfortunately, it's not much).

ABSTRACT

          The United States is among the top consumers of plastic in the world. This is a benefit for the businesses on the plastic market, but an extremely high cost for the environment. Petroleum based plastics are the leaders in the plastic market. The top two petroleum based plastics are PET (#1) and HDPE (#2), often seen in the form of water bottles and other beverage containers. Water bottle consumption is high in the United States, but plastic recycling is low. Presently, approximately 6.8 % of all plastic used in the U.S. in completely recycled. Recycling is the more environmentally friendly way of disposing of petroleum based plastics due to the fact that plastic does not degrade for up to 1,000 years in a landfill or as litter. However, it is not necessarily an easy task to mandate that all citizens recycle, and it is even more difficult to make sure that they recycle the many types of plastics correctly. However, there are methods to increase the rate of recycling in the United States. One solution to the recycling problem is a bill called the Bottle Bill, used in eleven states nationwide.

          The Bottle Bill was created with the purpose of being a sustainable method of recapturing plastic bottles in order to raise recycling rates. The bill requires that a small charge be placed on all plastic containers that qualify, usually about five to ten cents, when purchased. This fee is refunded when the containers are returned to a recycling center. The monetary reward gives citizens incentive to recycle. The positive outcomes of this bill are said to be the conservation of energy and resources, the reduction of waste and litter and disposal costs, and the potential creation of jobs and businesses. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan , New York, Oregon, and Vermont are states that use their own forms of the bottle bill, and these states have higher rates of recycling that others. Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia are states that have campaigns to put Bottle Bills into action in the state.

Go Green Car!

For the Sociology aspect of our Government class, we were required to perform a Sociology Experiment.
I worked with Bryan Kelley and Aryand Macaraeg. We chose to make a car out of cardboard and walk around in public pretending to drive to see what people's reactions would be. We thought that we would get a lot of stares, but when we actually went through with the experiment we got not only stares, but comments and some purposeful ignorance. Check out our video to see how it went :)

Roles Reversed: Nutrients Eating US

Michael Pollan, author of The Omivore's Dilemma, wrote another book In Defense of Food, part of which we read for Elika's class. We were then assigned questions to answer, listed below:

1. Why do people choose to eat products that are unhealthy for them? (food stuffs)

After reading Michael Pollan's book, I think that aside from having moved to being cheaper (with the growing popularity of cheap additives and such), the issue of concern about nutrients that appeared is a huge detail in choice. When people think that foods need to be pumped with nutrients, helped by the industrialization of food, they buy the foods that are chemically altered. We've been brainwashed that "...what matters most is not the food but the 'nutrient'; that because nutrients are invisible and incomprehensible to everyone but scientists we need expert help in deciding what to eat; and that the purpose of eating is to promote a narrow concept of of physical health."

It seems we don't really govern what we eat.

2. What roles/responsibilities does the gov't have in framing your choice?

In Washington, 1977, the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs seemed to have changed the way of thinking about food from food to nutrients due to correlations they saw between certain foods and health problems. From there on the government recommended certain foods, advice that Americans took to heart. Now the ways food is marketed, which I believe is a direct product of that past influence, is all about nutrition. Eating healthy is what everyone cares about.

a. should they be responsible for educating us?

Haven't they already taken that initiative?
Needing to list the ingredients in food, and what the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs did in 1977 seem to be examples of what they do already.
I think that if anything, since the government is sure to know the deal with chemicals in foods, it should promote organics and Farmer's Markets.

b. should they be responsible for managing all products we consume?

No, because what we eat is our choice. They shouldn't take our free will of what we put in our bodies away.

If you're bored..

Currently, I am exploring my interest in photography. I recently acquired a Canon Rebel Xsi, and have been practicing with it, so that when I go to college for photography or photojournalism, I'll know my camera pretty well.

I have a flickr account, so if you'd care to look at my photos, CLICK HERE. I know they're not fantastic yet, but I'm working on it.

Thanks,
Emily :)

Biography of Jeremy White

Jeremy White prefers paper to plastic. Although he isn’t merely two-dimensional like paper, he also isn’t as easy to see through as plastic. There is more than meets the eye. If one were to glance at Jeremy White on the job, they would see a clean cut, professional man in a business suit. They might think he was very serious and working solely for the money that bought that tailored suit, a typical business man. However, in contrast with this stereotypical label, there is more to him than one might think.

Presently age 33, Jeremy White grew up in Sacramento, California. He lived with his mother, two brothers, and sister for the majority of his young life. Jeremy attended Sacramento High School, where he participated in the school’s marching band. It was in high school that Jeremy found a love of music and aspired to be a drummer in a touring band. This aspiration followed him all the way to Sacramento State University, where he majored in music. He later moved to San Diego State University for graduate school, but unfortunately never completed his education there. If asked for one bit of advice, White might say, “Stay in school, keep learning, [and] learn all you can.”

Although he majored in music, presently Jeremy works with Northwestern Mutual as a Financial Planner. Previously, he had been a member of a few obscure bands, one which toured Japan, and another which toured the United States and Europe. Soon he realized that he did not enjoy the struggles that musicians went through, beginning his list of various jobs he’s had in the past ten years. Mostly self-employed, White once owned his own real estate company which was sold when the market became less profitable. Financial planning might not have been his first choice of career, but ever the optimist, he says that with this job he “…thought that he could help with finances for people and musicians.”

Optimism, in fact, has been a key aspect of White’s personality that brought him to this point in his life. His optimism encouraged him to take on challenges. He is presently happy with his life, but always wants to push to do and try new things. Another aspect of his life that affects the way he sees life is one of his passions, traveling. White has seen 8 or more countries and perhaps 40 out of 50 states in the U.S. in his life time. Having had the opportunity to see the way people live in other countries made him appreciate life in the United States, which added to his optimistic views.

Despite the fact that he might describe his daily routine as boring, Jeremy White says that he has no regrets in life, having made the correct choices for himself at the time. In his young life he never experimented with drugs, and has no tattoos or piercing. Jeremy also does not have is a family of his own, and doesn’t know what’s in store for his future. His ideal life in 10 years would be to be lying on a beach in Hawaii, as long as he isn’t anywhere near his worst dear in life, sharks. He is aware that this dream might not come true, just like his original dream to go to college and be in a band.

Curious, Adaptable and willing to take chances, Jeremy White’s only criteria for the nature of the rest of his life is to “Live adventurously, help people, die among friends, and live a happy life.” With a long bright future ahead of him, hopefully this will come true.


Note: This is biography was assigned in class after a group interview.