Sarah Pearson

These readings were very informative. These readings demonstrate there is a lot that goes on in this waste world of ours that citizens aren’t aware of. The disposal piece shows how America trumps all with waste, and then we dump that waste on other countries. You continually see an exploitation of third world countries, and it is really upsetting. When this article talks about energy efficient fridges, they aren’t energy efficient at all considering the products last only a short lifetime. We once used goods for many years before it was time to discard, but now products don’t have the long life span. I just think of my great-grandmother’s Singer sewing machine from the 1940s that I still use today. Products then were made to last: they were made durable and ensured a long life span. The American Way focuses too much on consumerism. I particularly liked how the author of this piece included a hope section with each waste and process that isn’t sustainable, this gives me a little faith in humanity on sustainability.

I also liked the “Civic Virtue and Classroom Toil in a Greenhouse World” reading. The piece talks about how USA Americans consider themselves to “support renewable energy technologies, greater energy efficiency, and a proactive response… to a greenhouse world.” They may be worried about climate change, but they aren’t acting upon those beliefs and worries. This is the change. You can talk the talk, but nothing is going to get done until you walk the walk. This made me think of my mom, because she told me a few times when I was younger that you should have the heart, the smarts, then the willingness to put those into action. If one of those is missing, you can’t make change. In addition to having an idea, a group, and the willingness to put it into action, I believe you also need the heart- the driving force that makes you want to put it into action and do something for the common good.

The epilogue was useful in thinking of ways to make more sustainable actions. I thought the doing away with war was an interesting approach. As someone said in class, the military also protects us. But the USA spends an enormous amount on war, and we could be doing other, better sustainable things with our tax money. Wars are “fought primarily to maintain access to oil.” Money is being wasted. I like how it says “It’s our right and responsibility of citizens to make sure that our government’s spending is consistent with our values.” We need to shape our values to think more about the earth and sustainability.

Reading about all this waste made me especially more concerned with e-waste. I watched a documentary a few months ago about e-waste in Ghana. I cannot find the exact name of the documentary, but I’ll ask someone in sustainability at DePauw. It was about how our e-waste is sent to third world countries like Ghana. These countries have few environmental policies, and it makes them easy to be exploited. I remember watching this young boy who would crush the computer screens the extract the metals. In the process, he would get cuts and scrapes, and have to breath in the toxic air. The lead in the computer screens as well as other chemicals and bad substances are getting into his skin and his airways. And what’s sad is that people do this to get more money. The way life is right now isn’t comfortable. People want things like sending their kids to school. They are in such poverty that it doesn’t matter where there money comes from, just that they get a little more.

I also really liked the “No Impact Man” documentary. This family really inspire me to change my consumeristic ways. By not purchasing things that are packaged, and buying things more locally and such, this makes a positive impact on the environment. They show that not impacting the earth is possible. Seeing how the family didn’t purchase new materials inspires me to not purchase goods until I really need them. Because too many times we purchase things we don’t need and they become waste. Industrial waste is the leading form of gross national trash. We can sharply reduce this waste by purchasing only the things we need, and really, how much do we really need? When he ate local, he was saving transportation, and he also got to know local farmers. This documentary made me think of the documentary “Hungry for Change.” This documentary is about how food consumption patterns are drastically changing. Food now contains more added sugar and harmful chemicals and substances than ever before. So really, by eating locally, you are not only helping the environment, but you save yourself from such processed foods. Such processed foods add chemicals to make you want to keep purchasing more, even if it is bad for your health. These articles and documentary have been greater starters for making me think more critically about waste and my consumerism patterns.

Colquhoun, J., Bosch L.T., Ledesma C. (2012). Hungry for Change. Australia. IMdB.