Ch.12

In chapter 12, Humes wrote about a family who are name the Johnsons who decided to cut down on holding a lot of stuff. Humes explains their whole life story about how they first had the American dream until they move into an apartment that made the Johnsons realize how they waste and hold so much through out their years. Then Humes mentions that as Béa the mother who becomes the commander of the household decisions,  Béa ends up living with less and makes new strategies on making products for her family. Humes talks about how Béa has limits on grocery shopping, clothes and toys for the kids. Béa explains that people would think that she must of take a lot of time to manage doing this less waste life style but Béa actually has more time than most people. It's annoying when Humes explains about the people would criticize and put rude comments about the Johnsons way of living was delusional. It's interesting how Béa brought up about the American Dream is actually different and that the real meaning to have an American dream is to have financial freedom. Although I believe this life style actually sounds fun to try so people should realize about themselves what they're trying to criticize because the Johnsons are actually helping to waste less and giving tips to others who want to follow.

Ch.11

In Chapter 11, Humes starts off by describing a city that is green, zero emissions, allow bikes to cut in front of cars and ect. This city is at Portland Oregon who even has mayor Sam Adams, who is against waste. It's surprising how Humes mentions about the mayor in Portland would sing on a radio about bringing your own bag as a reminder for Portlanders to bring their reusable shopping bags. Humes catch my attention when he brought up about the test facility in Portland are studying a plasma gasification that can vaporize garbage completely without any trace of ashes. Humes also explain another city Denmark, that has a strategy to build trash burners that can generate power plants for homes that is connected with the plant by ground pipes. It's interesting how Humes said about Denmark's generating plants can help generate over fifty thousand homes for electric and 120,000 or more for heat. Hopefully America would wake up and build plants that can at least produce something for the community and especially ban plastic bags.

Ch10

In chapter 10, a guy name Andy Keller decided to create a bag that can change the economy. He was tired of using grocery bag because it contains a sort of problem. When he discover the amount of plastic bags every where in the dump. He realize he wanted to create a bag that can ban plastic in the future. He wanted a bag that can be folded into a pocket size so people won't get annoyed or forget about it. He called it the Chico Bag that was slowly grew business.  Afterwards, he created a villain for plastic and created a costume that he name The Bag Monster. This help out expand the business and visit it to many schools that kept inviting the Bag Monster. Which this created other plastic bag company mad and try to sue him and take him down. Another company that was being sue by the Lanham Act was the TerraCycle. They were being sue by the Miracle-Gro because of copying of the  company's yellow and green boxes which was really stupid to sue. The Miracle-Gro won and TerraCycle agree to take down their phrase, website, and claiming. This make me realize that the company would do anything to take down small company.

Ch9

In this chapter it talks about how artist can use trash to make art. One of the artist was Niki Uleha. Uleha would go down at the Public Disposal Area to search for parts to create her art. One art that they can't figure was dancing. What surprise me is that the city would put a fine so it can stop the people from stealing the recycle bins from the Recology.  Since that's the way to pay for itself and by stealing recycling from Recology, they stolen an estimate of $2 million to $5 million annually. It's also surprising how the materials that the artist needs is always going to show up at the garbage. So many useful paint gets thrown out that they even offer free paint for locals to pick up because they have plenty enough for artists. It's great that Niki Ulehla uses her puppets to inform the school kids about our trash. Hopefully this can make people relize their throwing good useful products.

The Incinerator as Eye Candy Response

In the article, Elisabeth Rosenthal wrote that we don't longer need "pollution control" since incinerators now contain a series of filters and scrubbers that remove almost all of the offending pollution, and older incinerators that had been retrofitted with the new devices. Rosenthal also said that these incinerators often create heat as well as electricity, sending it in the form of hot water into local areas near it which is really great. It works with the connected pipes that is underneath the surface. Her question "How would you feel about having one of these state-of-the-art plants — lovely or unlovely — in your town, in your neighborhood?" I would say no because if anything goes wrong with the incinerators it will also effect us since its connected to our home. It would be great to have on but it can be quite dangerous for you and the family because it happen anytime.

Ch.8

In this chapter Humes explains the ideas and accomplishments that Bill Rathje made on his life time goal. Well Rathje is the world's first garbologist and had the idea of the Garbage Project. Rathje explain that the Garbage Project is a group of students who do deep analysis of modern waste and do research  with each community's trash. It's surprising that by analyzing people's trash the Garbage Project can predict their behavior. It's weird how the Garbage Project also develop a formula from trash to calculate the relative income and demographics. I also like how they discover the type consumption of different alcohol in each areas which are low-income, middle-income, and upper-income. Although as I read not a lot of people knew about Bill Rathje until Sheli Smith expand his ideas and successfully became viral. But Rathje ideas made it possible and as Smith said " It give us hope for the future."

Ch.7

In chapter 7, Humes discuss about a certain scientist name Sterling who had a vision on smart trash. I think it's really cool about your own trash being aware of themselves. Humes also mentions a group name SENSEable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute that also were interest with Sterlings vision. I was amazed that the Institute decided to use tracking device to notify where our trash goes. Its interesting that people volunteer and use their own regular trash to use as trackers. By using these devices another idea shock me as Humes talks about is the path of our trash that our found revealed a lie to those old assumptions of recycling. Although, groups like these should happen more often since it gets people interested as they understand. This can give us a step forward as we get more peoples attention.

Ch.6 response

 In chapter 6,  Humes talks about a scientist name Miriam Golstein who is part of a new army nerds taking on legions of nurdles.  Goldstein explains that people don't need to wait for more information to prevent waste because obviously people already know we should stop. I was surprise when Goldstein explains that the trash was easily to find in the ocean. Another was reason was that Goldstein describe the garbage as a floating island of debris that is twice the size of Texas. It's scary to know about chemicals clinging into plastic which are eating by fishes. Including the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that Goldstein mention can all harm our marine mammals in the ocean. It's really disappointed how Goldstein mention that hundred of thousand marine mammals had been killed every year because of our plastic. If plastic didn't exist from the past as Goldstein had said, then I believe would can shut down the consuming of plastic and live without it.

A Student's Plastic Solution

In this article written by Timon Singh. Singh explains how a 19 year old develops an ocean cleaner that could remove about 7,250,000 tons of plastic. This really surprise me and I told myself why is that a 19 year old can actually invent this and not the scientist? The boy who created this was name Boyan Slat who won this invention at the Best Technical Design 2012 at Delt University of Technology. Im still shock how he manage to create this technology that can save over a hundred of thousand of aquatic animals and including saving millions per year for the clean up cost. This article really fascinates me how a 19 year old can change our environment better in 5 years. Although this can only happen if we do as what Singh recommends if we all do the importance of recycle and the reduce consumption of plastic package.

Plastic in the Pacific Our Ocean

In this article written By Leon Kaye, plastic has cover over the Pacific Ocean known as the Great Pacific Garbage. The certain group of scientist called Scripps Institution of Oceanography study that the Great Ocean Garbage has increase over 100 times as much it was 40 years ago. This shows that we had consume a great amount of products throughout the years. These little tiny bits of plastic had covered thousands of square miles of ocean's surface. The plastic are broken down the size of a human's finger nail. Which can also explain how 9% of 141 varieties fishes contain plastic in their stomach. Kaye also discusses how these insects know as sea skater, lay their eggs on our trash that can actually form into a impact in our ecosystem throughout the region. I agree with Kaye point as he mentions about consumers, cities, and business that need to prevent producing an amount of trash because soon it's going to effect us right back.

Ocean Garbage Patch

This article was written by Beth Buczynski. It explains about the never ending consumption the goes into our ocean.  Buczynski explain that the Australian Research Council Centre discover that no matter how much we manage to put effort to clean the ocean, this will be nearly impossible to clean completely. I was surprise when she mention about the trash can live pass from their owners. Buczynski talks about the 5 gyres which are major ocean basins that collects waste from different countries. It's funny how these gyres exchange trash by using their currents to transport them. Although Buczynski include that scientist had also discover the sixth gyres that is barely forming. The scientist announced that the sixth gyres will be completely form in 50 years. In the article, Dr. Van Sebille believes that not a single country is responsible since all the trash ends in garbage patch. In the other hand, I believe every country should be responsible since we all drink the same water. They all should react together to solve this problem so we can prevent the sixth gyres and also to clean our ocean. No matter how impossible this can be, the only way we know if we all try.

Chapter 5

In chapter 5, Humes start off with a woman's point of view name Mary Cowell. Cowell sails this ship called Kaisei that is identify as ocean planet in Japanese. She had sailed almost her entire life to discover that her trail in the ocean that she use to take is now floating with trash. Corwell explains that forty years ago the ocean was empty. It's interesting because not only our society change but also our waste. Now the plastic that is found in our ocean is also harming our fishes. Humes also explains a current in the ocean called the 5 gyres. It surprise me that the ocean's current has these cycles that can transport trash to different country's beaches, in other words it can't be in one place. It's shocking how Alaska's ocean contains a reversal cycle, therefore their trash returns back to their beaches. It's sad as I read about the young sperm whale that was discover dead, even though it seem healthy.  Until it was discover that the sperm whale contain about 450 pounds of plastic. It's our fault that these living water creatures are dying. We all need to prevent our trash from entering our ocean because if we don't soon these fishes would all die, therefore we would never take another bite of them again.

Ch.4 Response

    In this Chapter Edward Humes inform us a guy name David Steiner who loves landfills. He's America's king of trash because for him trash is like buried treasure. He believes that there always going to be landfills and that it's part of his core of business. What shock me was a dull immigrant  had started the biggest garbage company in the world named Harm Huizenga. Although his son, Tom Huizenga died so he pass on his duties to Tom's son in law. Humes also explain that the neighbors around Puente Hills were complaining how they burn the trash and the smoke Dioxins was really harmful. Although even if the people who won by stop burning trash, the Council members had post that Puente Hills would be L.A and many cities trash destination until 2013. Which in the end of this year, Puente Hills will be close down and the council members will soon select a new landfill.

365 Days of Trash

     This article was really impressive. I can believe a guy actually saved his trash over a year. This person name was Dave and he wanted to do a project to see what happens to trash if he place it on a small basement. So he thought hard what he actually need or else he fills up his basement. It really surprise me how he can manage to save all his trash and the museum was amaze about it. Dave didnt actually know what to do about the trash but luckily the museum ask if he can donate it to them. In this way, I believe we should waist less because if one guy can do it then so can we.

Joy of garbage

       This article was really interesting. It mention about how the government cared more to the  corporations than the people. The video explain how the corporation has took over one-third of the planet natural resources. Which is leaving out berly 4% of U.S forest. I was getting scared how it also said about pillows containing chemicals and other types of products. It makes me feel like the government doesn't really care what happens to us. All he cares about is his golden arrow which makes us consumer keep the flow of shopping. This shows that the government and the corporation doesn't care how much we produce trash but to produce more goods. I believe we shouldn't let the corporation persuade us to buy new things but to save and use materials that still work.

Interview Edward Humes

          The interview with Edward Humes and host by Terry Gross was really interesting. This article really help me understand how the methane was being created by trash. Also how they use it to produce electricity. Its shocking how Humes said the electricity consume by the trash can generate enough electricity to power over 70,000 homes. Another thing that catch my attention was plastic materials. There are little plastic particles called plankton that been drop to the ocean and its getting into the food chain. Which means fishes in the ocean has been eating these plankton and about 10 percent has been discovered inside them. It startle me because these plastic can lead to fishes that we eat! Including the trash that takes up over 40 percent in the whole globe. Humes also mention about a company name Patagonia that has the best idea for his customers and the environment. He mentions that Patagonia tells their customers to bring back what they bought, if they don't want it no more. They use the return items and create something else out of it. So I wonder why we don't have a company that can lower our dumping. Hopefully soon enough America would view this and seek to help decrease our trash.

Chapter 3 responses

 In chapter 3, Edward Humes discusses how America's plastic dramatically has increase over sixty-three times thrown in the trash as in 1960. This shows that plastic wasn't really used back around the 19th century. All this happen until Coca-Cola decided to use plastic instead of reusable glass as sodas container. They chose this decision knowing it would lower their wieght and cost. Especially discovering that the company doesn't need to pay a dime because the cost was external. Humes explains how after they use this cycle, an increase of plastic are being sold along with being the second weightiest component of garbage which was really interesting. Although J. Gordon Lippincott's vision for buisness really annoyed me. His way of seeing things was that the more consumers buy, the more good fortune America would become. I didn't like the fact that he persuaded the consumers to disregard useful materials and buy better ones or else our economy would fall. This has cause an increase of trash to be placed on. In the other hand, something else Humes wrote in this chapter catch my attention "crimes". I never thought the workers in the landfills would actually find a deceased body. I always watch movies about dumping a body or rolling into a carpet but, I would never thought it would be discovered at the landfills. In any case, I hope this can persuade the people not to throw off useful things and to recycle their plastic because this is the only way to loose this race of trash.

Ch.2 Response

Jorge Tapia
Eng. 113a

Chapter 2

As I read chapter 2 I seriously was surprised about New York. I never heard of New York being the most foulest, smelliest, and dirtiest city. It was interesting how the people in New York use pigs to consume some of the garbage but it didn't work because they needed to drop their own. Another interesting fact was the "White Wings". They help out clean all the streets especially the poorest part of town. What really annoyed me was the people in Los Angeles ignore the law of burning trash from their backyard knowing how bad was the air quality. Although they listen after the five-hundred-dollar fine and jail was posted then people stop. Finally the government and the industry find away to deal with the trash which wasn't good because it filled up certain places.

Chap1 Response

Jorge Tapia
Eng. 113A

Chapter 1

While I was reading Garbology in Chapter 1 it was really surprising how so much trash that was put in Puente Hills. It contains over 130 million tons and still counting. Its really interesting how Puente Hills is really big that holds over 1,356 acres which makes me want to think how it really looks like with full of trash. What annoys me is that the Los Angeles leaders would dump trash secretly without notifying the public. Also when they questioned about where should they place the trash but I really like what Edward's question was "Why do we have so much trash, and what might we do to make less of it?" In other words the leaders should actually think about that question instead of looking for more places to dump trash.