I have to admit it is impressive that now we developed technologies to make bio-based plastics, instead of using the traditional ways. Compared to the traditional ways of making plastics, bio-based plastic is way more green and sustainable. Every material that is being used is renewable, they can be decomposed in a shorter time. Not only, according to the reading, but also the process of making bio-based plastics also requires less energy, compared to petroleum-derived plastics, making bio-based plastics use 20%-30% less energy. I believe bio-based plastic is a milestone on our way to save the earth.
Archives for September 2021
Journal Post: Art Installation Idea
Last week Marcela taught us how to make small bags made by plastic bags, of course, bags that were thought to be “trash”. This workshop was incredibly inspiring, I can definitely seek to make further development from there.
As plastic bags will be the main source of my art installation, I will be collecting abandoned plastic bags. I recently found that there are plenty of bags in the staircase in my apartment, and there will be new bags each day. I believe I will get enough bags in just a few days. Plus I order deliveries every day, I can finally find a better place for them.
Here are the references, or my inspirations so called.
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Here are my design drawings.
My concept is to let people realise that what they think is garbage, can actually make something useful and beautiful. The product is also not hard to make, so hopefully someone would think making a bag like this is fun, and start collecting the plastic bags, instead of throwing them away and let them damage our earth.
Journal Post
It was nice to meeting Mr. Yan and hear his stories, to know his personal experiences. I could imagine what he does is not easy, but I never thought it was be that heavy. According to Mr. Yan, he needs to be sweeping streets at 5:30 am each morning, having his breakfast next to the trash beans and carry around 300-500kg or even a ton perday.
Mr. Yan also said that sometimes he won’t even care too much about garbage sorting, if he could let it be, he will just let it be.
Before meeting with Mr. Yan, I never knew that copper worth 70 Yuan per kg, I could have send the copper box I threw away to the recycle station instead of to the trash bean. Honestly, I never thought the private recyclers could make 15,000 yuan per month, I was kinda shocked haha. But, what does for living is hard, and should be respected. He deserves the price.
Assignment 2
I was surprised to know that China has just started garbage sorting for only two years until I have heard Mr. Yan’s speech. I mean it felt pretty long, and I wish we started it earlier.
Learning from the reading, I was aware that now around half of the plastic humans made is using on packaging products, and one of every three pounds of all plastic produced is used for packaging.
Combining with Mr. Yan’s message, all the plastic they recycled will be burned. I used to think that there will be a good place for them to go, but now I know the plastic we throw away is going to be a huge waste and huge pollution to our environment.
I start to feel horrible for using plastic products, while I still believe that there are better endings for plastic rather than burning them. Humans are using uncountable plastic products each, it’s hard to imagine how much pollution those plastic products will produce. It is urgent to figure something out.
I know in order to urge others from realizing this crisis and start to do something, I must start with myself. I stopped purchasing any plastic bags long time ago, but I never realize that there’s tons of plastic was used on the packaging, especially when I purchasing stuff online. So, what I’m going to do is do as less online-purchasing as possible. Unless I can’t purchase some products from my local area, I won’t be shopping online. This does not only cut down the use of plastic, but also saves the energy on transporting the package on its way to my place.
Week1 Journal
Ever since COVID-19 occurs, facial mask became something that tens of thousands of people use every day. Most facial masks are disposable, which means they will be throwing to the garbage can once they are used. I have always been thinking about a question: Is there any better place for those masks to go rather than going to the garbage can?
In the first day of class, Professor Godoy showed us that those facial masks could be used to make stuff like plates, bowls and many other kinds of things can develop from there. I thought is an awesome idea, and I stoped throwing my masks and started collecting them since that day.
Assignment 1: Reflection on Jacoby- Introduction to Service-Learning, Service Learning Essentials
- What is service learning? What does it mean for different stakeholders? The community you are serving? The faculty teaching the course? The DSS program? And yourself?
Accroding to Jacoby, he defines “service-learning as a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs, together with structured opportunities for reflection designed to achieve desired learning outcomes (Jacoby, 1996c).”
I personally agree with Jacoby’s point of view. So, start from there, I think for different stakeholders Service Learning could mean differently. For the recipient, service-learning is more about service. For the provider, service-learning is more about study.
For the community you are serving, service-learning is more like a benefit, since the community’s needs often will determine what kind of services the students will be doing.
For the faculty teaching the course, service-learning are new ways to teach familiar material and to engage students more deeply in learning.
For the DSS program, the direction of service-learning become more precise. In the DSS program, service-learning will most likely be community services, which offers students opportunities to engage in local communities in Shanghai.
For myself, service-learning means getting engage with the local communities, profit organisations, or nonprofits organizations, and while providing my time and my resources, I will also be studying. In the service, I’m expecting to be both recipient and provider. For example, as I will be getting engaged with a local community, I will first find out the community’s need, and help them to fulfill their needs. At the end, what I will gain is the ability to find the needs and slove the needs.
- Time is very precious in our busy modern-day life. Why are you devoting your precious time to community service?
There are many reasons of why I want to devote my precious time to community service. First, as I said, community service doesn’t only means providing my time and my resources, community service also means a process of studying and growing. Second, I like to get engaged with communities, I’m good at socializing and I enjoy this process. Last, I think it is important to contribute my power to the society; I probably don’t have the power to change the world yet, but I can strat making contributions to my local communities, and if I have a chance to do so, I would definitely do it.