Week 2 — Plastic Pollution

Week 2 — Plastic Pollution

 

This article is talking about the ideas that author had after listening to Richard Brubaker’s speech, reading two famous essays and searching piles of papers, mainly on three topics: the relationship between business models and ecological sustainable development in various industries, the current situation of plastic products production and the harm of plastics to the environment. The author believes that collective responsibility plays a huge role to the failure of sustainability and that business models and ecological regulations in government and industry are also the priority of our environmental construction.

I largely agree with the author’s view of the PET. Plastic product is a great invention in the period when plastics were just developed. As the article said, “durability and permanence were its biggest selling points.” However, I think that all products should be built and used on sustainable conditions, whether it is in the clean production or recycling section, it is a company’s, an industry’s, and even the whole society’s duty to pay attention to. Speaking of this point of view, I’m reminded of the description of some of the most persistent and toxic pesticides in 《Silent Spring》. After the use of such chemicals, the agricultural output has surged, bringing lucrative economic results, which basically popular around the world. However, gradually as research going deep, scientists had discovered their persecution of the environment and the serious harm to the human body through the enrichment of the food chain. Various countries have banned the production and use of this product.

In addition, through the reading of the article, I learned that micro-plastic is a new concept that is extremely harmful to the earth’s biology and the marine environment. No matter the plastic foam that we use for transportation or the small plastic straws that we use only a few seconds, things like these can all cause chronic diseases and disrupt metabolism in our endocrine and reproductive systems through a series of changes. This confirms the famous phrase in Chinese Buddhism that “there must be fruit.” 

In the article, concerning the six foundations proposed by Kent E. Portney, the author analyzes from the perspective of the business model, and I personally prefer to start from the scientific research point of view. At present, although China’s scientific and technological development is booming and flourishing, there are not so much real scientific researches and outstanding patents that can be combined with current trashing condition. As far as I’m concerned, researches on college students are generally based on the results of laboratory experiments. I believe that each of the six foundations is inseparable from the development of actual technology, and this requires a group of intellectuals in our country who are willing to devote themselves to scientific research.

In conclusion, this article has a wide range of perspectives, profound and scientific knowledge as well as thought-provoking.