Technology 7: Recycling

In many towns, people throw away plastics because their recycling facility won’t take them. However, other towns might take these materials. If I were throwing away plastics because my town didn’t take them but then learned that other towns accepted those plastics, I honestly don’t know if I would go to those towns to recycle the plastics. On one hand, it would take a lot of effort to go to drive to another town every week or so. That would take a great deal of time, which I usually don’t have a lot of to spare. It would also mean that I would have to constantly set aside some of my plastic and remember where it was, which would be hard since I’m forgetful. On the other hand, I would feel super guilty if I didn’t do it, and it would probably bother me when I went to sleep. That’s a big incentive, because I like to sleep and have a hard time doing it when there is something on my mind. Additionally, I do want to help reduce the amount of plastic we produce, and if I didn’t recycle, I would definitely feel like I was contributing to the problem, which I would be.

After weighing these options, I think that I would probably try to recycle the plastic, but not on a regular basis. I would wait until the plastic gathered and I would only go to the recycling facility in the other town if I was planning on doing something there first. That means that I wouldn’t go every week and I wouldn’t drive all the way to another town just to recycle. I would wait until I had another reason to go to that town, like for a violin lesson or to go fruit shopping, and only then would I drive there. Then, I would stop by the facility on my way and drop off the plastic. Also, I might not always drop off the plastic and some weeks, I might just throw it out. Still, I would make an effort to go to the other town at least every once in a while and I would try to save my plastic in a box somewhere so that i wouldn’t forget where it was. This would allow me to help the planet and save my conscience, without me having to take on too much extra work.

Technology 7: Plastic

While plastic is very common in our world, not all types of plastic are used in the same manner, nor in the same amount. In the photos that I took of the plastic in my material box, I had about 8 pieces of plastic that belonged to the fifth group, 6 pieces that belonged to group 1, and then one piece for groups 2, 3, 4, 6, and unlabeled. I didn’t find any plastic that was marked with the number 7. This means that mainly, in my material box, there was polyethylene terephthalate(PETE) and polypropylene(PP).

I believe that PETE is commonly used because it is light yet strong and can be produced at a low-cost. The reasons for why people use PP are probably quite similar, and PP is probably common because it is cheap, heat resistant, light, tough, and easy to manufacture. This means that both these plastics are economical. Also, they probably just fit the needs of what many objects require. For example, PETE is used in water bottles because plastic water bottles need to be cheap but don’t need to be all that strong. Additionally, there has recently been a push for people to use materials that are recyclable so many probably insist to use plastic that can be recycled, allowing themselves to feel like they’re doing a good job saving the environment, even if they drive a gas guzzling SUV to work everyday without carpooling and constantly leave all the lights on in their house, even when they’re not home*. Both PETE and PP are recyclable, which is another reason for why they may be so readily used. However, while reusing PP is encouraged, because it is strong and serves as a barrier against moisture, grease and chemicals, reusing PETE is usually a bad idea, because that increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth. These are a few reasons for why PETE and PP may be commonly used.

But honestly, while people are told to reuse and recycle, I think reusing got lost somewhere along the way and now, people recycle like crazy. This makes sense because when you recycle something, you don’t have to think about it anything and you get a good feeling because you feel like you’re saving the world. Reusing the item takes more work for the user because you have to clean the object multiple times, and truthfully, most people just aren’t willing to put up with that kind of work. I recently watched this podcast which talked about where our recycling was going these days, and recycling objects is only done if it’s financially smart. So, is all the plastic we recycle really being recycled, or is it just kept in a storage unit somewhere? That’s what I wonder.

Note: I tried to upload the photos that I had taken of my plastic, but apparently the format wasn’t supported so I couldn’t do that.

* I know I’m probably ranting here, but I’m in a really bad mood today and I really don’t like people who preach about saving the environment and whatnot and then waste energy. For example, there are some celebrities who give speeches about how we need to stop global warming and then, after the speech, they hop into their private jet which uses enough energy to light up a small country for a month. These people think that just by talking, they can solve everything. Talking does nothing if you don’t take action. Hypocrites are probably my least favorite type of people. They drive me nuts. While I understand that these people may be trying to make a difference, I think they should look at themselves first before criticizing everyone else.

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Technology 7: Types of Wood

Wood surrounds us. It is everywhere, from the instruments we play to the furniture which we sit on. These items are usually made of three main types of wood; Softwoods, Hardwoods, and Engineered Woods.

Softwoods are made from conifer trees, or trees which bear cones and needles. Some common softwood trees are Spruce, Fir, Pine, and Redwood. While soft woods can be found in furniture or around a house, this species is mostly used in construction, specifically when building roof trusses or utility style structures like electricity poles. As many Softwoods are able to resist insects and rot, they are often used outside.

Hardwoods come from any tree which produces leaves and seeds in the place of needles or cones. These trees are most commonly are known as deciduous trees, or trees that loose their leaves. Common hardwood species include oak, maple, cherry, mahogany, and walnut. Many hardwood species are well known for their distinctive and exquisite wood grain patterns. Due to this, Hardwoods are often used in walls, floors, bowls, furniture, or for other decorative purposes. Certain species of trees, like bamboo, have similar qualities to those of other Hardwood species, so while they are not deciduous, they are often considered to be part of the Hardwood family.

While ‘Hardwood’ does have ‘hard’ in it and ‘Softwood’ contains the word ‘soft,’ the distinction between Hardwoods and Softwoods depends more on the type of tree used to manufacture a certain piece of wood rather than its strength. The variations of strength in both groups is enormous and many Hardwood species, like balsa wood, are far worker than certain Softwood species. Some other differences between Softwoods and Hardwoods are the fact that Hardwoods are more expensive than Softwoods. Additionally, Hardwoods take a longer time to grow when compared to Softwoods.

Engineered, or manufactured, wood does not occur naturally in the environment and is instead manipulated through chemical processes to have certain qualities that are hard to come by in nature, like extra strength or size. Also known as composite wood, Engineered woods are often made from the waste wood of sawmills. Popular examples of engineered woods include Plywood, Oriented Strand Board, Medium Density Fiber Board, and Composite Board. Engineered woods are used for everything, ranging from furniture to decorations.

Technology 7: Land Uses

Open forest...mountain... : Photos, Diagrams & Topos ...

Forest land can be used for many things. Harvesting trees and manufacturing them for lumber is only one of the possible uses. These days, open land is in a lot of demand. Everyone likes to go on a hike or bike ride in the open air. People also enjoy hunting or fishing outside. Since there aren’t as many open plots of land as there were a few decades ago, the existing ones would be very popular for outdoor activities. If a few hiking, biking, and running trails were set up and there were some nice views for picnic areas, I’m sure someone could make a lot of money by charging people to enter and enjoy the scenery. Additionally, one could use a plot of land as a community space. A few years ago, there was a Little House Movement, in which people build miniature houses. If a land owner could afford it, he, she, or they could build houses on their land and rent it out to homeless people at low or no cost. If it became big enough, this could also become a tourist attraction since everyone enjoys seeing people doing good things. It could also turn into a STEM program, with field trips from schools or summer camps coming to look at the architecture or design of a miniature house. Another way to use the open land would be to turn it into a gardening area. If there are some plots of land that are relatively clear, a land owner could employ people from a nearby neighborhood to come and farm the area. Then, every spring, a farmer’s market could be set up where the fresh fruits and vegetables would be sold. This would be another way to get money and profit off of others. In addition, one could set up a sports camp in which people could enjoy nature and learn about animals for a price. With some good teachers, that would be a big deal, especially if the plot of forest was really pretty.

If I were given a plot of forest land, I think I would do a mixture of all of the things I listen above. I would put trails for people to hike, run, or bike on and definitely charge them a lot of money for entering. Picnic areas would also be there and I would put some cabins in which I could employ rangers to teach children about the wilderness. I would also build some miniature houses in another part of the land. Maybe I could employ the people who lived in these houses in my plot of land so that they could make some money and move out after a while. I would also put an area of my plot aside for gardening. The people who lived in my miniature houses would probably be employed over there and every spring, we would make a killing by selling our fruits and vegetables at ridiculous prices to the people who live nearby. After all this is in place, I would invite schools over for field trips(Of course, they would have to pay me to go) to see my gardens, plots of land, and houses. They could learn about botany, engineering, dendrology, plant taxonomy, and biology. Every summer, I would start a summer camp where young children could learn these things as well and be outside for hours every day, hiking, biking, and running. All my profits would be poured back into my company so that I could expand further and utilize forest plots all over the nation. By doing this, I think I could become a valued part of a community and make a ton of money while I’m at it!

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