Josh+Raymondo

Introduction
 Have you ever wondered why recycling is important to reduce the affect of global warming? I wanted to know because I keep telling people to recycle but I don't know how this is going to help the world survive an prosper. One day on the news they had a story about an art exhibit that contained only art made with recycled materials. Most of the sculptures were made out of cans and bottles. If more of these exhibits were advertised, I think that more people will want to recycle and help people to create more art in which we will look at and enjoy. This is only one of the many solutions that are out in the world right now! If people were more aware of what is happening and what we can do to stop it, many people will join the revolution to help the world.  

Semester 1 Final Project Step 2: Research

Source 1: “Junk” URL link: http://junkraft.blogspot.com/

Summary This is article is about 2 guys sailing between California and Hawaii on 15,000 plastic bottles and a Cessna 310 to raise awareness about what is happening in our ocean. They are bringing many “messages in bottles” to Hawaii to bring to the government. These messages in bottles contain messages that will be delivered to the legeslator. This corresponds with my topic because if people were to recycle, there would be a lot less bottles in the ocean that would reduce pollution.

Reflection From this article I think it is interesting that first of all, these two guys are so well prepared for this. They have 3 months of food, 12 pontoons, and 20 sailboat masts used for the deck with an aluminum airplane fuselage for a cabin that will provide a huge radar signature. I also learned that we humans, have turned the ocean’s surface into a large plastic soup will all of the pollution that we are causing. All of the bottles that are lost to the ocean are then broken down by the waves and those little plastic pieces are being dispersed throughout the world.

Further Questions I Have 1) I wonder how much those messages in bottles helped to sway the legislators 2) How many people now have a new knowledge of what we are doing to the ocean 3) Will this inspire people to start taking care of the world

Source 2: Blue home bins will not affect HI-5 program (I couldn’t find the original blue bin site) URL: http://www.bottlebill.org/news/articles/2008/HI-10-21-BlueBinsWillNotAffect.htm

Summary The state of Hawaii has found a way to bring recycling to your home. The state distributed many blue bins around the islands to encourage people to recycle. However, if you recycle this way, you don’t get the 5¢ per bottle that you would get from the reverse vending machines.

Reflection I think that this is a good idea for the state to do. But, they should somehow incorporate the HI-5 law into the new system of recycling. I like it how the state is actually trying to help with the recycling effort now because they took a while for the people’s ideas to be heard. To get people to recycle they need to find a way to integrate the HI-5 system with the new blue bins.

Further Questions I Have 1) If the state decides to integrate the HI-5 with the curbside recycling, how will they do it

Source 3: RECYCLING FACTS AND FIGURES BY MATERIAL TYPE URL: http://www.bringrecycling.org/benefits.html

Summary The entire web page is dedicated to facts and figures of the effects of recycling. It has recycling facts for aluminum, compost, glass, landfills, oil, paper, plastics, steel, and waste.

Reflection I find it very interesting that this site only degrades Americans, not other countries. Anyway, this opened my eyes to what the people of Earth are doing to it. Just recycling can easily stop many of the things on the list. I all of the people were to recycle half of the things we buy; the world would be so much better of a place.

Further Questions I Have 1) Why doesn’t anybody do this 2) How can recycling one can save energy  

Source 4: Things you can do with plastic pop bottles URL: http://www.make-stuff.com/recycling/plastic_bottles.html

Summary This site explains what you can do with old plastic bottles. Many of the things are that can be made on this site are things that can be used everyday around the house. I hope that many people will see this site and make some of the things on it. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Reflection I realized that there are people out there that care enough about the environment, that they would make a site like this to find ways to recycle old plastic bottles. I am seriously considering making one of these “projects”.

Further Questions I Have 1) What would be the impact of half the worlds population doing these projects with plastic bottles <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Source 5: Bottled Water URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_water#Environmental_impact Summary It’s wikipedia, so it has mostly everything that you need to know, incorrect information or not. In the environmental impact section, there are many interesting facts about what it takes to make one bottle of water. It also shows the effects on a local economy, environment, and health of that place.  <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">   <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Reflection From this site I realized how much resources are put into making one bottle of water. The environmental impact of making one bottle of water is so much worse than getting the same water from the tap. I have started to get my water from the tap at every opportunity that I have.

Further Question I Have 1) How many people have seen this and changed their ways

__Interview__ I called the recycling office of the City and County.

These are the questions that I asked 1. Do you recycle and why do you do it? 2. How do you propose that we spread the idea of recycling? 3. How have the new blue bin program worked out so far? 4. Are you planning to expand upon the blue bin program? Why or why not? 5. How many bottles/cans does Hawaii recycle per day? 6. How much of an impact is Hawaii making in the world? 7. If all of Hawaii were to start recycling bottles and cans, how much of an impact are we making in the world? 8. If people are set on not recycling, how are you going to try and change their views?

There are only eight because the guy answered a question that I had but didn't ask. media type="file" key="interview.mp3" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> __Action Plan__ I plan on doing a survey that would ask things like do you recycle, how many cans/bottles or drinks do you consume/month, why do you recycle, why do you recycle and why do you think it is important, and how much of an impact do you think you are making in the world. I would then do the math and see how much energy they are saving by recycling.

Actual Survey: 1. Do you recycle?

2. How many cans/bottles do you consume every day?

3. Why do you recycle?

4. Why do you think it is important that people recycle?

5. How much of an impact do you think you are making in the world?

6. What is your ZIP code? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> __Results__ Most people in our class that participated in the survey recycle and that is a start for the rest of the Punahou community to begin recycling. The average canned drinks consumed per day is abut 2. The amount of energy saved by recycling __**one can**__ is about 350 watt/hours which can light a 100 watt bulb for 3 1/2 hours. After I received the emails with the survey's results, I email that person back with how much energy they could save and where the nearest reverse vending machine is. According to the results the people that responded to the survey can save about 700 watts of electricity by recycling what they consume per day. If our entire class recycles what they consume, we can save about 13,300 watts per day.

<span style="font-size: 80%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; color: rgb(219, 0, 255);">__Final Comments:__ Josh- Overall your project was good. Your topic choice is important and it seems you learned some new insights through your research. I really like the idea you had for your Action Plan although it isn't fully described on your wiki. I like the idea of asking people specific information and then doing calculations specific to them and returning this information back to them. This is a good way to help people understand their particular actions and takes a survey one step further. In your Action Plan description above, you don't state who you survey (but later refer to this in your Results). It would have been good to post a sample email that you wrote back to your classmates, so one could see the information you were giving back to them. Also, I'm glad you finally conducted your interview and posted this to your wiki. However, did you know that you never state this person's name above? Also, why is this picture included at the end? (I think it is from the Recycling Fair, since I went last year, but this wouldn't be clear to a "new reader" as it looks like people dressed up for some unknown reason!)