Steven Chen developed a hydrogel-based device with algae cells that form radicals which are capable of degrading organic substances. Learn about his project below:
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Over 60% of Americans believe that they are recycling poorly. [1] And nearly 50% have trouble identifying what is compostable with almost a third saying that they would likely put compostable packaging in the recycling. [2]
Thus, confusion about how to use the trash (black), greenery composting (green), and recycling (blue) bins is understandable. So let’s outline a few main things to remember when sorting trash.
First, starting with the greenery composting bins. A general rule of thumb here is simply: “If it grows, it goes.” More specifically, three categories of waste are disposed of in the green bins: food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings. However, it is important to remember that no plastic products go in the green bin, even if they are labeled “compostable” or “biodegradable." Additionally, for clarity, the following don’t go in the green bin: pet waste, diapers, glass, metals, dirt, rocks, rubber bands, or twist ties. [3] But if in doubt, “if it grows, it goes!”
Second, moving on to the classic blue recycling bin. The following items go into the blue bin: aluminum, Styrofoam™, glass, and plastic cups, containers, and trays. Buckets, tubs, and toys do as well [3]. More important for recycling is preparation. The key phrase is “empty and dry.” Items should be shaken or wiped to remove any food and liquids and then be left facing up in the recycling bin to dry. Remember, if an item isn’t easy to empty and clean, it probably shouldn’t be recycled [4]. Additionally, California’s Recycle Smart site warns, “Containers with liquid or food can spoil everyone’s recycling in a collection truck.” [5] Contamination is a real problem that risks the effectiveness of recycling as an environmentally friendly process.
Finally, dispose of almost everything else in the black bins. This includes plastic straws and utensils, even those labeled “compostable” or “biodegradable.” However, no electronics, hazardous waste, or chemicals go into the black bin including batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, etc.
So now, remember to think before you toss and spread the word. Everyday practices that we all do, like recycling (blue bins) and composting (green bins), play a key role in reducing waste and helping the environment. [6] Every step matters, and we must do everything we can to stop the perils of climate change and decide what type of world we want to live in.
Citations
By 2050, the world’s oceans will contain more plastic than fish. But I’m sure you know that already, or have heard something similar before. This fish statement, in particular, continues to circulate widely in media, social networks, and even among sources with high authority such as policymakers or renowned environmental organizations like the WWF (World Wildlife Federation). The reality is, though, that no research has ever reached this conclusion. No amount of statistics or mathematical predictions can estimate plastics up to 2050. We don’t even know how much plastic is in our ocean today.
Environmentalists invoke similarly dramatic and overblown declarations for other problems as well: “There are only 60 years of farming left if soil degradation continues,”(Scientific American) or “We will see virtually empty oceans by 2048”(Science). No matter where we look, the sky seems to be falling. These statements reveal an ongoing trend in how we receive climate-related information — Cataclysmic messaging, big bold letters, and no source or academic article citation in sight. These motifs simply aren’t reality, and, rather than inspiring action, they inspire fear, hopelessness, and disregard for the very real problems at hand. Even worse, they incorrectly use words like “will” and “are,” denying the ability of humanity to take charge and create a better future.
For example, according to the media, since I’m younger than 60, I have a good chance of witnessing the radical destabilization of life on earth — apocalyptic fires, imploding economies, catastrophic flooding, massive crop failures, hundreds of millions of refugees fleeing regions made uninhabitable by extreme heat or permanent drought. While these things could very well happen, saying it in such a definite way only makes these problems seem hopelessly inevitable when they aren’t, in fact, inevitable at all.
Even in my own life, I’ve observed an attitude of hopelessness from those around me, which is unavoidable considering the distressing information we are fed on an almost daily basis.
And, as an average person who has enough going on in their life, the hellish encroaching idea of climate change painted by media just gets pushed off to future me, or handed off as a job that only politicians or world leaders could solve. After all, if this is an inevitable event, then why even try to change it?
This is the problem with the way the climate crisis is presented to us. There is no thorough explanation or analysis or background given, just these flashy, apocalyptic, often misleading one-liners meant to garner attention or more interactions on social media. How did this problem start? How do we prevent this in the future? What can we do now to mitigate the issue? Answers to these questions are nowhere in sight. Instead of developing climate literacy, these statements just fuel climate denialism. As a result, we too often just accept the doom and gloom soundbites we encounter and just give up. If humanity is perceived as doomed, then the motivation to address climate change diminishes.
I used to experience this same existential hopelessness whenever thinking about climate change and thus opted to avoid thinking about it altogether. I believed that I could do nothing and that the future of the planet lay in the hands of world leaders. This changed when I attended COP29, the annual UN climate conference based around the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global warming below 1.5 ℃ by 2050. In recent years, COPs have been regarded as COP-outs, due to the disappointing amount of action being done policy-wise and the disregard of set goals. This aligned with what I saw at the conference in Azerbaijan last month. The global north listened and nodded enthusiastically while the global south begged for aid. Aged policymakers placed responsibilities and hopes on youth. Youth placed blame and expectation on policymakers. The funds raised were a trillion dollars short of the target. Nothing really got done.
What did amaze me, though, were the technologies being developed in various industries to reduce energy usage, water consumption, carbon emissions, toxic waste, and more. While governments dawdled, these engineers, scientists, and companies took it upon themselves to reduce their environmental impact, even if it was at the expense of their profit. Notably, Delta, a Taiwanese data center company, started a program to farm coral, restoring numerous reefs and ecosystems on their shoreline. Japanese companies worked on building carbon-zero buildings, implementing a circular economy in supply chains, and installing clear solar panels to maximize the surface area on skyscrapers. Researchers developed lab-grown meat to reduce the need for livestock and lower methane emissions
Hope lies in these industries. A common misconception is that individual actions, such as taking shorter showers or eating less meat are the best thing someone can do for the planet. Although those are steps in the right direction, the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated by industries and large-scale commercial activities. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), around 70% of carbon dioxide emissions stem from just 100 companies worldwide. Although this doesn’t mean that we should all take hour-long showers and leave the lights on at all times, this knowledge enables us to shift our efforts to something that will result in an industry impact, something that will kill the problem where it originated.
That is our solution: to promote climate literacy from early on. Mandate at least a baseline of climate knowledge to be taught at schools. Make sure that everyone cares about our planet and is aware of the state it is in and the state it will be in without immediate attention. After all, these children are the entrepreneurs, scientists, policymakers, and leaders of the future.
The IPCC, tells us that, to limit the rise to less than two degrees (often referred to as the point of no return), we not only need to reverse the trend of the past three decades, but we also need to approach zero net emissions, globally, in the next three decades. By providing a plausible and easily actionable goal instead of scaring people with apocalyptic visions, we can make real strides where policymakers refuse to.
Image Source: “Climate Literacy for All!” 2021. IPR Blog. December 3, 2021. https://blogs.bath.ac.uk/iprblog/2021/12/03/climate-literacy-for-all/.
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