Saturday, March 19, 2011

When Plastic is Good

I work with a number of "Boomer" architects, planners and designers. And every once in a while they remind me that back in the 1970s during the Carter Administration they did a lot of innovative thinking on the green front. While those of us swept up in this recent wave of greenitis think that we invented the mindset, it's actually been around for a long time -actually a VERY long time - even before my boomer colleagues.

Reading yesterday's OP-ED in the NYTimes by Susan Freinkel, she give me some context on plastic I hadn't thought of before. While I have recently become fairly anti-plastic - particularly with the concern over toys manufactured in China (I have a newborn) - Freinkel suggests that plastic, at one time, was the answer to our environmental problems:

The earliest plastics were invented as the substitutes for dwindling supplies of natural materials like ivory or tortoiseshell. When the American John Wesley Hyatt patented celluloid in 1869, his company pledged that the new man made material, used in jewelry, cobs, buttons and other items would bring "respite" to the elephant and tortoise because it would 'no longer be necessary to ransack the earth in pursuit of substances which are constantly growing scarcer.
Freinkel goes on to comment that the problem is not in fact plastic itself, but how we make and use it today. We make it into disposable products and then throw these products away within 24 hours of use. I couldn't agree more. It is true that much of the focus of environmental efforts is on recycling rather than reduction. We feel we can justify buying lots of "stuff" and packaging if we just dispose of it correctly. Truth be told, I'm absolutely one of those people. I get all self-righteous that I'm putting things in the right bin before I take ownership of the fact that I shouldn't have bought all that stuff in the first place.

So I guess I need to revise previous statements I've made about plastic. I'm not against ALL plastic, just the stuff made to be tossed that leeches away in our garbage dumps like one-time-use bottles and bags. I LIKE plastic in solar panels, lighter cars and planes (reducing fossil fuel use) and medical devices that keep people alive. I also like the plastic that helps my clothes last longer, prevents my 5 year old from breaking glass (thank goodness for reusable cups and plates) and makes lots of things affordable.

Image: Flickr galessa's plastics' photostream


Anonymous said...


The word plastic is derived from the Greek πλαστικός (plastikos) meaning capable of being shaped or molded, from πλαστός (plastos) meaning molded.[1][2] It refers to their malleability, or plasticity during manufacture, that allows them to be cast, pressed, or extruded into a variety of shapes—such as films, fibers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes, and much more.


Anonymous said...

A keystone of any sustainability initiative
is the sustainability report. Not only does
a report help your company promote the
good work that you are doing, but it also
assists with sustainability planning.
Sustainability reports are typically
published once a year or once every two
years. At the end of the reporting period,
factual data from NAED’s Sustainability
Performance Management Tools1 can be
incorporated into the report.
This sample plan can help get you
started. Start with the major headings and
subheadings, adding interim achievements
and progress toward sustainability goals.2
By drafting a mock up of the sustainability
report early in the process, staff will have
a tool to capture lessons learned as well as
manage the data.
The finished report will showcase the
achievement of sustainability goals and
current year-end statistics. Tailored to
your target audiences, your sustainability
report will be a powerful statement of
your goals and commitments.

Anonymous said...


Alloys with a higher than 2.1% carbon content are known as cast iron because of their lower melting point and good castability.[1] Steel is also distinguishable from wrought iron, which can contain a small amount of carbon, but it is included in the form of slag inclusions. Two distinguishing factors are steel's increased rust resistance and better weldability.


Anonymous said...

Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae) are a family of bats. In addition to the single living genus, Rhinolophus, there is one extinct genus, Palaeonycteris. The closely related Hipposideridae are sometimes included within the horseshoe bats as a subfamily, Hipposiderinae. Both families are classified in the suborder Yinpterochiroptera or Pteropodiformes and were previously included in Microchiroptera.

All horseshoe bats have leaf-like, horseshoe-shaped protuberances on their noses. In the related Hipposideridae, these noseleafs are leaf- or spear-like. They emit echolocation calls through these structures, which may serve to focus the sound. Their hind limbs are not well developed, so that they cannot walk on all fours; conversely, their wings are broad, making their flight particularly agile. Most rhinolophids are dull brown or reddish brown in color. They vary in size from 2.5 cm to 14 cm in head-body length, and 4 to 120 grams in weight (Macdonald, 1984). Their dental formula is .

The females have a pair of mammary glands and two "false nipples" above and to the side of the genital opening, which newborn bats cling to for a few days after birth.

Anonymous said...

The Duchy of Burgundy (1363-1477), was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.

Even in that diminished size, the duchy played a pivotal role in Europe's politics (of marriages and wars over territories between princes under Right of Conquest and inheritance practices) long after it lost its role as an independent political identity in the Battle of Nancy in 1477. It was demoted to a ducal rank from the inheritance and settlements in 1363 by a cadet branch inheritance via salic law divided between two heirs as a territorial remnant or rump of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy — other portions passing to another cadet branch as well as the Free County of Burgundy. The duchy roughly conforms to the borders and territories of today's modern Bourgogne, but its dukes came to own considerable possessions in the Low Countries, the so-called Burgundian Netherlands, which were caught up in the sixteenth-seventeenth century's Eighty Years' War and later and became free territories in the Dutch Revolt of the during the Thirty Years' War.

During 1363 – 1477, the Duchy was ruled by a succession of dukes, whose extinction with the death of Charles the Bold (or 'the Brash') in 1477 led to the Duchy being absorbed into the French crown by King Louis XI, while the Low Countries fell under Habsburg control, passing with the abdication of Charles I of Spain to the Spanish Empire of Philip II of Spain. Under Philips' intolerant hand, the Netherlands broke out in the first of the religious wars of the Protestant Reformation.

Anonymous said...

電 电 電 electricity
買 买 買 buy
開 开 開 open
東 东 東 east
車 车 車 car, vehicle
紅 红 紅 red (crimson in Japanese)
無 无 無 nothing
鳥 鸟 鳥 bird
熱 热 熱 hot
時 时 時 time
語 语 語 language
Simplified in Japan, not Mainland China
(In some cases this represents the adoption
of different variants as standard) 佛 佛 仏 Buddha
惠 惠 恵 favour
德 德 徳 moral, virtue
拜 拜 拝 kowtow, pray to, worship
黑 黑 黒 black
冰 冰 氷 ice
兔 兔 兎 rabbit
妒 妒 妬 jealousy
Simplified in Mainland China and Japan,
but differently 聽 听 聴 listen
證 证 証 certificate, proof
龍 龙 竜 dragon
賣 卖 売 sell
龜 龟 亀 turtle, tortoise
歲 岁 歳 age, year
藝 艺 芸 art, arts
戰 战 戦 fight, war
關 关 関 to close, relationship
鐵 铁 鉄 iron, metal
圖 图 図 picture, diagram
團 团 団 group, regiment
轉 转 転 turn
廣 广 広 wide, broad
惡 恶 悪 bad, evil
豐 丰 豊 abundant
腦 脑 脳 brain
雜 杂 雑 miscellaneous
壓 压 圧 pressure, compression
雞 鸡 鶏 chicken
價 价 価 price
樂 乐 楽 fun
氣 气 気 air
廳 厅 庁 hall, office
Simplified in Mainland China and Japan
in the same way 聲 声 声 sound, voice
學 学 学 learn
體 体 体 body
點 点 点 dot, point
貓 猫 猫 cat
蟲 虫 虫 insect
舊 旧 旧 old
會 会 会 can (verb); meeting
萬 万 万 ten-thousand
盜 盗 盗 thief
寶 宝 宝 treasure
國 国 国
醫 医 医

Anonymous said...

Queen — дебютный альбом британской рок-группы Queen. Был выпущен 13 июля 1973 года[3], записывался в Trident Studios в 1972 году. В британских чартах он достиг 24-й строчки, продержался 18 недель и получил золотой статус[4]. При его записи не использовались синтезаторы. В своё время пластинка получила в целом положительные отзывы критиков. Несмотря на это, по мнению AllMusic она осталась недооценённой из-за своего разнообразия[1].

Большая часть альбома была написана уже после создания Queen, однако в альбом вошли несколько песен из репертуара существовавшей до неё группы Smile, в которую входили Брайан Мэй и Роджер Тэйлор — «Keep Yourself Alive», «Doing Alright» и «The Night Comes Down». Стилистически запись находится на слиянии прогрессивного рока и хеви-метала[5]. Тематика разнообразна: от музыкальной («Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll») и бытовой тематики («Keep Yourself Alive») до фэнтэзи («My Fairy King») и религии («Jesus»).

В качестве отдельных синглов были выпущены «Keep Yourself Alive» и «Liar» (последний только в США и Новой Зеландии). «Keep Yourself Alive» стал единственным синглом группы, не попавшим в британские чарты[6].

Anonymous said...

表題曲「CAT'S EYE」は、テレビアニメ「キャッツ♥アイ」の前期オープニングテーマとして使用された。デビューから5年経過後にリリースされたこの曲は、オリコン、ザ・ベストテン、ザ・トップテンで1位を獲得して1983年の年間シングルチャートのベスト10内に入るなど大ヒットして杏里の存在を広く世に知らしめ、現在までに代表曲の1つになった。また、同年の第34回NHK紅白歌合戦でも披露された。翌1984年春には、第56回選抜高等学校野球大会の入場行進曲にも選出されている。アニメの主題歌が同大会の入場行進曲に選出されるのはこれが初めてのことであった。


ジャケットは二つ折りになっており、正式には、表ジャケットがアニメのセルイラストで、裏ジャケットに杏里本人の写真が写っている。写真はシングル「Lady Sunshine」とオリジナルアルバム「Bi・Ki・Ni」の別カット写真を採用している。初回プレス盤には杏里とキャッツアイの特製ステッカーが封入されていた。現在では、裏ジャケットの方が紹介されることが多い。

2010年2月18日からは森三中がキャッツ♥アイの3姉妹に扮して話題になった「toto BIG」（スポーツ振興くじ）のCMソングに採用され、10月23日から放送の最終シリーズには杏里本人が登場した。

Anonymous said...

لبداية مقالة موسوعية، ابدأ بالكتابة في الصندوق بالأسفل. عندما تنتهي من الكتابة، راجع الصفحة بالعرض المسبق قبل حفظها للتأكد من خلوها من الأخطاء.
لمعرفة المزيد حول كيفية إنشاء المقالات، اقرأ صفحات المساعدة المتعلقة بذلك.
لتجربة الويكي، من فضلك استعمل ساحة التجربة.
رجاء لا تقم بنسخ أي محتوى من الإنترنت، إذا لم تملك ترخيصا بوضعه تحت رخصة المشاع المبدع نسبة المصنف إلى مؤلفه المشاركة على قدم المساواة3.0 أو ورخصة جنو للوثائق الحرة 1.2 لا تضعه هنا
سيتم حذف أية مشاركة منسوخة من أي موقع عمل. مثل هذا العمل هو مضيعة لوقتك ووقت الآخرين.
إذا كنت قد قمت بإنشاء صفحة هنا مؤخرا، فمن الممكن ألا تكون ظاهرة الآن بسبب تأخر في تحديث قاعدة البيانات؛ انتظر دقائق قليلة ثم حاول تحديث الصفحة

Anonymous said...

Heroin (diacetylmorphine (INN)), also known as diamorphine (BAN, or, especially in older literature, as morphine diacetate), is a semi-synthetic opioid drug synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-diacetyl ester of morphine (di-acetyl-morphine) and a morphine prodrug.[3] The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, though, when supplied illegally, it is often adulterated, thus dulling the sheen and consistency from that to a matte white powder, which diacetylmorphine freebase typically is.[4] 90% of illicit diamorphine (heroin) is thought to be produced in Afghanistan.[5]

As with other opioids, diacetylmorphine is used as both an analgesic and a recreational drug. Frequent and regular administration is associated with tolerance and physical dependence, which may develop into addiction. Internationally, diacetylmorphine is controlled under Schedules I and IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.[6] It is illegal to manufacture, possess, or sell diacetylmorphine without a license in almost every country.

Under the chemical name diamorphine, diacetylmorphine is a legally prescribed controlled drug in the United Kingdom, and is supplied in tablet or injectable form for the same indications as morphine is. It is available for prescription to long-term users in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark alongside psycho-social care,[7][8] and a similar programme is being campaigned for by liberal political parties in Norway. Some countries allow the government to sell or donate high-quality seizures of drugs and precursors which are otherwise legal for medicinal use to pharmaceutical manufacturers for use in preparing licit supplies of medical drugs and research chemicals; this was the case in Croatia before 2007.[

Anonymous said...

Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack.[1][2][3]

In purer forms, crack rocks appear as off-white nuggets with jagged edges,[2] with a slightly higher density than candle wax. Purer forms of crack resemble a hard brittle plastic, in crystalline form[2] (snaps when broken). A crack rock acts as a local anesthetic (see: Cocaine), numbing the tongue or mouth only where directly placed. When smoked, crack can leave the tongue numb where the smoke enters the mouth.[citation needed] Purer forms of crack will sink in water or melt at the edges when near a flame (crack vaporizes at 90 °C, 194 °F).[1]

Crack cocaine as sold on the streets may be adulterated or "buffed" to increase bulk. According to Cpl. Kent Dahl, with Red Deer RCMP Federal Drugs, Canada, white substances mimicking the appearance of cocaine are added to increase bulk. Use of toxic adulterants such as levamisole[4] has been documented.[3]

Juicy Couture Sales said...

JC has become everywhere with items in each and every category for example children's clothing

UGG Fox Fur said...


Sewing Machine said...

Strongly agree. We already have to think about waste. Use plastic just enough, and not carelessly discarded when it is finished. Make sure the plastic material reused or recycled.

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