Waste is often associated with people or things considered of lower value. This connotation exists because of the discomfort and unwantedness attached to trash itself. As mentioned earlier in the semester, dumpsites and landfills are often placed in lower-class areas, where minorities and people of lower socioeconomic status face the direct consequences of living near […]
I thoroughly enjoy many of the science fiction works of Isaac Asimov, an American science fiction writer and biochemistry professor. Reading the short story we did in class, apart from the fantastic science fiction writing, read as a sort of fable, intended to have a lesson behind it. In the story, we see a sociologist
Last week, we explored different ways of thinking about waste and how we might improve our practices. One key concept we discussed was cradle-to-cradle, which encourages us to view waste not as something to eliminate but as a valuable resource that can be reused or regenerated. This circular model contrasts with the more common cradle-to-grave
Why Cradle-to-cradle May Not Be The Solution Read More »
Developing a circular economy has become an increasingly popular idea in global policy, seen as a solution to environmental sustainability challenges. However, based on our most recent reading The Circular Economy at a Crossroads, we can see that this circular economy model has some issues. The major issue being that CE is often aligned with
The Central issue of Circular Economy Read More »
Though the idea of a circular economy, an economy that generates a loop of regeneration and reuse of items, seems like an ideal economy, I don’t know how possible it is right now for us (even though I wish it was). One striking part of this idea is that we will eliminate majority of waste
Is A Circular Economy Really Possible? Read More »
Learning about the circular economy in this class has shifted my own way of thinking about the issues of waste, value, and the systems we operate in. For most of my life, I was used to the idea that things were made, consumed, and discarded in a tidy and linear process. The circular economy flips
Rethinking Waste: A Personal Reflection on the Circular Economy. Read More »
The circular economy, based on natural efficiency, promotes an economic model where resources are kept in a constant loop, maximizing value and minimizing waste. This involves mimicking natural systems where materials cycle continuously, demanding a move away from our present linear economic model. This goal necessitates widespread changes, including the creation of long-lasting, recyclable goods,
Personal Reflection on The Circular Economy Read More »
Questions for this week: In what ways should aspects of our economy try to mimic the processes of nature? What would be required to implement such systems? Which social problems discussed in this class would these proposals fail to address, or even make worse? How could the circular economy, one of the major emerging economic