If you go and talk to most Americans over the age of 65 and ask what is one flaw they see in the current generations, quite a few will the note the decay of the character and moral fiber of Americans. They will note the loss of self-pride and patriotism. A common problem people today lament about is the state of the economy. There is a division as to how to fix this economy. Democrats and most liberals believe in pumping the economy full of money as a jump-start while Republicans and conservatives believe in reducing the cost to the rich and cause a trickle down of wealth. I will not say if either is right but a common solution is one which most people would argue with. That solution in my mind, which also can solve the problem of loss of American character, is mandatory military service. I would suggest a short period of mandatory military service for every American between the age of 18 and 30 for a period of roughly 12-18 months. Basic training and service only would suffice. This solution would pump money back into the economy through the salary paying of Americans, as well as increase military awareness and American patriotism. Every American would learn discipline few have the opportunity for and the military would also be able to teach every American at least one trade which they can use throughout their life. It would create a healthier, more aware generation. Perhaps the issue of gun control might even become moot due to every American being aware of the safety and upkeep of firearms and the consequences of owning such firearms. And when the nation comes under attack, we have an entire nation of semi-trained soldiers standing by. Think of the implications of having a nation with nearly 100 million persons receiving some type of military training. It would create a valid argument against attacking what is already considered the greatest army on Earth. With the new-found discipline and patriotism, Americans would thrive in the global markets. So lets start the training.
Monthly Archives: April 2013
How a Reduction in Food Waste Can Save the Planet
“Currently, more than 48 million Americans live in households that struggle to get enough to eat, while the amount of food thrown out in the United States every year is enough to fill the Rose Bowl to its brim. Redistributing only 2 percent of food waste would end hunger in the United States.”
-Jonathan Bloom
American society is currently plagued by the idea that it is necessary to offer oversized portions of food. I first became aware of the alarming issues that coincide with food waste in America during my time as a member of the Bucknell Dining Sustainability Club. As Sustainability Ambassadors, we are tasked with the job of trying to make Bucknell dining more environmentally friendly. We encourage dining services to work with the local food producers and have them offer more organic options to students. We have been responsible for changes such as the switch to a tray-less cafeteria, and recently, this year, have been working with Jonathon Bloom, the author of American Wasteland. Last semester, he gave a speech to the student body about the problems of food waste, and together with our club, we performed a waste audit in the cafeteria. We collected 93 pounds of food waste during a 2-hour collection period, and just last week collected 55 pounds for our second follow-up waste audit. Bloom was there to educate students about these issues and spoke about disturbing statistics such as the estimate that 25% of all the food Americans bring into their homes, goes to waste.
Food waste is a problem for 3 main reasons: ethics, the environment, and economics. The ethical issue is the injustice that so many people in this country are going hungry while such a large proportion of food is going to waste. The environmental dilemma behind this waste concerns all of the natural resources that are intensively used in food production. Large amounts of water and gas are wasted when we have produced large amounts of food that will never be eaten. Finally, economics is the last main reason that we need to be worried about food waste. A significant expense is incurred by agricultural producers, consumers, restaurants, and stores on foods that end up in the landfill.
Now, the next question is what we can do to solve this problem. Personally, as consumers we have a few options to make a lasting impact. We can focus on smart shopping by planning meals and making lists about what we actually need to purchase. We can limit our portion sizes and increase our knowledge of food. We can also volunteer at food recovery programs that redistribute extra food to people in need. In addition, Bloom often challenges the people he meets to buy 25% less food than usual at their next trip to the grocery store. On a larger scale, Bloom suggests that the best way to prevent food waste is to ban organic waste from being accepted at landfills. He says that this would make people think twice about how much food they are buying and would promote better ways of using food purchases. This ban tactic has successfully been implemented in other countries, as well. To save the world we need to put a conscious effort into what we consume. The reduction of food waste can ultimately protect the environment, fight hunger, and save money.
Recycle Batteries, Get “Charged” Less
For my 60-second idea I wanted to approach a small aspect of a large problem. In today’s world, we are facing a rather large pollution problem. Within the problem of pollution, battery disposal is an issue that we face, and a lot of people are not properly disposing of their batteries. It is common knowledge that people use a TON of batteries throughout their lifetime. From TV remotes, to Xbox controllers, to clocks, all the way to flashlights, we use batteries of all different sizes each and every day. There are already battery collection stations around the world, but I find there to be a lack of incentive for people to actually travel to them and dispose of batteries properly. My solution is to create a battery drop off station that also prints out coupons for the size battery you just dropped off. It would separate the batteries placed into it like a coin machine does, and then prints out small coupons for you to use at participating places. If you drop off a AA battery, a AA battery coupon is spit out. After all, if people are disposing of batteries, they are most likely going to need to buy more, so what would be better than saving the environment while scoring a deal on something you need every day.
The cool part about these machines is that they would be powered by the batteries being dropped of. It is in uncommon knowledge that a lot of batteries that are considered dead, still have a considerable amount of energy in them. To spit out the small coupons would require little energy, and as people place the batteries in the machine, the little energy needed to throw out a coupon could be powered, at least partially, by the batteries being dropped off. It would function (hopefully) like this energy seed lamp that uses “dead” batteries:
Energy Seed
In order to ensure there is no issue with this system, a small backup energy source should be installed in the machine as well. Battery pollution is a hard thing to prevent because people do not directly see the negative effects of throwing batteries in the normal garbage, and they seem to have a thought process of out of sight, out of mind. If we give an incentive, more people are willing to participate in the proper disposal. The kicker….each machine would have information on it that explains the importance of proper battery disposal. This would also aid in raising awareness and possibly help with the problem of battery waste. With the right partnerships with companies who are looking to show responsibility, this project could significantly reduce the amount of batteries improperly disposed.
Bridge the Gap
There has been a huge divide growing over the past decade amongst the common American and their political beliefs and how this country should be run. This divide ranges from people believing that the government should not hold a single place in this country to believing that they should have a say in almost everything that the common citizen does. I believe that the real question should not be how much influence the government has, or which ideology should be the “winner.” Rather, I believe that this country should find a common understanding, come back to the middle, and work out our problems together.
It is because of this that I propose a day of walk around engagement. What I mean is that I believe people should be free, once a year, to take time and go meet with someone from a completely different ideology from themselves and get to know what it is that they actually do. While it might not be the “big fix,” I believe that it would allow people to think from a much broader perspective which would cut through the bureaucratic divide which has frozen the progress of this country. I would love to know what other people think about this idea so keep the comments coming!!
Save Tomorrow’s Leaders
When I was ten years old, the most technologically advanced video game systems I had were a PlayStation and a small Gameboy Color. I spent hours killing things every week – but they were Pokemon and enemies of Crash Bandicoot. And on TV, the only violence I saw was in Rocket Power or Hey Arnold. If I wanted to see a movie that was rated R, it took a lot of sneaking around my parents’ movie cabinets to find the occasional movie and a few hours free in the living room to have a TV to watch it on.
Now, young kids can access movies and see things that should be kept to a much older audience with the simple click of the mouse, or sometimes, the touch of their finger on an iPad. TV shows are packed with violence and Call of Duty Xbox online chat rooms are full of kids half my age. I am not saying that technological increases and the entertainment industry have poisoned our youth, but I do believe it has gone too far in contributing behavioral and educational difficulties in young kids—our leaders of tomorrow. Since I only have 60 seconds, click this link and please read this recent study done by the Mayo Clinic highlighting all of the effects on kids and what we can all do to help.
I was happy as ever playing Math Blaster and Backyard Baseball on my computer as a kid—why is there all of a sudden such a desire to play video games full of violence? This is a call to entertainment producers and video game creators to develop high-quality shows and games for our youth, a call to parents to encourage their kids to spend less time in front of screens and more time interacting with other humans, and most importantly, a call to each and every one of us to put the phone, video game controller, or iPad down and set a good example for our kids or younger brothers or sisters. It is hard to make the world better for everyone with just one idea, but if we all strive to positively impact one person every day, the world will be a better place.
Kill People With Kindness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBIxScJ5rlY
After I read the blog prompt for this week, I immediately thought of John Mayer’s song “Waiting on the World to Change.” The lyrics of this song speak to every generation because people often stand by waiting for things to change in the world. People want to change the world, but their desire for change is quickly overcome with the feeling of hopelessness. People feel like they are too small and simply cannot make an impact.
There are many different ways to approach this week’s prompt. I think that what really needs to be changed in the world is people’s generosity and kindness. As corny as it may sound, think about it. How much better would your day be if more people smiled and said hi? I know this change is very common and gets thrown around a lot, but it is because it is a simple yet very important change. People need to stop walking around being miserable with their lives or saying no to things too quickly. So what if you have an 8 am class or you have 6am weight lifting? This is life and it only comes around once so won’t it be better to live more positively and be more generous to others? As we have all witnessed lately, times of terror bring out the true generosity and giving spirit of humans. When you see people care about total strangers it restores your faith in humanity. What if that could happen on a daily basis?Not of that magnitude of course, but everyone needs a helping hand once in a while. You might never know how much a smile or a simple hello, how are you, could brighten up someone’s day.
How many times have you walked by a student at Bucknell that you kind of know and kept your head down instead of saying hi? I challenge everyone to start being nice and more generous to people even if it is through a small act. A 2003 research study at the University of Michigan revealed that there are many positive effects of generosity and kindness by the person actually giving the kind act. The positive effects include improving one’s mental and physical health and promoting longevity. It is not just a benefit to be the receiver of a generous act, but only the giver of the act too.
Sasha Dichter spoke about his Generosity Experiment on Ted Talks. He said “yes” to every request for help whether or not it was a stranger on the street or an established non-profit organization. He wanted to stop saying no to people because he said that “he was hiding behind what was smart and it was keeping him from doing what was right.” As the experiment progressed he started feeling better about himself even though he gave away more of his money. “He started to realize that if he wanted the world to be more open and action orientated and more generous then he had to be more open, action orientated and generous.”You have to be the change you want in the world, it starts with you. No matter what it is, if you want something to change you have to change yourself first. I’m not saying to give money to every single person who asks you, but stop saying no every time. Start saying hi to people and offering a helping hand even if it is not convenient for you. Be happier, focus on the positives, help others less fortunate than you because you might just notice that you are becoming a better person.
Read this and hack! 