The Benefits of Recycling Plastics

The Benefits of Recycling Plastics One good reason to recycle plastic is that there is just so much of it. Plastics are used to manufacture an incredible number of products we use every day, such as beverage and food containers, trash bags and grocery bags, cups and utensils, childrens toys and diapers, and bottles for everything from mouthwash and shampoo to glass cleaner and dishwashing liquid. And thats not even counting all the plastic that goes into furniture, appliances, computers,  and automobiles. The Need Is Growing As the use of plastics has increased over the years, they have become a larger part of our nations municipal solid waste (MSW)- growing from less than 1 percent in 1960 to more than 13 percent in 2013, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency. As an example of how and why plastic waste is increasing, the International Bottled Water Association reports that the  U.S.  consumed 9.67 billion gallons of bottled water in 2012, compared to 9.1 billion gallons the year before. The United States is the worlds leading consumer of bottled water. A good first step in reducing waste is switching to a reusable water bottle. Natural Resources and Energy Conservation Recycling plastics reduces the amount of energy and resources (such as water, petroleum, natural gas, and coal) needed to create plastic. According to a 2009 study by researchers Peter Gleick and Heather Cooley  from the Pacific Institute of California, a pint-sized bottle of water requires about 2,000 times as much energy to produce as the same amount of tap water. Recycling Plastics Saves Landfill Space Recycling plastic products also keeps them out of landfills and allows the plastics to be reused in manufacturing new products. Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space. And lets face it, a lot of plastic ends up directly in the environment, breaking down into tiny pieces, polluting our soil and water, and contributing to the oceans Great Garbage Patches. Its Relatively Easy Recycling plastics has never been easier. Today, 80 percent of Americans have easy access to a plastics recycling program, whether they participate in a municipal curbside program or live near a drop-off site. A universal numbering system for plastic types makes it even easier. According to the American Plastics Council, more than 1,800 U.S. businesses handle or reclaim postconsumer plastics. In addition, many grocery stores now serve as recycling collection sites for plastic bags and plastic wrap. Room for Improvement Overall, the level of plastics recycling is still relatively low. In 2012, only 6.7 percent of plastics in the municipal solid waste stream were recycled, according to the EPA. Alternatives to Plastic While recycling is important, one of the best ways to reduce the amount of plastic in our nations MSW is to find alternatives. For example, reusable grocery bags have seen a growth in popularity in recent years, and they are a great way to limit the amount of plastic that needs to be generated in the first place.

John Alden Jr. and the Salem Witch Trials

John Alden Jr. and the Salem Witch Trials John Alden Jr. (1626 or 1627 - March 25, 1702) was a soldier and sailor accused of witchcraft on a visit to the town of Salem and imprisoned in the 1692  Salem witch trials; he escaped from jail and was later exonerated. John Alden Jr.s Parents and Wife Father: John Alden Sr., a crew member on the Mayflower when it sailed to Plymouth Colony; he decided to stay in the new world. He lived until about 1680. Mother: Priscilla Mullins Alden, whose family and brother Joseph died during the first winter in Plymouth; her only other relatives, including a brother and sister, had remained in England. She lived until after 1650, and possibly until the 1670s. John Alden and Priscilla Mullins were married in 1621, probably the second or third couple among the colonists to marry in Plymouth. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1858 wrote The Courtship of Miles Standish, based on a family tradition about the couple’s relationship. Recent evidence suggests that the story may be based on fact. Priscilla and John Alden had ten children who lived past infancy. One of the two eldest was John Jr.; he and the other two eldest children were born in Plymouth. The others were born after the family moved to Duxbury, Massachusetts. John Alden Jr. married Elizabeth Phillips Everill in 1660. They had fourteen children together. John Alden Jr. Before the Salem Witch Trials John Alden had been a sea captain and a Boston merchant before he became involved in the events in Salem in 1692. In Boston, he was a charter member of the Old South Meeting House. During King William’s War (1689 – 1697), John Alden held a military command, while he also maintained his business dealings in Boston. John Alden Jr. and the Salem Witch Trials In February 1692, at about the time that the first girls were displaying their symptoms of affliction in Salem, John Alden Jr. was in Quebec, ransoming British prisoners held there after their capture in the raid on York, Maine, in January. In that attack, a group of Abenaki, led by Madockawando and a French priest, attacked the town of York. (York is now in Maine and was at the time part of the Province of Massachusetts.) The raid killed about 100 English settlers and another 80 were taken hostage, forced to march to New France. Alden was in Quebec to pay the ransom for the freedom of the British soldiers captured in that raid. Alden stopped in Salem on his return to Boston. There had already been rumors that he was, through his business, supplying the French and Abenaki side of the war. There had also apparently been rumors of Alden having affairs with Indian women, and even having children by them. On May 19, a rumor came to Boston through some escapees from the Indians that a French leader had been looking for Captain Alden, saying Alden owed him some goods that he had promised to him. This may have been the trigger for the accusations that followed just days later. (Mercy Lewis, one of the accusers, had lost her parents in Indian raids.) On May 28, a formal accusation of witchcraft- â€Å"cruelly torturing and afflicting several of their Children and others†- against John Alden was filed. On May 31, he was brought from Boston and examined in court by Judges Gedney, Corwin and Hathorne. The court decided to put Alden, and a woman named Sarah Rice, into Boston jail, and instructed the keeper of the prison in Boston to hold him. He was delivered there, but after fifteen weeks, he made an escape from the jail and went to New York to stay with protectors. In December 1692, a court demanded that he appear in Boston to answer charges. In April 1693, John Hathorne and Jonathan Curwin were notified that Alden had been returned to Boston to answer at the Boston Superior Court. But no one appeared against him, and he was cleared by proclamation. Alden published his own account of his involvement in the trials (see excerpts above). John Alden died on March 25, 1702, in Massachusetts Bay province. John Alden Jr. in  Salem, 2014 series John Alden’s appearance during the Salem witch trials has been highly fictionalized in a 2014 series about the events in Salem.  He plays a man much younger than the historical John Alden was, and he is romantically linked in the fictional account to Mary Sibley, though this has no basis in the historical record, with intimations that this was his â€Å"first love.† (The historical John Alden had been married for 32 years and had fourteen children.)

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 32

Case Study - Essay Example Under normal circumstances, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was expected to take a leading role in providing relief to the affected people but in this case, it is seen working against its mandated task. The then director, Brown, turned down offers of assistance from the police, army as well as the other relief agencies and this was only compounded by a directive that prohibited all the emergency services departments not to respond to any call to assist the victims of the hurricane without being lawfully requested. A year passed after the devastating Katrina but a greater part of New Orleans remained in ruins with little reconstruction taking place. In my own opinion, I think the responsible authorities neglected the areas that were hardest hit by the hurricane. Instead of responding positively through offering assistance to the affected people, they are seen blocking emergency relief as if the disaster was premeditated. Natural disasters are not controlled by man and they cause untold suffering to the affected people, hence the need to put measures in place that are meant to avert the impacts of these disasters. The government is the main body representing all the citizens and it has the responsibility of ensuring that the welfare of its citizens is up to standard. In case of unprecedented natural disasters, all the levels of government in collaboration with other relief providers should take a leading role in ensuring that all the affected people get the needed assistance. Measures to ensure disaster preparedness should always be in place and the government should offer quick responses whenever there is a serious disaster unl ike the case of New Orleans where the responsible authorities are seen blocking aid. It is recommended that public policies which do not discriminate against race or creed must be enacted and fully implemented in all states. It is highly probable that the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans were neglected on the