What I have learned today [2015/6/25]

1. America's recycling rate has decreased due to lower commodity prices. Ok, if other countries can separate recyclables, Americans can do so too. This will lower cost and make recycling more competitive. More fundamentally, we should consume and waste less. For other consumption, we should ask companies to use less packaging.

2. It is great that financial advisors are hopefully helping athletes given their not so stellar financial planning. I hope we teach about financial planning to athletes.

3.Some guitar videos for beginners are quite annoying because they either speak too fast, do not repeat, or do not show the finger positions.

4. The rich have gotten richer in the past five years. Thank you record low interest rates...Let's pray that the rich use their money wisely.

5.  Ghetto kids are a new sensation. I hope we can help more art/ performance programs worldwide. Also, thank you YouTube.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Beer Bottle Temple of Thailand: Creative Solutions

Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaw is a temple in Thailand made of beer bottles.

One of the monks got tired of the bottle waste and decided to build a temple by using concrete and beer bottles.

This is an excellent example of upcycling, turning a problem into great profit. Earthship is another good example of using bottles as building material and making beautiful structures.

Image from dreamstime.com

So does upcycling solve the pollution problem? Yes, but only to certain extent. I think more efficient ways to solve the pollution problem are as follows:

1. Do not be greedy or wasteful. Please take only what you can consume not more. Everything else will be waste.

2. Force firms to have complete product life cycle plans. Basically, make firms responsible for the pollution that their products create. Of course, the consumer will bear the costs as well.

3. Work, encourage, and pray for technological advancements to clean pollution.

I don't like people saying that pollution is beyond their control. Yes, they are right to certain extent but there are things that are under our control such as not being wasteful and buying stuff that is relatively less polluting. So please be part of the solution not the problem.

There is always something that we can do and the world became that much better because you made the better choices :D