Leyla’s Ted talk was very eye opening. I never really thought about how much waste I throw out each day. When she talked about the amount of food we waste in the fridge was also very eye opening. Thinking back before I came to college, I can remember my families being stocked with food half the time a lot of the food would spoil before we could eat it and we would have to throw it out. When we go shopping we automatically think paper bags are the “Safest” option when it comes to saving the planet, but turns out it’s doing the total opposite.

The readings over Western Culture really taught me something. They knew in the 1960’s that we were using up our supplies on the earth and didn’t think to inform the public sooner. If you find out about a problem that could impact humankind in a very negative way, you should probably say something. To go along with the Western Culture reading, Fashion and Sustainability has taught me that I have contributed a large amount to pollution and waste. Many of us have said the well known phrase, “I have nothing to wear,” even though we have a closet full of clothes. In saying that, we throw out all these clothes we don’t use and they end up in landfills. Clothes are not biodegradable so they just sit there rotting.

When someone wants to buy land for a new development, for instance, a grocery store, mall, parking lot, neighborhood or some kind of business, you need to clear the land. You need to cut down any trees or plants in the way, forcing any animals living there out and destroying their home. Then you have to cover any necessary land in cement. Restricting any plants or trees to grow back. What I’ve learned is that my wicked problem is a never ending problem. Population will grow and so will the land use.

I am starting to consciously think about how much waste im using each day. I bought a reusable water bottle so I’m not constantly throwing away plastic water bottles. I’ve started to use my reusable straw also. Before Using it, I used to throw away at least two straws a day. Which is outrageous.