This video talks about how plastic is treated as a product that miraculously appears from nowhere and it goes to nowhere. This issue starts when the oil and the gas leave the well head. The question is why are we seeing more plastic in our environment? Recycling is a disposal service; this means taking stuff that people don’t want and preventing it to go to landfill. 

       The United States was shipping over 50% of its plastics to China, saying China will take care of it. Europe was doing the same thing. The U.S. has built up these big recycling programs, communicated that recycling was the solution. This was possible only because China was receiving all the United States plastic. Until China said we are sick of being a duping ground we will not accept any more plastic into our country. The recycling process has been false marketing because all of the plastic was going to China. Liwen Chen from China Zero Waste Alliance talks about when the government closed the recycling center. The plastic sent from all of the countries started to flood other Southeast Asian nations. Our population should be informed with where their recycling is going to and if it is making a change in today’s society.   

Electricity goes from the power plant, through a big high-voltage transmission line, to a substation, where the electricity is dispersed onto smaller, lower-powered distribution lines that send it into people's houses. Like Vermont, Washington DC’s goal is to have 100% renewable sources making electricity by 2032. This is part of a national goal, too; President Biden wants to reduce emissions in the US by 50% in 2030, with nearly half of US power coming from solar plants by 2050. This means switching out those natural gas plants for wind turbines, coal plants for solar farms, and switching from gas cars to electric cars. 

Princeton found it would take nearly $320 billion in investments in the next ten years to make electric transmission for the US to make a new, interconnected, high-voltage grid. Congress is working on an infrastructure bill with some funding but only a fraction of what is needed to make this possible. The US is currently on track to have 42% of our energy come from renewables by the year 2050. If the current proposals turn into real policy, the US could be closer to 80% of clean energy. The problem is that making greener electricity isn’t enough; the real issue is being able to move the energy through the country. 

In this project I will talk about the importance of climate change and what can we do to fight this issue. First of all I will explain what climate change is and how it is affecting us. Then I will mention what action we can take to reduce this issue. Some of the topics I will be talking about will be on reducing energy at home, using public transportation, eat more vegetables, reducing, reusing, recycling, etc. These are some of the solutions that I will be mentioning regarding the topic on reducing climate change. 

I appreciated how Enrique highlighted the impact of climate change on sustainable tourism. His post about "How can sustainable tourism be affected by climate change" was informative and emphasized the fact that climate change poses a threat to all life on the planet, including destinations that rely on tourism. I was amazed to learn that tourism alone is responsible for 8% of the world's carbon emissions. This is a significant fact that needs to be promoted to raise awareness about the impact of tourism on the environment.

Overall, I found Enrique's padlet to be an excellent resource for understanding the importance of sustainable tourism and its impact on economic growth and climate change. His focus on Goal 8 of the UN's and sustainable tourism has inspired me to learn more about this topic and consider how I can contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth.

Thermal distillation or membrane filtering technologies are used in desalination plants. Through the process of thermal distillation, seawater is heated to produce steam that is then condensed to yield fresh water. In contrast, membrane filtration removes salt and other pollutants from seawater by using semi-permeable membranes.

Compared to conventional freshwater sources, desalination has a number of benefits. No of the weather or the timing of the rain, it supplies a steady and continuous water source. Also, it can aid in easing the burden on already-scarce freshwater supplies, particularly in regions where water scarcity results from climate change, population increase, or other factors. Desalination, however, also comes with some difficulties. It can be expensive and increase greenhouse gas emissions because it uses a lot of energy to operate. The desalination process produces salty brine, and its disposal may have detrimental effects on the ecosystem.

During my time taking PSC 1515, I had an overall positive experience. As someone who has always enjoyed science, I found the subject matter to be engaging and thought-provoking. Completing the course activities was an enjoyable experience for me, as I was able to explore different aspects of science that I hadn't previously considered. I was particularly excited when we had to work on the United Nations goals, as it gave me the opportunity to learn more about how science can be used to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. I also enjoyed working on goal number 13, which focused on climate action, and sharing ideas with my classmates about what we could do to prevent or reduce climate change. Overall, my experience in PSC 1515 exceeded my expectations, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have taken this course.
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my time taking PSC 1515. Despite my initial reservations, the course provided me with a positive and engaging learning experience. I appreciated the opportunity to explore science in a more practical and hands-on way, and the chance to learn more about the role that science can play in addressing global challenges. Overall, PSC 1515 was an enriching and rewarding experience, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to take this course.