A lot of the plastic was contaminated with stuff that made it difficult and expensive to recycl

China had plenty of capacity to handle plastics and lots of cheap laborers to sort the recyclable materials from the nonrecyclable. By 2016, the U.S. was exporting almost 700,000 tons a year to China alone. Overall, China imported 7 million tons from around the world

driven way, and then [they] rely on the disjointed network that is recycling to get it back

This is one of the obstacles to circularity: It costs a lot. There's not a lot of money to be made from recycling to begin with, and it's tough for recycled plastic to compete with virgin plastic made cheap by the boom in U.S. oil and gas production. And there aren't nearly enough recyclers in the U.S. to handle the tsunami of new plastic pouring out of the petrochemical industry.

Society needs plastic, but people need to recycle a lot more of it and use it again and again and again. That will eliminate a lot of waste and cut down on the avalanche of new plastic made every year

Plastic recycling isn't dead, and it works, and it's important to protecting our environment, and it's essential to the circular economy," she reassured.

"Let's stop that." European countries, he added, "are recycling 35% to 40% [of their plastic waste]. The U.S. only recycles 10%. How tragic is that?"

So if a new circular plastics economy recycles — that is, reuses — more old plastic, why is the petrochemical industry spending billions of dollars for a boom in new plastic? Where is all that new plastic going to go? It seems the industry isn't too worried. The American Chemistry Council's analysis includes this statement about new plastic: "In a virtuous cycle, as the manufacturing renaissance accelerates, demand for plastic products will be generated, reinforcing resin [raw plastic] demand." Essentially, go ahead and make it, and people will find a way to use it

which represents, among others, plastics manufacturers, says it expects industry to spend nearly $25 billion to build new plastic manufacturing capacity by 2025. (That compares with the $1.5 billion that the industry plans to spend on cleaning up plastic waste.)

"If a recycler can't be confident enough that they have a market for at least maybe six months to a year," she says, "then they aren't going to want to make that investment in their own facilities" to make more recycled plastic.

But it's tough to compete against cheap virgin plastic.

they need commitments — voluntary or mandated by law — by consumer goods companies to buy recycled plastic.

In fact, just 10 rivers worldwide, eight of them originating in Asia, are responsible for the bulk of river-borne plastic that enters the oceans: China’s Yangtze is the biggest source, contributing 1.5 million metric tonnes each year.

And if we continue producing plastic at current rates, the amount could outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050. Research also shows that more than 800 coastal and marine species are directly affected by plastic waste through entanglement, ingestion, or damage to their habitats. Studies show that 90% of seabirds, and 52% of all turtles on the planet have consumed plastic. Additionally, a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die annually because of plastic waste.

Ocean currents have coalesced floating plastic into five huge, swirling deep sea gyres – such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which covers an area of ocean three times the size of France. Estimates suggest there could be upwards of 5 trillion individual pieces of plastic floating in the ocean.

toxin-infused particles, it could damage their organs, make them more susceptible to disease, and alter their reproduction. 

Microplastics look similar to plankton, too, which is food for hundreds of species at the base of the food chain, meaning plastic infiltrates entire ecosystems. Researchers have even discovered that organisms as tiny as the polyps in corals regularly consume microplastics.

Once animals consume it, ingested plastic can pierce internal organs or cause fatal intestinal blockages; it also leads to starvation, because a stomach crammed with plastic gives an animal the illusion of being full.

especially in ghost gear – which limits their motion and their ability to feed, and causes injuries and infections. Less visible is the devastation that occurs through the ingestion of plastic: seabirds, turtles, fish, and whales commonly mistake plastic waste for food, because some has a similar colour and shape to their prey

China’s Yangtze is the biggest source, contributing 1.5 million metric tonnes each year. That’s mainly because several countries outsourced their plastic waste management to China. Until January 2018, when it banned the trade, China imported almost half of the world’s plastic trash

300 million tons of plastic waste each year, and that number is rising. Yet of all the plastic waste ever created, only 9% has been recycled, while the rest has been incinerated or discarded, mainly ending up in landfills. A big reason for this is that 50% of the plastic we produce is single use

Prior to the 1950s, rope and cordage used in all marine activities, including fisheries, was made of natural fibres—typically Indian or Manila hemp and cotton, and it was often strengthened with a coating of tar or strips of worn canvas. These materials lose their resilience in usage and if lost or discarded at sea tend to disintegrate quickly. For reasons summarized and simplified in table 1, over the past 50+ years these natural fibres have been replaced by nylon and other synthetic materials that are generally buoyant and far more endurable. The very properties that humankind find so desirable in plastic materials are also those responsible for the plethora of problems they are creating (globally) in marine environments.

The more widely recognized problems are typically associated with entanglement, ingestion, suffocation and general debilitation, and are often related to stranding events and public perception.

Being outdoors reduces the risk of transmission compared with most indoor events and interactions, and unlike the anti-lockdown protests, most attendees at the anti-racism protests seem to have worn masks. But any large gathering could spread the coronavirus, especially when social distancing becomes difficult or impossible.

Some critics might argue that the anti-lockdown protests promoted economic activity, which can help stave off the health implications of poverty.

maximize the health of the population across all aspects of life. And health is about more than simply remaining free of coronavirus infection.

This paper intends to understand how ableism has been imposed, incorporated,negotiated and resisted by disabled people and how embodiment is related to iden-tity in an able-bodied (or ableist) culture

it legitimates not sameness buthuman variation

emphasize:‘disability is experienced in, on and through the body, just asimpairment is experienced in terms of the personal and cultural narratives that helpto constitute its meaning’.

nd placed‘within a hierarchy of bodily traits that determines thedistribution of privilege, status, and power

The medical gaze plays a crucial role in invalidatingbodies that do not conform to the norm

The major findings of this research both validate social identity theory's proposed predictors of perceptions of discrimination as illegitimate and provide evidence that how one conceptualizes disability (endorsement of disability models) significantly affects disabled peoples' experience of ableism

response to people trapped in institutions and congregate settings who face maximum risks with minimal protections

eager

rationing plans

Our civil rights laws protect the equal dignity of every human life from ruthless utilitarianism,” Roger Severino, the office’s director, said in a news release. “Persons with disabilities, with limited English skills and older persons should not be put at the end of the line for health care during emergencies.”

discriminate

HISTORY

it is also important to refer to people with disabilities as people with disabilities not disabled people because the person comes before the disability

geist attitudes

needs

When medical equipment, and hospital capacity becomes scarce, care providers may be faced with the ethical decisions about whose life takes priority and age may become a deciding factor. The USA has formally adopted the Ventilator Allocation Guidelines whereby ‘age may be considered as a tie-breaking criterion in limited circumstances

perceive

A lackadaisical attitude towards public health directives increases risk for everyone

Did a pre-pandemic lack of resources for residents of LTC homes exacerbate this looming crisis and slow our response?

statistic.

‘us’ versus ‘them’

disregard

valuable contributions to society

n

Key points

It’s not always easy to find the balance between shrugging off offensive messages and counterproductive scolding, but individuals can speak up about ageist generalizations

So this is no joke. Yet “there’s a lot of social acceptance of ageism,” Dr. Levy noted, pointing to television, social media and everyday interactions. Although studies have found that children as young as three or four already hold ageist ideas, now “we have research showing that we can overcome it.”

he research her group is reviewing will include her own important work on ageism, conducted over 20 years. Dr. Levy has shown that older people who see aging in positive terms are much more likely to recover from disability than those who believe negative age stereotypes.

roups that hadn’t taken part. The combined educational and intergenerational approach proved the most effective.

A program in which undergraduate psychology students corresponded with older adults by email, developing deepening relationships over six weeks. A gardening project that brought fourth-graders to a Tennessee senior center twice weekly for a month.A four-session program in an Australian high school, incorporating discussions, games and role-playing about aging and adult development.

“Do interventions that purport to change people’s attitudes about ageism actually work?”

geism — its causes and health consequences, how to combat it, and how best to measure it.

ageism often takes: pervasive employment discrimination, biased health care, media caricatures or invisibility. When internalized by older adults themselves, ageist views can lead to poorer mental and physical health.

A ‘Prevalent and Insidious’

. But my hope, as new caregivers emerge en masse and many people become mourners, is that society begins to dismantle the ableist infrastructure that impedes health—and that we as caregivers have the courage to do the same.

But here’s the thing: Caring for my mother was not a life unfulfilled. The everyday tasks—making my mom breakfast, preparing her daily medications, helping her get dressed—gave me purpose. Duty and love were intertwined.

to health care, job training for providers, and more adequate research and funding for disability-related issues.

As the years of shame, isolation, and inadequate assistance took their toll, her disability started to overshadow all the other parts of her.

wish I could say I’m surprised about any of this, but I’ve witnessed the impact of ableism from a young age. When my mom had her first brain aneurysm 15 years before her death, neurosurgeons performed multiple brain surgeries to save her life. Against what I’d been told were 2% odds of survival, she awoke with her dominant side paralyzed. My mom was told she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, but she pushed herself to walk with a cane. She relearned how to eat and to write with her nondominant hand. But finding work was challenging, friends stopped coming by, and navigating the world—an obstacle course of physical challenges and social judgment—led my mom to isolation. Even worse, by working so hard to be self-sufficient, my mom appeared less in need of government-funded home health care services.

Many of us are seen as disposable and ‘acceptable losses’ as the country eagerly tries to revive the economy,” Wong says. But people with disabilities should never be seen as tolerable sacrifices—in this pandemic or otherwise.

“Many of us cannot practice social distancing from the people that assist us with our daily activities,”

a host of challenges for pretty much everyone, this time can be particularly challenging for people with disabilities.

She remained alive in a coma until I decided to take her off life support the next day.

“Well, at least she is no longer suffering, and you’re free to live your own life,” they said.

What Losing My Disabled Mom Taught Me About Ableism

By Anna Haines

unbearable

Think how often you’ve seen ads selling the twin bathtubs of Cialis and the guy tossing the football through the tire of Levitra.

will dampen global economic growth for two decades.

the industrial revolution increasingly demanded younger, more mobile workers; and medical advances made so many people live so much longer.

if those in assisted living visit the independent-living dining room

precondition

” Her conclusion: “Clearly, hitting ninety was going to be different—and way better—than the inexorable slide toward depression, diapers, and puffy white shoes I’d once envisioned.

“aging” replaced by “saging” or “eldering”

Americans spent sixteen billion dollars on plastic surgery, most of it on fountain-of-youth treatments for wrinkles, trying to close the gap between interior vitality and exterior decay.

The young can’t grasp that most older people don’t feel so different from their youthful selves.

because it’s directed at a group that at one point wasn’t the Other

difference

the average life span grew more in the twentieth century than in all previous millennia. By 2020, for the first time, there will be more people on Earth over the age of sixty-five than under the age of five.

A recent A.A.R.P. study revealed that sixty-four per cent of Americans between forty-five and sixty had seen or experienced age discrimination at work.

which discourage a “stale degree” and demand a “digital native” who’s a “culture fit”

bold ideas are the province of the young.

chapters

They can take your salary and hire five kids right out of college,” he’s told.

go-getter

hurry

Why Ageism Never Gets Old

Like racism and sexism

against people with disabilities based on the belief

typical abilities are superior

found that happiness is associated with selfish “taking” behavior and that having a sense of meaning in life is associated with selfless “giving” behavior.

Emily Esfahani Smith is a writer based in Washington, D.C. She is the author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters.

Carl Jung, “The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.”

She has found that positive emotions broaden a person’s perspective and buffers people against adversity.

that is, their sense of meaning outpaced their feelings of happiness.

chronic adversity

“How often did you feel that your life has a sense of direction or meaning to it?”, “How often did you feel that you had something to contribute to society?”, and “How often did you feel that you belonged to a community/social group?”

"Partly what we do as human beings is to take care of others and contribute to others. This makes life meaningful but it does not necessarily make us happy.”

found that happiness is associated with selfish “taking” behavior and that having a sense of meaning in life is associated with selfless “giving” behavior.

In a meta-analysis (overview) of 150 studies on this topic, researchers put it like this: “Inductions of well-being lead to healthy functioning, and inductions of ill-being lead to compromised health.” Sign up for The Atlantic’s daily

Meaning

When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.

<img class="wp-image-26372 lazyload" src="https://positivepsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/gratitude-brain.jpg" alt="Gratitude Brain" width="600" height="295" /> Source: Author Gratitude And Neurotransmitters

partners who expressed their thankfulness to each other often, could sustain their relationships with mutual trust, loyalty, and had long-lasting happy relationships

Gratitude improves health

Gratitude builds professional commitment

Couple studies have also indicated that partners who expressed their thankfulness to each other often, could sustain their relationships with mutual trust, loyalty, and had long-lasting happy relationships.

expert Robert Holden found that 65 out of 100 people selected happiness over health, although they indicated that both were equally important for a good life. Holden, in his study, suggested that the roots of many psychopathological conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress are unhappiness.

Expressions of gratitude help in building and sustaining long term relationships, deal with adversities and bounce back from them with strength and motivation.

the things that don’t last create the most lasting happiness.

“When you take moment-by-moment readouts of how people feel when they’re taking care of the kids, they actually aren’t very happy,” notes Cornell University psychologist Tom Gilovich. “But if you ask them, they say that having kids is one of the most enjoyable things they do with their lives.”

An inability to stay satisfied is arguably one of the key reasons prehistoric man moved out of his drafty cave and began building the civilization you now inhabit. But

You may feel a touch of envy when you read about the glamorous lives of the absurdly wealthy, but the group you likely compare yourself with are folks Dartmouth economist Erzo Luttmer calls “similar others”—the people you work with, people you grew up with, old friends and old classmates. “You have to think, ‘I could have been that person,’ ” Luttmer says.

Happiness scholars have found that how you stand relative to others makes a much bigger difference in your sense of well-being than how much you make in an absolute sense.

You overestimate how much pleasure you’ll get from having more. Humans are adaptable creatures,

Before you can pursue happiness the right way, you need to recognize what you’ve been doing wrong.

promotion

approaching the good life

Here's How Money Really Can Buy You Happiness

such as religion’s role as a coping strategy and as a support system for prosocial behaviors. In addition, religious beliefs can potentially alter the way individuals cognitively react to stressors, and often, the regulations of most faiths decrease the likelihood of individuals experiencing particularly stressful life events (such as divorce or incarceration) (2

The cultivation of “sacred moments” in daily life

cultural values

especially if those strictures, and the religious community that enforces them, discourage unhealthy behaviors.

decisions in a free, consumer-driven society can actually weigh us down.

For instance, Mormons—who aren’t allowed to smoke or to drink alcohol or caffeine

The power of the group

Jesus told his faithful their “reward is great in heaven,” but that promise seems to pay off in the here and now as well.

This would be the opiate that Karl Marx believed religion offers to the oppressed masses

making me feel a part of a community of people who also struggled to find that inner calm. Whatever it was, it worked.

practice or who follow religious beliefs tend to be happier than those who don’t.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells his disciples the parable of the rich man who built a prosperous life, only to hear from God, “ ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’"

Work toward strengthening and improving your family relationships. Be open, honest, and empathetic, but don't be afraid to set boundaries with toxic or abusive family members. You are not required to endure abuse just because you're related.

Talking about tolerance and acceptance is important. Just be sure to do it in a loving way

Coping With Common Family Issues

Even if they do not agree on everything, healthy families are kind and respectful of other opinions.

Going through a crisis together makes their bonds even stronger.

What's more, criticisms, putdowns, name-calling, and other types of emotional abuse are rare.

A warm embrace, a squeeze of the hand, or a pat on the back all are gestures that speak love and support to one another

research indicates that 10% to 30% of children grow up in families where their health and well-being are endangered or weakened by unhealthy family relationships

To do so, parents need to be consistent, dependable, and sensitive to children's intentions and needs.[35] Gottman's research shows,

As their mind loses its sense of purpose and begins to focus on thoughts that make them anxious, people often seek out stimulation that will screen out anxiety-producing thoughts--such as having a drink or turning on the television.[23

Children find flow and fulfillment in environments that encourage them to exercise their personal strengths;

.Only after the task is completed do we have the leisure to look back on what has happened, and then we are flooded with gratitude for the excellence of that experience--then, in retrospect, we are happy.[18]

A positive mood "buoys people into a way of thinking that is creative, tolerant, constructive, generous, undefensive and lateral," says Marty Seligman, a happiness researcher and author of Authentic Happiness.

Positive thoughts and emotions protect people from negative emotions like fear, melancholy, and anxiety, allowing them to fully invest their mental energy in activity which will promote flow, mastery or gratification.

positive feelings, flow and fulfillment, emotional intelligence and strong social bonds

for these purposes, an abundance of positive emotions and those things that make positive emotions easier to come by

-parents have a tremendous impact on whether or not their children grow up into happy adults.

"It is the very pursuit of happiness," Frankl knew, "that thwarts happiness."

But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.

has a bearing on creative work

The secret to satisfaction is to focus on the denominator of Equation 3. Don’t obsess about your haves; manage your wants, instead. Don’t count your possessions (or your money, power, prestige, romantic partners, or fame) and try to figure out how to increase them; make an inventory of your worldly desires and try to decrease them. Make a bucket list—but not of exotic vacations and expensive stuff. Make a list of the attachments in your life you need to discard. Then, make a plan to do just that. The fewer wants there are screaming inside your brain and dividing your attention, the more peace and satisfaction will be left for what you already have.

Equation 3: Satisfaction = What you have ÷ What you want

“Happiness is love. Full stop.”

The key is to cultivate and maintain loving, faithful relationships with other people.

huge genetic component in determining your “set point” for subjective well-being,

happiness is used to denote everything from a passing good mood to a deeper sense of meaning in life.

This column, which we’re calling “How to Build a Life,” will draw on all these sources of wisdom in the hope of helping you identify the building blocks of happiness—family, career, friendships, faith, and so on—and giving you the tools to use them to construct a life that is balanced and full of meaning, and that serves your values.

Meditation Is Not All in Your Head

It sparks innovation.

While mindfulness is innate

Yet no matter how far we drift away, mindfulness is right there to snap us back to where we are and what we’re doing and feeling