Plastic Pollution Solutions

Plastic is something we are addicted to. It's everywhere. Bags, bottles, cars, shoes, glasses, packaging, electronics, and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, plastic does not biodegrade. And because of this and a specific system of currents, a massive landfill has been created in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And what comprises most of said landfill? You guessed it- plastic.

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According to this article, the garbage patch is MASSIVE, and almost impossible to view as a whole. But unlike a landfill, the garbage doesn't stay put, and it isn't being regulated because it's not a real damn landfill! That means it's growing. Every. Single. Day. There are a whole host of problems associated with the patch as well.

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Wildlife consumes the plastic, often leading to death. Plastic and other garbage washes up in massive quantities on landmasses all over the globe (sometimes decades old), and because plastic lasts so long, it just breaks down into smaller pieces literally creating plastic sand which also washes up all over the place (source). So what can we do? We can sit an cry about a problem all the live long day, but what do we do when push comes to pollute?

Source (Pictured: Charles Moore, the man who discovered the Patch)

Humans have the capacity for creation and destruction. We all know this. And some very bright minds are working on many solutions to help ween us all off of plastic. Some ideas are very simple. Don't buy plastic! Especially plastic water bottles. Others are less cold turkey. Bioplastics, a relatively new group of materials are slowly being developed and introduced.

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Sometimes, bioplastics are obtained from algae:

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And sometimes from corn, too:

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These materials are more biodegradable than conventional plastics, and they come from renewable resources. But, with any developing technology, there are pros and cons. But that shouldn't stop us from developing a better bioplastic.

But these solutions are just two to a list that might not even be invented yet. There are amny ways to lessen your impact on the environment, and more often than not, being more conservative and conscientious about the environment can actually save you money!

Don't get discouraged, though. The world is riddled with problems like this, but the world is filled with twice as many people looking to solve these problems. So with that said...

Why not be one of them?

Being the Ultimate Critical Thinker in Business

Think outside the box is one of the most overused, and underrated phrases in the English language.

When you really come down to it, how does one suddenly...think differently? That's what "think outside the box" really means. Go against the grain, and find something unique in a totally different train of thought. Huh. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. But I don't think that the "box" is something that is shared between humanity. It's context sensitive, and I fear that's where people lose their way.

In business, being intelligent is no longer enough. Being vigilant, no longer enough. Opportunistic, no. Nowadays, if a business owner isn't cunning his or her establishment is in a world of hurt. Intelligence is easy enough to come by. But it must be combined with guile, resourcefulness, and sheer hunger to make it worth while.

There are whole websites devoted to improving intelligence and problem solving skills. And by all means, most are legitimate and genuinely want to help people all around the world better themselves. But sadly, these principles cannot be applied to problems in business without some tweaking.

One website I found seemed to really help because they kept their advice more as open guidelines, allowing for the reader to extrapolate and think. But there was one element missing here. This website even lists an entire process that can help business owners solve problems, but once again, it was lacking a single element.

Cunning.

Look at the definition. It has negative connotations associated with it, such as "deception." I've also heard treachery associated with the word, but if you click the link above and take a look at the second part of the definition, it says, "Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity." A-ha! That's what I'm talkin' about.

One must be cunning in business. By no means should you deceive or rob your customers or competitors, but you must be able to outwit competition, know how to handle and please each individual customer, and use all your resourcefulness and determination to succeed. Some of you may believe that the only way to succeed in business is to be deceptive, and to be a backstabber. Ruthless. Greedy. No.

That's where being cunning gets its bad rap. Ingenuity is the great equalizer among all creatures. One moment of inspiration can spark years of success- do you have any idea the kind of things you can accomplish if you set a lofty goal, and then use the power of your mind to reach it? And I'm not talking about the stupid "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF" stuff. I'm talking about using your brain to its fullest.

Don't expect a guide from me. Or a bulleted list with tips. This is something you must do on your own. There will be many times in business where all you have is an empty bank account, and your brain. When the chips are down, no website or resource center will have the know-how to pull you outta the sewer. Only you can do that. So if you have to rely on yourself that much, you better make damn sure you're the kinda person you'd trust.

Don't be smart. Be cunning.

Happy Coexistence With your Job

Work is tough.

Many people all around the world do not like their jobs. Hell, I found a blogger that wrote an entry on how to deal with toxic occupations! Some tolerate, some enjoy, and everything in-between. Certain individuals may see work as a means to an end, like putting food on the table, or providing for a family. But here's a concept that I introduce to you:

What if we tried to live with our jobs, opposed to just going to them? Accepted work opposed to dread it? There is freedom in simply letting go, you know. Work is work and that is that, but what if we changed perspective a little bit, and saw our jobs in a new light?

Hate is an Ugly Thing (Source)

That's what I'm trying to do. Now, I'm not unhappy at my job. No I am not. But there are times when work gets to me, as I am sure it all gets to you. And sometimes, I carry with me an anchor of dread when I have to return to work on Monday after a nice weekend. But is this the right thing to do? Better yet, healthy thing to do? I don't think so.

Acceptance comes in many shades. 

We could all stand to be a little more Zen. (Source)

A different perspective on work can change many things. Sometimes, it reveals that there are aspects of your job that you enjoy that you didn't even know about! And in the other extreme, sometimes a different perspective can let you see that it's time to move on. There are all parts of simply accepting that work is work, and we must do it to survive.

Many people think that they have no choice but to stay at a job that they despise. This isn't true. They've accepted the "fact" that they can't do anything else but sit there and be miserable. There are even coping mechanisms that can be used to help deal with a job that someone may hate. But is this true coexistence? Or is it just a band-aid?

Job dissatisfaction is very common among Americans. And some choose to cope with the stress of bad professional situations in a variety of ways, not all of them healthy. So what would you rather do? Cope, or accept?

Above: Never the Answer to a Problem (Source)

Acceptance is a strange thing, you know. Typically, it has a positive connotation, implying that one is content with one's situation, and is ready to rest of their laurels. But this isn't always the case. We accept many things all the time! Like...being in traffic, or being sick, or getting a parking ticket. We accept that these things have happened, and then we decide how we want to deal with them. So...don't cope. Accept!

I hate it when people say, "I don't have a choice," or when they say it to me: "you don't have a choice." This is completely untrue. We have free reign to do whatever we want, whenever we want. The only thing that holds us back is how a situation will turn out for us. You can hate your job. You can hate it with all your heart, and you can believe that you have no alternatives. But is that really true? I don't think it is.

You ALWAYS Have a Choice (Source)

You are a human (hopefully). You have a mind, you have a heart (gag me) and you have the will to focus everything you have into anything you want. So with all that power at your disposal...

Are you really gonna just sit there and be unhappy?