Connection between "Waste Not" and SKOSMI

Upon completing “Waste Not” I sat at my desk and tried to remember the most important things I should have taken from the article. I found, after much thought, that this was impossible. This chapter was jam-packed with so much information that I just couldn’t do it. I then began to think about how my internship/senior project could relate to “waste”. How could a sports medicine clinic where the number one priority is helping people have negative impacts on the world? I tried to recall any section that talked about healthcare, and soon enough I came an interesting section. Although the chapter had 14 pages, I am only going to focus on a single paragraph. The first paragraph on page 58 talks about the amount of money “wasted” on healthcare each year. This made me think about how many patients might go in for therapy/massage that don’t really need it. “In health care, $65 billion is spent annually on nonessential or even fraudulent tests and procedures (including 420,000 unneeded caesareans).” That is $65 billion dollars that doesn’t necessarily need to be spent, which is considered wasting. It took me awhile to find the connection but I finally got it.

The paragraph at the top of page 58 made me think about whether or not patients at Shin Kong Orthopedic Sports Medicine Institute could fit into the same boat. I’d assume that they would although the article is mostly talking about people who seek help with obesity, heart disease, and dietary choices.

Another way that “Waste Not” might connect with my senior project is through the materials in which the Sports Medicine clinic uses. What did it take to make the tools and equipment that the clinic uses? How many trees were cut down to make them? How much water was wasted? Does the material include waste products or anything that may be harmful to the environment? These are all questions that I have yet been able to answer. Will I answer them? Yes, of course. I just need some more time in the environment to be able to ask these questions.

There are two ways (at least I think so) that this chapter, “Waste Not”, relates to my senior project/internship. First of all, it talks about the amount of money wasted on healthcare each year, which closely relates to the sports medicine clinic I am working at. Secondly, the chapter talks about the coke can and all the processes that it went through to get to its ultimate stage. I can look at the different sports medicine tools and equipment and do the same kind of thing. Are these materials used at SKISMO environmentally friendly?

I look forward to furthering my understanding of waste and how I can relate it to my senior project.