Cradle to Cradle

McDonough Ted-talk

“Our Goal is a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy and just world, with clean air, water, soil and power- economically, equitably, ecologically and elegantly enjoyed.”

I thought this ted-talk by William McDonough was amazing. The first time I watched it I wasn't that into it but after watching it a 2nd and 3rd time, I came to realize that it is actually pretty good. McDonough really stresses the whole idea of how we design things and takes a lot of factors into account. He said in the beginning of his talk that “design is the first signal of human intentions.” He goes on to question what our human intentions should be and how we are going to accomplish them. I think one of the questions he posed, which was, “How do we love all the children of all species for all time?”, was really good. He then explains how this has to be the first question we ask ourselves when deciding on a design. I could go on and on about this ted-talk but I'm going to control myself and focus on the designing of green buildings.

I think its incredible to see such amazing cities, where sustainability is the number one priority. It is really quite amazing that we can build buildings and still remain green. The things McDonough is working on is remarkable. This ted-talk really made me think of Angus and Jack, who both happen to be in France. Angus is greatly concerned with finding corporations that are sustainable and that aren't notorious for damaging the environment. Jack is very interested in green architecture and making the world a healthier place. I think there is hope, and like McDonough said, ““We see that the companies acting ethically in this world are out performing those that don't.”

This ted-talk also reminded me of the novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. The book talks a lot about mother culture and how long ago we split into two groups, the takers and the leavers. I see McDonough's plans for the Chinese cities as a step backwards or closer to the leaver lifestyle. With his ideas we are making the world a better place to live. Another question he asks is, “How can we secure local society, create world peace and save the environment?” I think this is a question we should all ask ourselves and really spend some time contemplating the whole concept. One way we can start is by spreading the word. We can take the initiative and try to be one of the first green schools in all of Taiwan. I could really talk about this ted-talk for another 30 minutes, but I shall stop.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McDonough
http://www.mcdonoughpartners.com/
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=IoRjz8iTVoo

Hawken Chapter

Connection

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.

AP English: James Baldwin's intent for writing "Stranger in a Village."

James Baldwin, throughout the essay, expresses the anger or "rage" that he feels because of white supremacy. During this time period, in Switzerland, blacks were considering "exotic rarities", and when seen were treated as if they weren't human. Baldwin talks about how the children and sometimes even adults would touch his hair just because it was a different texture and wasn't seen everyday. I feel that Baldwin's intent for writing this essay is to express his feelings and beliefs about the way whites once treated blacks. In paragraph 25 of the essay Baldwin tells us that, "This worlds white no longer, and it will never be white again." Black men are no longer considered rarities and are finally accepted into society, as human beings. Baldwin talks about the rage he feels sometimes of the way he is treated.

"There is a dreadful abyss between the streets of this village and the streets of the city in which I was born, between the children who shout Neger! today and those who shouted Nigger! yesterday—the abyss is experience, the American experience." I feel this is a very important excerpt because It expresses the difference between the way blacks are treated in America verses, in this case, Switzerland. Baldwin's main intent is to express this difference and also talk about how blacks should be treated equally.

These are just a few of the main ideas that I got from reading this essay. I think I will try to read it again sometime this week to really capture the meaning of it. Wish I could have been in class to discuss Baldwin's intent, and what others took from the reading.

Western vs. Eastern medicine

Hello everybody! The question I am going to try to explore is, "How does Eastern medicine differ from that of Western medicine?" and "What specific role does Sports medicine play in our society, both locally and globally?" I am really interested in learning about the human body AND sports. What profession combines the two? A sports medicine doctor or Orthopedic surgeon.

I am privileged to have found a great internship opportunity in Taipei with a one of a kind Orthopedic surgeon who specialized in sports medicine. He seems pretty eager to get started and I know I can't wait.

As for how this internship will relate to my senior project, I'd like to compare the way the Western world conducts its medical routines with that of the Eastern world. Once I get my ideas organized I'd like to create a few guiding questions to help guide me along my journey. An example of a question I might ask could be, "Why is health care so expensive in the US, while we can get the same treatment for almost nothing here in Taiwan?"

I am also going to use this internship experience to learn more about myself. Is Sports medicine the field I want to be in? Do I really want to go to Medical school? Will I be happy with my job and at the same time make others happy?

While I am at my internship in Taipei I will be able to watch Dr. Wang ( I think thats his name...) perform medical techniques on his patients. (those with clothes anyway :P). If the doctor is busy I will have the opportunity to work closely with some of his assistants, who I hope speak English! I really look forward to starting my internship next week and will update you guys when I can!


If you're interested in checking out the website for where I will do my Internship, here it is:
http://www.skosmi.com.tw/

HSIP Influence

I began reading this article without any prior expectations or thoughts. I don't know much about the Hsinchu Science Park because neither of my parents work there and I rarely get the opportunity to converse with employees of the Science Park. Another reason I might not know or hear much is because I am foreign and don't speak Chinese fluently. HSIP has to be a big deal. I mean, its considered the Silicon Valley of the east, which is pretty important. I'm curious to know whether or not HSIP gets mentioned on the news often or if things stay behind the scenes.

After reading this article a few things stuck with me. We were asked to pick a topic from the article that most impacts us (as an individual), and I'd have to say the thing that impacts me the most is the amount of pollution these companies are creating outside of the factories. I honestly don't know too much about the science park so there aren't too many things that could affect me personally, probably because I am just unaware. Everyday we must travel outside to get to where we have to be, whether its school, music lessons, downtown, etc. This means that we breath the air that is in the atmosphere at that given time.

After reading this article I finally realize that the air we breath isn't all that clean and fresh. There isn't much we, the people outside of the companies, can do to prevent this either. I mean we could petition and try to get the government to do something about the way these companies are running their businesses but that is hard to do. The government and managers of these companies are all about the money. They want to market their particular cause the best way possible, hoping to make themselves look good. What most people don't know, unless you've read this article, is that these companies are not as good as they may "seem". The 1997 fire at UMC is a great example. The article states that the community overheard that the fire chief purposely chose to deny any sort of toxic chemicals for the sake of looking good, and environmentally friendly. A week or so later the guy was in the hospital, because of those very fumes that he denied being present at UMC. Its amazing to see what lengths people will go just to try and look good. I guess I'm sort of straying from my main idea: what impact the environmental wastes and pollution have on me.

Almost every time I go downtown I have to look into the canal, which is full of filth, trash and who knows what else. I've never actually thought about WHY the canal looks the way it does. Could it be because of these big companies and corporations? I'm really not sure. The companies put far too many toxins and far too much waste into the atmosphere, which we happen to be surrounded by. I think this is one of the biggest problems we face today, Pollution, and its affects on the community. So many people get sick and are sent to the hospital because of this pollution, and who gets blamed? No one! Companies continue producing their products regardless of how much waste they emit and the number of people admitted to the hospital continues to grow. Until the government decides to do something about these problems, we will be breathing in insanitary air. This article really opened my eyes to what is happening around me. Since being in Taiwan I have lost touch with the news and media world, mainly because I cannot understand what is being said. This article, being that it is in english, was very beneficial and I hope we can continue to promote awareness on this very important issue!

Changing the World

Trying to change the world, for the good, may seem like a daunting task that would take countless hours out of our already short lifespan, but this is not the case. Today there are a variety of things that we can do to help benefit the world, and the people that inhabit it. One thing that I will continue doing to help change the world is to kindly smile at a stranger. Having a positive approach to life can really rub off on people, and get people in the right spirits. Todays society is filled with murderers, rapists, child molesters, burglar's, and many other misguided individuals, buy maybe, just maybe, we can make a good impression on those people, without knowing it. All you have to do is simply smile! Most people that are upset in todays world are upset because they don't feel loved or accepted. If we benevolently send that all empowering smile in the direction of one of these individuals, we could easily make there day and possibly change their approach on life. What better than a world filled with happy people, right? Another kind gesture that we can try to utilize in our everyday lives, which parallels my first idea, is to say something nice to someone, maybe unexpectedly. Maybe you are walking into a restaurant, and you notice that there is a lady holding a young infant behind you. The first thing that should come to your mind is to hold the door open for the lady. Its a kind gesture like this that will put someone in a good mood or not. If people see you going out of your way to help, they will very much appreciate it. Sometimes even, you might get a gentle, thank you, in return, acknowledging your altruism. Now you may continue in and enjoy the meal that you would have enjoyed just 5 seconds earlier, had you not helped the lady and her child at the door. It feels good to help other people, and by doing so you might even be able to turn that misanthrope into a much more common role, a Philanthropist. As you can tell, in order to have a world free of crime, hatred and violence, we must have happy people, so I will try my best to encounter every situation with an optimistic and happy attitude, in hopes of changing people for the better.

There are also some other small things that can inevitable make the world a better place to live. Have you ever walked down a street with some friends, and noticed a great heap of trash scattered all over? You probably have, but did you do anything about it? Most likely not. One of the problems we face today as a society is that we all have unconsciously believe that it is not our place to pick up abandoned trash. We all, at some point in our life, have reflexively thrown that occasional snickers wrapper, or coke bottle onto the ground. I have seen people who have thrown trash onto the floor when there was a trash can less than 10 yards from them. One way I will instigate the betting of the world, is by simply avoiding to throw my trash on the ground. I will wait for the opportune time to dispose of my waste. Also, along with not throwing my trash anywhere but the trashcan, I will pick up trash that I come across and simply throw it away for the irresponsible person who thought nothing of it to leave their trash behind. If we all decide to take initiative and pick up the rubbish lying on the ground, we can together make the world a better and cleaner place.

Another problem we face today is Global Warming. One thing I will begin to do is spread the word of the harmful effects Global Warming has and its capacity to destroy us all, including the animals and every other living organism that lives on this earth. If we simply cut back on the amount of water we use a day and change our light bulbs regularly, we are promoting the bettering of the world. I have made a promise to myself that I will abide by these small tasks, in hopes of reducing the global problems we are facing every day. One person can't make the problem go away, but they sure as hell can help spread the word and get people motivated. To try to prevent any further damage from Global Warming, I will try to educate people about the seriousness of this issue. Together, as a school community, we should begin contemplating ideas that will help attenuate Global Warming on the the grand scale.

I, Tyler Willis, WILL do everything in my power to make the world a better place to live!!

Grizzly Man

The documentary Grizzly Man is an intriguing video that I seem to have a hard time forgetting. The whole video is comprised of footage from this mans 13 summer voyage with these magnificent creatures. This man, Timothy Treadwell, spent summer after summer filming and trying to become one with these animals. There is much controversy over whether or not he should have been able to do this. I truly believe that however crazy it may be, this expedition into the wild with the Grizzlies is acceptable. I think his reasoning behind being out there with these animals is strong enough to permit him to do so. People think that this guy was crazy and disturbed. Who in their right mind would want to walk up to a Grizzly and pet it on its nose? Who would want to sleep every night in a little tent, providing very little protection? Why should this man be able to go into the wild and disturb these wild animals from their normal everyday lives? These are just a few questions that people may be asking themselves, and they definitely make for good debate. No one will ever truly understand what Treadwell was thinking but people will each have their interpretations. I believe that Treadwell’s past had a big influence on his decision to live in the wild with these animals. I have a good feeling that he might have been depressed to a certain degree. He was a heavy drinker, probably due to depression. In his early years he had a near fatal overdose, which for sure changed his perspective on life. He got injured during his younger years and lost his scholarship to the school of his choice. Also, his father mentioned that the thing that ruined him the most was probably not getting the job he applied for. Without understanding Treadwell’s background you may be quick to assume that he is a deranged and crazy man. I tend to believe that he is just very dedicated and addicted to his obsession of wildlife. “I had no life. Now I have a life.” This is a quote that Treadwell stated in his documentary. It shows you how he feels about his life. Before his experiences with the bears, he was depressed and considered himself to have no life. After his encounters with the bears, he claimed to have a life. So basically, I feel it all comes down to how poorly life was treating him before his travels into the wild. He found a new life and new friends on the flat lands of Alaska. It was here that he finally starts to realize that he belongs out with these bears. He thought the bears needed a caretaker, someone to look after them. Everything he did was with the right intention, but outsiders viewed it as not normal, crazy, and just plain right unacceptable. I agree with his morals and ideas of life. He truly wanted to become one with the bears. The more you know about these animals, the easier it is to understand them. I can relate to Treadwell in that I used to always go fishing when I was in the US. Everyday after school I would be out on the stream, deep down in the woods. I guess you could say fishing consumed my life. During these adventures each day, I would think of myself as a 20 inch palomino trout. If I were a trout, what kind of food would I want today? Its sunny, kind of windy and the water looks clear. These are things I thought about while I was wading up and down the stream. I really had to become one with the fish, so I could understand them, and in my case catch the fish. Treadwell was doing what he loved to do. I think people need to realize that what he was doing was for the good. Was he on his butt talking about what he COULD do? No. He was out doing it! That is something people don’t understand. His motives were all for a good cause. He wanted to become a better person. He wanted to create awareness around the world about the dangers of hunters and the dwindling populations of animals around the globe. He taught classes to young students in hopes of educating them about the problems these bears are facing. Throughout the movie you could really see the emotional side of Treadwell. You can tell that he was dedicated to these animals and would do anything to help them. I think the use of foul language is crucial to this documentary. Treadwell freely expressed all of his ideas. This makes me wonder, Did he want people to see this? What was his intention to do with all this footage? Would he have made his own documentary? Watching this video made me think of a lot of things. I thought about how very few people have such close connections with animals. I think its great that Treadwell had such close relationships with these Grizzlies and even the foxes. I thought it was amazing to see Treadwell interact with these wild animals. I think being able to form a relationship with the foxes made him that much more eager to form relationships with the bears. So all this comes down to one simple question. Was Timothy Treadwell a hero? I would start by pondering what exactly being a hero entails. When I hear the word hero, I think of someone who is admired for certain achievements or the bettering of society. So, would I classify Treadwell as a hero? I would have to say yes. He was out trying to make a difference in the world, regardless of what others thought. No not everyone agrees with what he was doing but you got to give him some credit for being an individual with drive and passion. He had a fond love for animals, more specifically, the grizzly bear, and didn’t let anyone stand in his way. I thought it was cool to see Treadwell walking with the bears in the very last scene. The whole movie Timothy wanted to become one with the bears and in the end that was the feeling I got. Its incredible to watch him get so close to these wonderful yet scary creatures. Timothy Treadwell’s story is the epitome of people taking their passions in life to the furthest extreme. He did what he loved, and no matter what people say about him, he had good intentions and died the only way he would have wanted to. RIP Timothy!

I could write so much more on this video, so if you have any questions let me know!