Unleash Your Creativity

We used to think that creativity is a gift that some of us are born with. But apparently it can be trained and developed. We can capture and cultivate inspirations from our surroundings, but the environment could also have a negative impact on creativity.

China bans plastic bags to fight “white pollution”

In response to Scientific American News – China Sacks Plastic Bags

The Chinese government is set to ban the manufacture and force shopkeepers to charge for the distribution of bags thinner than 0.025 millimeters thick as of June 1. People have been using plastic bags for everything — even to contain hot food for which plastic bags are not suitable. I’m glad to see that the Chinese government is taking the steps to recognize the importance of environmental issues such as this and educate its people. Everything China does will have a huge impact just because of the big population, so this is significant.

However, it remains to be seen whether this policy will hold up in the face of opposition. Manufacturers of the bags and citizens who are used to them already showed some displeasure. Also, people may end up putting more plastic in the landfill, because they just use the thicker plastic bags for convenience. This is what happened when a similar policy was adopted in Taiwan.

As I’ve written in Biodegradable Plastics, the idea of switching to biodegradable plastics may not be the best option because these polymers do not break down quickly as expected, because the conditions in the landfill is not ideal for degradation. I strongly recommend everyone, whereever you live, to reduce the use of plastic bags and get into the habit of bringing your own shopping bag.

Saving the Earth and fighting global warming is all about changing our lifestyle and everyday habits. We can do it!

Bacteria: Energy Source of the Future

With the price of oil skyrocketing and the world facing a serious energy crisis, alternative sources of energy are in high demand. In the wake of the global warming issue, renewable energy is even a more desirable power source. Microbial fuel cells use bacteria to generate electricity and clean wastewater at the same time. Although microbial fuel cells did not receive much attention because the amount of energy they generate is too low to be of use, improvements over the years make this potential energy source a valuable research topic in the field of biotechnology.

What is a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC)?

Microbial fuel cells, or biological fuel cells, use bacteria to convert chemical energy in biodegradable materials such as wastewater pollutants into electricity. The bacteria consume the pollutants, releasing electrons which flow through a circuit and generate electricity. In this process of power generation, pollutants are broken down, and clean water is produced.

How does it work?