Events and Pollutive Effects

 Happy Recess Week! Although I didn't get to go for a staycation this week, I was living vicariously through other people's vacation experiences by watching hotel review videos on Youtube. Then I became curious as to what happened to left-over hotel amenities, like unused bars of soap or shampoo bottles. Do they get thrown away? If so, then that would mean a lot of waste is generated from hotels every day! Luckily, I found a video that helped satisfy my curiosity. Take a look:  Source: Tech Insider   Apparently, Hilton and a couple other hotel companies have been taking part in Clean the World, a social enterprise based in North America, which is dedicated to collecting and recycling soap bars that are left over for redistribution to children and families in need. Although it might seem off-putting that used soap is being recycled and repackaged, it's certainly better than being thrown away! What is most notable to me in the video is the statement "Hilton has pledged t...

This week, my Instagram feed was flooded with posts from New York Fashion Week 2022. For celebrities who are eager to seek out the latest trends and designers who want to showcase their creations, this semi-annual event was a highly anticipated one. Amidst this, I couldn't help but think about how designer pieces are often only worn once by a celebrity, in fear of being seen repeating their outfits. However, most designer brands are reportedly committing to reducing their carbon emissions. In 2020, fashion designer Gabriela Hearst held the first-ever Carbon Neutral Fashion Show during NYFW, which saw other renowned brands such as Gucci and Burberry joining in (Paton, 2021). Eco-conscious fashion is also increasingly being featured in the runways. So, what is the problem?  Statement on a commitment to carbon neutrality on the official Gabriela Hearst website.  Source: Gabrielahearst.com While researching on issues of sustainability of NYFW, I came across this 'Executive Summa...

Are you aware that the most powerful volcanic eruption in history recently occured in Tonga, on 15th Jan this year? Yes that's right, according to NASA scientists, the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai Volcano released the highest recorded plume since the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The initial blast rose some 58 kilometres above the Earth, reaching the mesosphere, or the third layer of the atmosphere (NASA Earth Observatory, 2022). This was unusual as the volcanic vent is located underwater, between the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates. Underwater volcanoes rarely tend to cause big explosions, yet the Tonga volcanic eruption was "more powerful than the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima" (BBC News, 2022). Reportedly, this was because the vent was too close to the surface for eruptions to be suppressed by ocean water (Witze, 2022). Furthermore, water can cause massive eruptions to happen through its capability to flash-heat (think of a water-heater being able to ...

On the topic of love, another form of celebratory event that is notorious for being disastrous and having unintended consequences is baby showers. With the excitement of revealing the child's gender, many couples have incorporated extravagant techniques to make their gender reveal party as memorable as possible. Using a rifle to shoot at a highly explosive substance (Tannerite), deploying a crop-dusting plane to dump gallons of coloured water over a field, and driving a car emitting blue smoke are one of the many of said outrageous gender-reveal methods (Morales & Waller, 2021). These have all led to repercussions to the environment and to society, with some cases involving the death of third parties. Today's focus however will be about a more recent baby shower disaster that happened in California, which resulted in the El Dorado wildfire.  What Happened?  In 2020, a couple used a pyrotechnic device (smoke bomb) to announce their baby's gender, which sparked a wildfire...

'Tis the season for love, chocolates, roses and Valentine's Day. Already, e-commerce platforms are advertising and promoting gifts for this occasion, reminding people that they need to buy a present for their loved ones. Although to be fair, nothing screams 'I love you' more than participating in this consumerist holiday :) Indeed, Valentine's day is one of the most wasteful and environmentally unsustainable days of the year, seeing as people all around the world take part in it to some degree. Even excluding the grander professions of love, a significant amount of waste is generated from this day alone. One of the more obvious sources of pollution includes plastic purchases such as helium balloons, glitter (a microplastic) and confetti which often end up as trash or in our oceans. Plastic Oceans International, an NGO dedicated to ending plastic pollution and raising worldwide awareness on sustainability, released a blog post  detailing how long these common valenti...

The Singapore Grand Prix, one of the biggest and most anticipated events after being cancelled the past two years, will be held on 2nd October this year. It was also recently announced that Singapore will renew its Formula One deal until 2028, providing an opportunity for the economy and Singapore's tourism sector to recover. It's no surprise however that Formula One racing is one of the most pollutive forms of sport, raising concerns over the pollution levels in Singapore over the next 7 years.  Singapore Grand Prix victory celebration in 2019. Source: The Straits Times As observed in the picture, a lot goes on during the (usually) 3-day-long event - fireworks, large crowds, road closures, light shows and more, all of which are sources of pollution. But perhaps the most pressing issue that has often been the focus of critics is the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2).  This article  by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) also reveals the importance of thinking about F...

It's time for the quadrennial Winter Olympics! Starting tonight, 4th Feb, to 20th Feb 2022, Beijing and Hebei province will be hosting the winter games. Although the opening ceremony has yet to happen, there are already warnings of "heavy air pollution" from the Chinese government. The main concerns included smog and PM 2.5 particles affecting air quality, making it an unfavourable time for the games. But the sources of pollution have mainly been accredited to industrial firms and the winter weather, as has always been for the past few years. However, what other forms of pollution can happen during the Olympics? Will the after-effects of the games add to the already undesirable air quality in Beijing? Let's find out. Heavy smog observed in Beijing, before the games commenced.  Source: Reuters Firstly, let's take a look at the Beijing Organising Committee's (BOC) Beijing 2022 Sustainability Plan to understand the other possible sources of pollution following t...