"Pet" Compounds - PS and HDPE

Polystyrene (PS):

     Second only to polyethylene, polystyrene is one of the most common inexpensive, rigid plastics in everyday life.  It is a polymer with "thermoplastic properties, and it is created from the petroleum-derived monomer, styrene". It is important to note that several different types of this compound are produced:

Extruded polystyrene:  This form of polystyrene is purported to have as much "tensile strength as unalloyed aluminum, but it is lighter and more elastic".  This variation of polystyrene is used in manufacturing an array of molded products such as plastic tableware, yogurt cups, CD cases, and model cars.  

Extruded polystyrene foam: Also known as Styrofoam, this form of polystyrene has numerous applications in many facets of urban life and manufacturing.  It may also be used in building materials or in roadway construction.  For example, "it may serve as a layer of insulation under pavement to prevent freezing and thawing of the soil below from cracking the surface".  

Expanded polystyrene foam:  In this form, polystyrene is essentially comprised of expanded polystyrene beads.  It is this type of material that is used to create "peanuts" for packaging, disposable coolers, and takeout boxes.






Here is a clip from How It's Made pertaining to the manufacturing of expanded polystyrene products:

  
Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-polystyrene.htm


High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE):

     This compound, similar to polystyrene, is a type of plastic that derives from petroleum.  It is a material that can be re-molded by melting and shaping, and, in addition, it can be joined in segments when welded or machined. As understood from its name, high-density polyethylene is much denser than most other polymer plastics.  The reason for this is due to "its crystallization structure occurring in a linear fashion rather than branching out to form long chains of polyethylene".  The result of this lack of branching is increased bondage between its carbon molecules and hydrogen molecules.  This provides the final product to possess greater tensile strength, even though it is lighter than water.  This structure also makes high-density polyethylene highly resistant to acids and solvents.  


Applications of HDPE:


Due to the fact that high-density ethylene is so durable and chemically non-reactive, it is used in many aspects of industry and manufacturing.  Here are a few uses of HDPE:

1. Utilized in many different packaging containers, such as milk and laundry detergent bottles
2. Plastic grocery bags
3. Found in storage systems designed to store chemicals and fuels.
4. Used to produce materials that act as chemical barriers, such as liners that are placed under landfills to help prevent soil and groundwater contamination.

The most common utilization of HDPE, though, is in the "manufacturing of wood plastic composites to make furniture, flooring, fencing, and landscaping materials".  

Here is a quick video about HDPE:

Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-high-density-polyethylene.htm

Federal Government Spending - Give and Take

     To begin, I would like to say that I believe the conservation of the environment and a shift to an era of sustainable living are among the most important goals of the twenty-first century.  Poverty, war, famine and countless other issues that plague humanity all have a connection to the physical environment, be it through geographical setting, the allocation of natural resources, or due to human factors influenced by space and place.  Addressing environmental problems on the global and local scale is an essential component of understanding and solving the numerous problems that face the world today. 

Favelas in Rio de Janeiro

   The United States finds itself in an interesting position on the world stage as the processes of globalization continue to rapidly grow and reach new locations and markets (as well as leave other areas and nations behind).  Its status as a world superpower is in jeopardy as other nations clamber to achieve world influence through economic dominance.  It is necessary for the United States to efficiently allocate its monetary resources so that it may remain a world power, yet in addition it is necessary that the United States pursue a course that emphasizes sustainable living and economic growth.  


Program to receive expanded funds:


United States Department of Energy


www.energy.gov/

  
Here is an overview of the aims of the DOE, as stated from their website:


"The Department of Energy's overarching mission is to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States; to promote scientific and technological innovation in support of that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup of the national nuclear weapons complex."






The DOE also provides five strategic themes that are paramount in accomplishing its goals:

1. Energy Security:  Promoting America's energy security through reliable, clean, and affordable energy.
2. Nuclear Security:  Ensuring America's nuclear safety.
3. Scientific Discovery and Innovation:  Strengthening U.S. scientific discovery, economic competitiveness, and improving quality of life through innovations in science and technology.
4. Environmental Responsibility:  Protecting the environment by providing a responsible resolution to the environmental legacy of nuclear weapons production
5. Management Excellence:  Enabling the mission through sound management

     Specifically, the theme of scientific discovery and innovation is one that may hold the promise of propelling the United States to sustainable energy independence through the development of previously unimagined technologies that tap into readily available resources in an efficient way.

Here's an example of recent technology that has been created by a young inventor in California that may prove to greatly benefit peripheral nations:

http://video.popularmechanics.com/services/player/bcpid1214137061?bctid=1233395616

     For the next portion of the assignment I want to take a Burkean approach (although Burke is no idol of mine) to the elimination/reduction of federal programs.  An institution that has been found to be effective over time should be looked upon as an entity that tends to a certain purpose, and it should not be eliminated or dismantled outright because the good it has done must be considered.  Rather, subtle changes are to be made so as to correct the course of the particular institution.  It is in this way that federal programs across the board should examine the efficiency of their spending.

     With a looming debt, the United States is at a crossroads.  Down one path is a nation of unsustainable existence and diminishing world influence, and down the other is a self-sustaining entity (metaphorically and physically) that is able to provide an example to all other nations.  I am very hopeful that we pursue the correct path.