Eiffel Tower Lights

As everyone should be aware, there was a horrid attack in Paris on November 13. With it we are again given a reminder of the good and the bad of social media.

The Good
- Usually the internet is most united when decrying some event or something someone said that is considered unacceptable. But never is it more united than when expressing condolences for terrible events like the one in Paris. Facebook profile pictures around the world have a French Flag overlay, images and expressions of "pray for France" are abounding. It is good to see so many people united in their concern for something.

The Bad
- I don't know if this is bad per say, but it is worth noting. There is an idea traveling around that the Eiffel Tower shut off its lights out of mourning and respect for those killed in the terrorist attacks. While this is a sweet thought, it is likely untrue. The Eiffel Tower's light are shut off every night to conserve power anyway. What is true is that the eiffel tower replica in Las Vegas shut off its lights to show respect. That structure actually is lit up every night. I mean, it is Vegas after all.

Electric Cars and Misled Moral Superiority

Electric Cars and Misled Moral Superiority

It is no question that electric vehicles are here to stay. Surely most people have witnessed an angular Chevy Volt hum by or a sleek Tesla Model S glide up to a stop light. Electric vehicles are coming out in all shapes and sizes, and new developments in battery charge and storage are making these vehicles more functional than ever. But where they really shine, is their apparent moral superiority; heavily subsidized due to a lack of tailpipe emissions, they are championed by environmental advocates and politicians as the way forward in caring for the environment. However, what people general fail to consider are the environmental impacts of manufacturing an electric vehicle. Before a vehicle even leaves the dealership, it has already had a profound impact on the environment that outweighs any benefits from the zero-tailpipe emissions.

The best way to illustrate the overall impact of an electric vehicle is to start at the very beginning of the manufacturing process, not to focus on what does or does not come out of its tailpipe. Every piece of metal in any car started out in the ground. Nickel, copper, steel, whatever the type, has to be mined and refined, traveling around the globe before reaching any of its various final forms. Processing the materials involved in any type of vehicle’s production is environmentally damaging, though electric vehicles (EVs) require materials that make them more even damaging. Such materials include neodymium and aluminum.

Neodymium

Neodymium is a rare earth metal primarily used in making magnets. These magnets are found in everything from computer hard drives to the motors that power electric cars. To understand the damaging effects of neodymium mining, one has only to look up images of the city of Baotou and its adjacent lake. Baotou is located in Mongolia, and the mines just north of Baotou are estimated to contain 70 percent of the world’s rare earth mineral reserves (Maughan). The pictures need to be seen to be believed, but the images of the lake where refineries pump a torrent of thick, black chemical waste can only described as a monochromatic hell on earth.

Aluminum

            Electric cars are naturally quite heavy. For example, the Nissan Leaf’s battery pack alone weighs close to seven hundred pounds. A lighter car means extended battery life, so to offset the heavy batteries, the Nissan Leaf uses aluminum in its doors and hood (Zehner). Aluminum is generally mined and produced in Australia, Brazil, and China. There are heavy environmental impacts associated with each stage of aluminum production, most notably greenhouse gas emissions. These gases result from both the electrical consumption by smelters and the byproducts of processing. In short, the unique greenhouse gases produced include perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is a primary ingredient in acid rain, and PFCs are estimated by the EPA to be 9,200 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of their affect on global warming (Aluminum). Aluminum strip mining also devastates the landscape, destroying all native vegetation in the mining region.

A Contradiction

            Governing bodies such as the United Nations view emission reduction, specifically that of vehicles, as an important way to combat climate change. The country that has embraced the UN’s goals with the most gusto is Norway. Norway currently has the highest percentage of EVs in the world and grants the highest tax break for EVs at over $18,000, compared to about $6,000 in the United States (Jolley). The country is proud of the strides that have been made, spending millions of dollars on said tax breaks and on infrastructure, all with the purpose of encouraging citizens to make the switch to electric. Sadly, this pride is not based on the measurable results, which estimate that Norway’s EV program has only cut one-tenth of 1 percent of carbon dioxide emissions (Jolley). On top of that, a Norwegian study found that “electric vehicles consistently perform worse or on par with modern internal combustion engine vehicles, despite virtually zero direct emission during operation” (Hawkins). This study focused on the life-cycle impacts of EVs, not merely their tailpipe emission.

Conclusion

            In using EVs, we are not reducing environmental impact but are simply relocating it. The air in California or Norway might be slightly cleaner because there are more electric cars whirring about, but it is places like Baotou, Mongolia, that are paying the price. Unfortunately, normal consumers as well as policy makers have not taken this fact into consideration. As stated by Mr. Lunde, the deputy climate minister in Norway, “If you buy an electric, at least you’re safe. There are no emissions” (Jolley). Based on empirical evidence, Mr. Lunde, along with so many others, could not be more wrong.  As we can see from the unique materials required to manufacture EVs and their devastating environmental impact, the moral superiority of electric vehicles is a grossly misled notion. 

           

Works Cited

"Aluminum." Enviroliteracy.org. The Environmental Literacy Council, n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Hawkins, Troy R., Bhawna Singh, Guillaume Majeau-Bettez, and Anders Hammer Strømman. "Comparative Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Conventional and Electric Vehicles." Journal of Industrial Ecology (2013): 53-64. Yale University, 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Jolley, David. "Norway's Electric Embrace." The New York Times 19 Oct. 2015: 1-2. Print.

Maughan, Tim. "The Dystopian Lake Filled by the World's Tech Lust." Bbc.com. BBC, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Zehner, Ozzie. "Unclean at Any Speed." Spectrum.ieee.org. IEEE-SA, 30 June 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2015.

Respect Your Parents. They graduated school without Google or Wikipedia

It was a more simple time. No Pinterest, no Facebook, no Instagram, no pressure to have an impressive social media life (just an impressive real life). People cooked nice meals or made cool things for the simple joy of doing so and not because it would get a heck ton of likes on MyFace or InstaTube. 

My angelic mother embodied this. One Halloween she set out to create homemade felt skittle costumes for her equally angelic children. She didn't go to a how-to blog or get inspiration from anyone else. She bought a packet of skittles, painstakingly measured every element, and created perfectly proportional felt-skittle wonder costumes. They looked amazing. They won costume contests. They were perfect. 

The beauty here is that she did this without the internet and without seeking any outside praise. Instead of seeking to create a viral post, she just wanted to make her kids happy. There was no one to impress, just a mother making something wonderful for the sake of doing so. 

Yes, it was a more simple time indeed. 

Reading Japanese

Today I want to discuss the importance of reading in Japanese.

I have a language professor who is fond of emphasizing the importance of reading Japanese. Hardly a class goes by where he does not state that, "If you can learn to read Japanese and exercise that skill often, you will never forget this language."

Reading in general, regardless of the language, helps create lasting neurological connections in your brain. In Japanese, reading is a fantastic way to learn new words and Kanji. Really, I'm convinced that it is the only way to learn the language. Obviously, you do not want to neglect the spoken language, but to internalize Japanese, you need to do your time and grind through sentences, paragraphs, pages, and books of unfamiliar words and characters.

That's Japanese, a grind. No shortcut or detour is an adequate substitute for hours of reading and forcing your brain to internalize it. Find a book or short story that is at your level and get to work!

Giving Candy to Stranger

So it wasn't actually candy, it was a Cliff Bar. I might as well have been a stranger offering candy though, because contrary to what I expected, people are not always flattered when you try to give them something for free.

I had an inkling that giving something to a stranger might prove somewhat difficult. I read once about a teacher who gave each of her students five one-dollar bills and charged them with giving away all five in five attempts (one dollar per attempt). Contrary to the student's expectations, it was very difficult to even give away one of the bills. People are often distrusting of strangers offering something for free, and in that case were more inclined to reject the offering.

So, with that in mind, I set out to give away a Cliff Bar. I figured that BYU students waiting in line for a test at the testing center would be more inclined to accept the free gift (considering their somewhat dire position), so that is where is started.

In short, I did give away the Cliff Bar, and it was awkward, but I hope it made the person happy. I'd like to think it did; I know I would be excited to get a free Cliff Bar.

Japanese Customs

'Customs' is a scary word. Either it refers to the stone-faced, merciless process you have to through to leave or enter a country, or the traditions and behavior associated with a particular region or culture. Either way, it is intimidating, mysterious, and if you don't act in the expected manner, bad things happen.

I can't really help much getting across the border, but I can give some tips about Japanese customs!

As usual, I couldn't possibly list all of the things you need to know, but I can at least give you some pointers. And by pointers, I really mean a pointer: DO NOT NEGLECT AN UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF JAPANESE CUSTOMS.

Seriously. Take your shoes off when you enter people's homes, learn the proper salutations, learn the ins and outs, the dos and don'ts. Will you get into trouble if you make a mistake? No, the Japanese are very forgiving. Will they be impressed by your knowledge and effort? DEFINITELY. 

Sensei means more than just teacher

If you were to ask an American what three Japanese words they know, they would likely say konichiwa, domo (arigato mister roboto), and sensei. If you then asked them what sensei means, they would likely say teacher, and they would be right! But to say sensei means teacher is like saying Porsche is just a car maker, or the grand canyon is a rock formation; correct, yet a complete understatement.

Sensei is used to refer to doctors, lawyers, CPA, and politicians, clergymen, and other positions of authority. It is also used to refer to someone who has achieved mastery in in an art or some other skill: novelist, artist, and martial arts, to name a few.

The point is, Japanese culture holds the position of teacher at a much higher level than in the US. To be a teacher is to be one who is a holder of and deserving of great respect. US society does not hold their teachers to such high regard as a doctor, but in japan they are one in the same.

My point is, while US culture isn't going to change any time soon, you can start to respect your teachers from this moment onward a lot more. It is no wonder they deserve so much respect, after all a good teacher can change your life.

Which brings up another point. Of course not all teachers have an equal impact; regardless of respect, some teachers are average, and some are... not so good. Regardless, in Japanese you refer to them by saying 'I was their pupil,' their 教え子 (oshiego). When referring to a past teacher who you feel indebted to, who really changed your life, there is a different word. You say you were their 恩師 (onshi). It is beautiful to me that the distinction exists in Japan, and I feel it truly reflects how much respect they reserve for their teachers. Hopefully it inspires you to show a little more respect for the teachers in your life.