Labdoo
Guys, we finally joined another organization, Labdoo, as a team😂! I contacted the manager for a long time but never got a chance to actually do it, and FINALLY, on Feb. 3rd, WQ Li and I went to PeopleSpace to volunteer.
Unfortunately, we worked our butts out and still failed to reset 2 used computers, so we forgot to take pictures of the place. But I was really glad that we took the time to participate in this meaningful program. What labdoo does basically is recycling used computers and sending them to places where people have less access to technology. This entire process does not require extra money nor emit extra CO2 as it’s all volunteering-based.
Thus, it not only decreases digital divide, it also dwindles CO2 emission by reusing computers, which are made with material that needs industrial processing(plastic, copper, aluminum, semi-conductors). One of my biggest concerns before joining Labdoo was lack of technical knowledge. After the volunteer, however, I guarantee any highschooler can find a job to do in Labdoo, because they literally will give you a manual on what to do(we failed because we spent too much time on sorting the computers); the manager and other helpers are experts at these, so you can always ask them for help.
Overall, I think Labdoo is a unique, legit program, where people can actually help and learn things. I would suggest more people to participate in it.
YS Ding 2/16/19
Huntington Beach Cleanup
Wenqian Li and I planned on joining Orange Coast Keeper-Beach Cleanup event in January. However, we couldn’t find their manager when we arrived, so we decided to just move on and do it by ourselves😂. ps: I’d suggest to bring your own recyclable bags and trash tongs to pick up trash, or the organization will give you plastic bag and plastic gloves to pick up plastic. ˊ_>ˋ
Trashes on Huntington beach were more than we imagined (maybe because of the government shut-down?). Most of them almost “decomposed” and mixed with the sands. It was hard for me to tell the difference between a seashell and a trash, since the majority of the trash were tiny pieces from white polystyrene foam containers, which are universally-recognized as one of the most un-ecofriendly materials(A Source For Why is Plastic-Foam Harmful).
Obviously, cities ban the polystyrene foam for good reasons. Imagine in some movies like Pocahontas, where they have characters singing in a woods or by the ocean while petals are floating with the wind or waves and sunlight shining through them, it’s pretty much how I felt like except replacing the petals with plastic foam debris. They are light, so once there’s a breeze, they will be blown into the ocean; because they are not a firm material, they’re easily broken down into smaller pieces, which makes them harder to be picked up. In the end, we were literally chasing after the debris and throwing handful of sand into our bags.
Overall, we were glad that we went there and reminded ourselves that there’s still a long way to go in order to make a huge change, but nothing can be done without doing them step by step, right?
One little regret was that we didn’t get to ask the manager how would Orange Coast Keeper take care of the trash after they are gathered by volunteers, please comment below if you know.
YS. Ding 2/3/19
Orange Coastkeeper Volunteer 橘郡海滨管理志愿者
MISSION COMPLETED!
A group of Earthhood members went off to the Hart Park in orange to clean up the creek in the park. The creek is dried and filled with dead plants, however, people’s activity of tossing trash did not just end there. The trashes that we picked up were mainly municipal solid waste, such as scattered glasses, plastic bottles and even garments were found there. Most of the plastics were even too fragile to touch because they had been there for too long. At the end, there were a full trash bin of trashes been disposed.
Tips: bring reusable bags and gloves as well as water bottles. The Organization (OCK) had provided us with plastic bags and gloves for the entire time during the Cleanup.
Wenqian L. 9/21/18
Earthhood 