In twenty years, the ocean could contain more plastic than fish, while extreme heat may force a third of the population to relocate by the end of the century. The urgency to address these global challenges cannot be overstated. In this engaging summer course, we will explore the intricate lifecycles of everyday items such as T-shirts, cars, bananas, and more. Through collaborative research, we will delve into the production, transportation, and disposal processes, critically analyzing their environmental impact. Join us as we uncover sustainable solutions, and actively discuss and propose necessary changes to ensure that we still have a livable planet in a few decades.

After a few months of use, you accidentally lose your ballpoint pen and it gets swept into the trash at the end of the day. If a ballpoint pen had been used to sign the Declaration of Independence, it would still be floating somewhere in the ocean today. Each class, we'll do research together on some everyday thing (T-shirts, electricity, apples, etc): uncover its full lifecycle, from production to transportation to disposal. We'll critically analyze the impact each step of the process has on the environment and discuss what changes should be made to keep the world a livable place.