Review: “The Clean Bin Project”

“The Clean Bin Project” is a locally-produced documentary that examines what it’s like to live in our modern world with minimum waste. The link between consumerism and environmental issues is something that we all probably intuitively understand; Project explores this issue by showing the struggles of two ordinary Vancouver residents in their quest to not produce waste.

Jen and Grant are a couple living in East Van (my hood!) who got inspired one day to tackle the issue of waste head on. They planned on doing this by a.) not buying anything unnecessary (that includes clothes, by the way), and b.) reducing their waste by recycling, composting, etc. Just to make things fun, they’ve turned their project into a competition to see who will have less waste. The movie “The Clean Bin Project” documents their successes and struggles with this for a full year.

Last Sunday, I caught this movie at SFU Woodwards where it was shown as part of the Projecting Change Film Festival. It was the only movie I saw, and it turned out to be a good decision.

As a student in the SFU School of Communication, I’ve seen many documentaries. Professors like to use them to get us thinking critically about many social and communication issues. Usually documentaries leave a bad taste in my mouth because of their pessimism and what I perceive as unbalanced reporting. I’m happy to say though that “The Clean Bin Project” isn’t your typical documentary.

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November 11, 2010

The Story of Electronics

Note: This blog post originally appeared in the AIESEC SFU blog where I regularly contribute.

Ever wonder what happens to your old iPod when you decide to replace it? Or to your old cellphone once you decide that it’s time to move on with a Blackberry or an iPhone?

The Story of Electronics tries to take on that question that we often fail to ask: what happens to our old gadgets once we decide to dump them?

For some of us, it’s a question we never really thought about. We dump our stuff in the garbage, and that’s where it ends. Some of us try to be more green and drop off our old electronics at a recycling centre. The Story of Electronics video exposes the consequences of e-waste and recommends some ways we can tackle this issue as a society.

Main takeaway for me? That this is not an issue we can solve via consumption. The proposed “Take Back” programs certainly sounds interesting and something we should all look into supporting. It’s also pretty clear that this issue can be solved mostly through sweeping policy changes and our individual choices when we shop.

I love technology - I can’t really imagine a day without my iPhone. But sustainability is also an issue I care about. Watch the video and take action today.

By the way, if you want more information about the Story of Electronics, visit its official website. The video is a sequel to the video “The Story of Stuff”, which went viral and is now being used by some institutions to educate the youth about environmental sustainability.

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October 24, 2010

President Obama to Gay Teens: It Gets Better

Note: This blog post first appeared on SFU Volunteer Services’ ENGAGE Blog. I’ve volunteered for SFU Volunteer Services as a blog writer since November 2009, and I’m completing a 4-month co-op term there that started on September 2010.

“I don’t know what it’s like to be picked on for being gay. But I do know what it’s like to grow up feeling that sometimes you don’t belong.” – President Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama took some time from his busy schedule to send a message of support to young lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth who are dealing with bullying and harassment. The video is created in support of It Gets Better, a project that pledges “to talk to the kids in our lives to put an end to the hate, violence, and tragedy — and to offer advice on coping, strategies to make it better, and to remind kids that it gets better.”

It Gets Better is a project that came about after a number of gay youth committed suicide following severe harassment by their peers.

Photo Credit: SFU Volunteer Services

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February 23, 2010

Music For Relief

It has been more than a month since a violent earthquake shook Haiti. And yet there is still so much to be done.

If you’re still looking for ways to help, Music For Relief might be the way to go.This campaign to raise funds for the Haitian relief efforts include big names such as Linkin Park, Dave Matthews Band, Alanis Morissette, and
The All-American Rejects. The awesome indie band Metric also contributed one song.