I started looking at my surroundings for environmental problems as soon as Professor Prasse mentioned the upcoming laboratory. I didn’t feel like it affected me much because I am usually very observant about my surroundings. The most obvious environmental problem during my walks was the amount of litter on the streets. I thought about why there may be so much litter here compared to other cities. Is it a social issue? Do people simply care less about the environment here? While California might be more environmentally friendly than Baltimore, I also noticed that the trash bins here were often overflowing, which could lead to litter. Thus, it may be due to lack of resources rather than just individuals’ faults. Additionally, there is great inequality in Baltimore, and single use products are likely more affordable.
I chose the image that I posted because it genuinely is an issue that I have been unable to solve as of late. As a college student who has not learned how to cook much, to-go food items during the pandemic have become the norm, but the amount of plastic cutlery, napkins, and other random trinkets that are given often go unused. Especially as people are still mostly eating to-go indoors rather than outdoors during the pandemic, silverware is readily accessible. As I feel guilty for throwing away perfectly usable plastic cutlery, we now have a designated drawer for it.
Environmental Concerns 
This post is so relevant, as meals have primarily been takeout for the past year. Last week, I was walking at the Inner Harbor and watched as a Honeygrow salad bowl flew out of an overflowing trash can and into the water. It’s clear that we, as a society, don’t take into account the plastic we use in a simple act like takeout.
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