Friday, May 2, 2008

Cargill Dow, fabric from corn

The topic of this paper is the environmental problem of marketing by Cargill Dow environmental. It argues that human beings should take advantage to make better life for a tomorrow, because the fabric from corn has many advantages considering global warming and many environmental issues today. There are three reasons for this argument. The first is that our using of fabric from corn will help us cut the use of oil. Second, using organic corn will be much better than genetically engineered, because genetically engineered crops cause harmful effects. Third, working toward eco-business will be good marketing worldwide because Cargill Dow makes corn-produced clothes cheaply and for environment impact.

The marketing department of Cargill Dow announced that they are showing fabrics called “Nature Works PLA” (Palyllatic acid), made entirely from corn. Ingeo is a trademark for the first commercially viable man-made fiber made from 100% annually renewable resources. It is the first major sportswear that was made from Ingeo, and materials are kernels of corn. They produce casual clothing for men and women. These products are eco-friendly. Ingeo is one of the good products, because it is made from a renewable resource. PLA is polylactic acid, or polylactide, which is made from a renewable resource, and it is nontoxic. PLA comes from agricultural resources, like corn, and sugar beets, and is used to make plastics, fabric, and rubber (New York Times, 2005). PLA can then be spun into Ingeo for use in textiles. Also, PLA can be completely recycled in commercial compost families, “reducing our environmental impact” (Price, 2002, para.6). Cargill Dow is launching an industrial revolution based on products that will be replaced with annually renewable ones, and also unlimited resources that will replace limited ones. Products are genetically engineered (GE) corn, designed by one of Cargill Dow’s divisions, and they are a world leader in genetic engineering. They expect to end run around the global campaign to stop genetic engineered products.

Cargill Dow is the union of two companies, which are Dow, the chemical company and Cargill Inc. They have formed a company to develop and market PLA. Their process extracts large quantities from corn and other crops and turns it into fabric and plastic (New York Times, 2000). In 1997, Dow and Cargill Inc. made plastic for fiber, formed one company, and built Cargill Dow LLC. In 2000, Cargill and Dow made plastic and packing from corn and other crops. In 2005, the name of Cargill Dow LLC was changed to Natural Work LLC (New York Times, 2005). The technology isn’t limited to apparel. Cargill Dow has plans to further “green” the marketplace with corn-based products. They make carpeting, wall panels, upholstery, interior furnishings, and outdoor fabrics.

Our using of fabric from corn will help us cut the use of oil, Cargill Dow should use organic corn, and Cargill Dow should work toward making corn-produced clothes cheaply for the environment.

First, our using of fabric from corn will help us cut the use of oil. Corn can be enjoyed in so many ways, such as grilled, boiled, and baked. On the other hand, clothes can be made from Ingeo, a material made from kernels of corn. Ingeo has been used for years in bedding like blankets, pillows, comforters, and mattress pads. In Brazil, they make everything out of sugar (Ward, 2007). Eliminating the use of oil in our clothes is a good first step. Cargill Dow uses the natural sugars in corn rather than spinning the fuzzy fabric from oil as a renewable crop. They boast of it as a limitless, “clean” product. This is a natural resource. Considering global warming and many environment issues today, using limitless products which are free of the taint of pollution and the oil industry is considerable, because the technology isn’t limited to apparel. If we advance to using those products and it is environmentally friendly, PLA can be completely recycled. This is another eco-friendly factor. Also, when they cut the use of oil in our clothes, they can manage financial risk, because oil is limited and it is not renewable. To stop using oil in our clothes is one advantage. Cargill Dow has plants to further “green” the marketplace with corn-based products including carpeting, and outdoor fabric. These products are also environmentally friendly.

Second, using organic corn is better than using genetically engineered crops. North American Grain Group for Cargill Inc. pointed out after many difficult discussions “using inadequately tested, genetically engineered organisms is not a solution to the environmental crisis” (Price, 2002, para.14). Then Cargill Dow intended to use genetically engineered corn as their source material. But, there is the issue that growing corn uses a lot of gas and pesticide. Genetically engineered crops use pesticide in the process of making them. They have to use gas, and fertilizer; also, they use pesticides and herbicides. Making genetically engineered crops has the potential to be the greatest environmental problem. For example, Minnesota Cargill is the planet’s largest producer of corn, and also India already controls about 60% of the corn market (Price, 2002); however, they take advantage to produce organic corn that is environmentally friendly. A 100% annually renewable resource is efficient, and also this is much better than using gas, fertilizer, and pesticides. When people get organic food, they're getting food without added chemical pesticides. According to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2000, more than half of the $7.8 billion of organic food purchased in the United States was bought (Squires, 2004). There's wide agreement that organic crops have fewer pesticides. Also, organic foods may have some nutrients, mostly vitamin C. People use organic corn for the environment, and also people bring organic foods in conventional supermarkets. People can have many advantages and it is better for the environment to buy organic food. Currently about 30% of domestic corn is genetically engineered.

Third, Cargill is working toward making corn-produced clothes cheaply. In order to increase the worldwide production of natural products, Cargill Dow, appealing to people more as an eco-friendly business in the world, will work that is both good for the environment and meaningful. It is a fact that they made another announcement that they had opened a new $750 million factory; however, these products are creative and attractive at a time when we have a lot of environmental issues today. As another example, Cargill Dow planned to spend $300 million to build a factory to manufacture the new product (New York Times, 2000). The Cargill Dow factory opened in Nebraska, and hired 100 workers, and has an annual capacity of 140,000 metric tons. Now additional plans are to add in Europe and Asia, and company officials estimate the products could have annual sales of more than $1 billion within seven years. Their process is to extract large quantities from corn and crops and turn them into fibers for our clothes. Eventually they hope to mass market the product for use in clothing and carpets. The fibers are used for pillows, comforters, mattress pads, blankets, and clothing. Cargill Dow employs 230 people in Minnetonka, Minn., and in Blair, Neb; Cargill is based in Wayzata, Minn., and Dow Chemical is based in Midland, Mich (New York Times, 2005). Working toward making corn-produced clothes makes them a green company. Also Cargill Dow is well known for a commitment to environment and as developer of green technologies. These clothes are less expensive than other clothes and many eco-friendly brands. All the shirts are priced at less than $30. The rising cost of corn will have no effect on the apparel’s prices. They push casual clothing. Ingeo clothes were available only by phone, and the focus was on casual tops for men and women at that time (Ward, 2007). Generally, clothes shrink and colors fade, but clothes gain tensile strength after 50 or even 100 washes, too (Price, 2002). 
Not only the U.S. and other countries where people grow corn, but also Patagonia jumped at the new technology and spent years working with Cargill Dow on its development. Cargill Dow took advantage and considered business for consumers being “Cost competitive” with the worldwide production of natural products. For another example, Fujitsu, a Japanese company, has begun using the corn-based plastic in bits of its laptop computers. The computer’s environmentally friendliness may also win it more contracts from Japan’s government, which has a mandate to buy environmentally friendly products. Cargill Dow is included in groups such as environmental organizations, producers, and groups that are related to the environment, making more advertisements and displaying samples of their growth worldwide to help them. Making consumers pay attention to these products, telling about issues and environment impact is an eco-friendly business growing worldwide.

How is the environmental issue becoming a serious problem in the world and in your daily life? People still have solutions and advantages, even though people have serious environmental problems today. Cargill Dow creates products which are eco-friendly and made from renewable resources for a brighter future. Using natural resources instead of using oil in our clothes is helpful. Organic corn is much better than genetically engineered crops for the environment. Working to spread eco-business influences human beings and environmental impact all over the world. Yesterday’s corn is today’s clothes, which makes for a better tomorrow. Also, for the environment, using renewable resources is for a brighter future. This is a time to think that environment issues are becoming a serious problem in the world and in our daily lives. There are advantages which relate to the environmental issues today, so it is a very important idea and information to human beings. In the long term human beings need to find alternatives that can replace the nonrenewable plastics for future generations.


References


Belson,K. (2002, July 18). News Watch: Materials; Using Corn-Based Plastic, A Laptop Starts to Go Green. New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03E4D91239F93BA25754C0A9649C8B63&scp=1&sq=Using+Corn-Based+Plastic%2C+A+&st=nyt

Knak. (2007, October 17). Cargill Natural Works. Retrieved April 11, 2007, from http://knak.cocolog-nifty.com

New York Times. (2000, January 13). Companies to Make a Plastic From Plants. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://query.nytimes.comgstfullpage.htmlres=9505E3D8143AF930A25752C0A9669C8B63&scp=1&sq=Companies+to+Make+a+Plastic+From+Plant&st=nyt

New York Times. (2005, November 23). Dow and Cargill in Venture. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01E5DC
153AF934A15752C1A961958260&scp=2&sq=Dow+and+Cargill+in+Venture&st=nyt


Price, T. (2002, April 22). Fabric from corn: Greenfleece or Greenwash? CropWatch. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2328

Smith, A.E. (n.d). Green Sleeves: Eco-friendly Incentive Clothing. Byline. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Squires, S. (2004, June 29). Is There An Organic Advantage? Washiongtonpost. Retrieved April 18, 2007, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13242-2004Jun28.html

Ward, B. (2007, April 22). Don't shuck that shirt. Star Tribune. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from Lexis-Nexis.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Don’t neglect your studies!

Have you used the Wikipedia? Do you think we should use Wikipedia? Do you trust Wikipedia? These days, you can get any information on the Internet. You can get and buy songs, movies, clothes, and tickets. Also, you can get any information easily and free on the Internet. It is very simple and for free. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia which contains a lot of information. When you want to know something you put in a key word and you can get a lot of information. You can know history, definition, culture, country, language, politics, incidents, and wars. Wikipedia gives you a lot of specific information.

Wikipedia has grown in to be a useful resource today. You should know why this website is good. The reasons are that anyone can learn and Wikipedia is very efficient, Wikipedia is popular today, and Wikipedia gives the newest information to you.

First, you should use Wikipedia because this website is very efficient and useful to anyone. This big good point is that you can use it through the Internet. This is an on line website, so if you have a computer or there are computers at the school or workplace, you just need to sit in front of the computer and you can get any information right then. “Wikipedia, the internet’s most popular encyclopedia, has become an online phenomenon since it was launched six years ago” (Marin, 2008, para.12). You don't need to go to libraries to get a lot of information. You can save gasoline for your lovely car. You don't waste time. You can just stay at home yourself, and sit in front of the computer. Wikipedia helped save you a lot of work.

Second, you should use the most popular web site when you need to know something, because if many people use the website, it means this website has good qualities and information. Actually, Wikipedia is the ninth most popular website in the United States. Not only in the United States, but also people use Wikipedia all over the world (Wolverton, 2007). You should use the more popular sources on the Internet when you need to research something, because it means that popular websites have trust and give good information. That’s why people use its website. Also, Wikipedia gives information in many kinds of languages, so you don't worry about language. You can learn in your own native language.

Third, you should know the most up-to-date information. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia which contains facts and a lot of information about many things on the Internet. In addition, it is the newest information. This is very strong point when you need to research something. You can edit and add information anytime if you have accurate and correct information. Also, it means people who want to know the latest information can get it, because anybody can edit and add new information. “Wikipedia is an encyclopedia compiled by the voluntary contributions of hundreds of writers and editors. Anyone can write an article and post it to the Wikipedia; anyone else can come along later and edit the article. It’s a kind of open, voluntary, work in progress. As such, it’s the most us-to-date encyclopedia you’ll find” (Lengel, 2006, para.6). If you go to the library and bookstore, you depend on limited publish years, information and book. You should know the latest information when you research and learn something.

How useful Wikipedia is! The more interesting and good quality information is given on the Internet, more people will use Wikipedia in the future. Wikipedia saves you from spending time because it is an on line website. Wikipedia gives good quality information, because Wikipedia is the most popular website. Anyone can write and edit, so Wikipedia gives you the most up-to-date information, too. You should use Wikipedia from tonight on. When you have something that you are wondering, questions, want to know more, you should go to Wikipedia right then. Don’t neglect your studies!

References

Lengel, J. (2006, February 2). Authority. Teaching with Technology. Retrieved April 23, 2008,from http://poertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_techonology/article. shtml?ID=12

Martin, N. (2007, September 20). Wikipedia clamps down on ‘unreliable’ editors. Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from http://www.telegraph,co,uk/news /main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/20/wiki120.e=xml

Wolverton, J. (2007, January 22). Wikipedia Wisdom. Valley Vanguard. Retrieved April 23, 2008, from http://www.evsu.edu/clubs/vanguard/stories/1141

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Argument Essay#1

Cargill Dow fabric from fabric

What are the things that you can do for environment? What are the eco-friendly products? These days the environmental issue is getting critical, and you hear “Global warming” often in school and in the news. Cargill Dow is a union of two companies, Dow, the chemical company and Cargill Inc. Cargill Dow LLC was built in 1997(New York Times, 2000). The key here is eco-business and green market place. They make Carpeting, interior furnishings, and outdoor fabrics.
Using fabric from corn will help us cut the use of oil. Using organic corn genetically engineered crop is better than using gas and pesticide in the process of making. Working toward making corn-produced clothes is green company.

First, they should stop using oil in our clothes. Eliminating the use of oil in our clothes is a good first step. In the global warming and many environment issued today, using limitless products is an advantage, because oil causes the taint of pollution. When they cut the use of oil in our clothes, they can manage financial risk, because oil is limited and not renewable.

Second, we should use organic corn. There are issues that growing corn uses a lot of gas and fertilizer. Also, they use pesticides. Making genetically engineered crop has the potential to be the greatest environmental impact. For example, Minnesota Cargill is the largest producer of corn, and also India already controls about 60% of the corn market;(Price, 2002) however, they should take advantage to use organic corn that is environmentally friendly. This is much better than using gas, fertilizer, and pesticides. According to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2000, more than half of the $7.8 billion of organic food purchased in the United States was bought (Squires, 2004). There's wide agreement that organic crops have fewer pesticides. Also, organic foods may have some nutrients, mostly vitamin C. We should use organic corn for the environment, and also we should bring organic foods in conventional supermarkets. We can have many advantages.

Third, in order to increase the worldwide production, Cargill Dow should appeal to people more as an eco-friendly business in the world, because these products are creative and attractive at a time when we have a lot of environmental issues today. Also, the clothes are less expensive than other clothes such as blankets, pillows, comforters, and mattress pads. The clothes are less expensive than many eco-friendly brands. Generally, clothes shrink and colors fade, but clothes gain tensile strength after 50 or even 100 washes, too (Price, 2002).

Today people care about environment in life. Often you can see the labels, which show “environmental friendly”. A company sells the environmental and eco-friendly products and consumers buy these products for environment. However, it sets a higher price than other products. The problem is whether they make products considering the environment or not. Even though the product’s price is higher than that of others, people buy them, because they pay attention to environmental issues and impact. Some products and companies don't consider it, they just set high prices and sell them showing “environmentally friendly” labels.

Cargill Dow makes clothes and fabric from corn. Products are eco-friendly and are made from a renewable resource. Cargill Dow says that they press ahead with their plans to create not just the raw material, but also a marketplace for their organic corn. If they do mass market the product for use in clothing, Cargill Dow will be a green company.


Reference

New York Times. (2000, January 13). Companies to Make a
Plastic From Plants.Retrieved April 8, 2007, fromhttp://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505E3D8143AF930A25752C0A9669C8B63&st=cse&sq=companies+to+make+a+plastic+from+plant&scp=2

Price, T. (2002, April 22). Fabric from corn: Greenfleece
or Greenwash? CropWatch. Retrieved April 8, 2007, fromhttp://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2328

Squires, S. (2004, June 29). Is There An Organic Advantage?
washingtonpost.com. Retrieved April 15, 2007, from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13242-2004Jun28.html

Friday, April 11, 2008

Limitless products as eco-friendly

According to Price “Fabric from corn: Greenfleece or Greenwash”, Cargill Dow announced that they show fabrics called “Natural Works PLA” (Palylactic acid), made from corn. Technology isn’t limited to apparel, but he products are environmentally friendly. PLA can be completely recycled in commercial compost families. The source of this material for products is genetically engineered corn, designed by one of Cargill Dow’s corporate parents. However, they expect not use genetically engineered (GE) products. Cargill Dow has started an industrial revolution based on using renewable materials and using unlimited resources to replace limited ones.

We should use natural resource that is a limitless, “clean” product. Making genetic pollution through generically engineered crop has he potential to be the greatest environmental problem. In order to increase the worldwide production of natural products, we should appeal for an eco-friendly business.

First, natural worker use the natural sugars in corn, an annually renewable crop. In the global warming and many environment issued today, we should take advantage of using limitless products which are free of the taint of pollution and the oil industry next, because the technology isn’t limited to apparel. If we advance to use those products and it is environmentally friendly, PLA can be completely recycled. All this we can have from an engineering process that cut the amount of fossil fuel used.

Second, Cargill Dow should not use genetically engineered crops. Cargill Dow creates new market for products. They started an industrial revolution based on products that are renewable ones and for which there are unlimited resources. Minnesota Cargill is he planet’s largest producer of corn, and also India already controls about 60% of the corn market. However, according to a study, the global market for genetically engineered crop is at $30 billion and it will rise to $90 billion. It is advantage that it produces a large amount of corn and takes a lot of money, but they should take advantage to produces something that is environmentally friendly. It is much better than using gas, fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides.

Last, Cargill Dow should appeal to people more as an eco-friendly business in the world. It is a fact that they made another announcement that they had opened a new $750 million factory; however, these products are creative and attractive at a time when we have a lot of environmental issues today. Also, the clothes are less expensive than other clothes. Cargill Dow included group such as environment organizations, production, and groups that are related to the environment, and should make more advertisements and display samples of their growth worldwide. We should make consumers pay attention to these products telling about issues and their impact.

Fabric from corn has a lot of advantages. Cargill Dow has plans to take advantage of the “green” marketplaces including carpeting, wall panels, upholstery, interior furnishings, outdoor fabrics, as well as plastic like the film around CDs and golf ball sleeves. Using the natural sugars in corn and renewable crops is limitless. Even though it takes massive money and facilities, we should keep producing the product advertising. If people in the world pay attention and take these products and clothes in their daily lives, it will be valuable as an eco-friendly action. These products are creative and attractive at a time when we have a lot of environmental issues today.

Reference
Price, T. (2002, April 22). Fabric from corn: Greenfleece
or Greenwash? CropWatch. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=2328

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Creating Ingeo

According to Ward, people can make clothes and fabric from corn. Inge is man-made fiber made from 100% annually renewable resources, and Cargill Dow developed this product in 2003. It is the first major sportswear that was made from Ingeo and its materials are kernels of corn. These products are eco-friendly. They produce casual clothing for men and women. Ingeo is one of the good and hottest products, because it is made from a renewable resource, and it is nontoxic.

How is the environment issue becoming a serious problem in the world and in your daily life? This article has very good points while we have serious environmental problems. We should stop using oil in our clothes. There are issues that growing corn is used a lot of gas and feticide. Producing Ingeo, 100% annually renewable resource is efficient. Also, the clothes including eco-friendly clothes should be less expensive.

First of all, eliminating the use of oil in our clothing is a good first step. Petroleum companies have commanded what we are going to use and we’ve got to stop that. When we cut the use of oil in our clothing, we manage financial risk, because oil is limited and it is a not renewable. We should do research and figure out the Ingeo-making process for the environment.

Second, we can use waste materials for producing corn. There are some issues. Generally, how do farmers make the great number of products on the farm? They have to use gas, and fertilizer. Also, they use pesticides and herbicides. They make more than 500 million pounds of corn from this article. We need those kernels through a fermentation process that produces dextrose, and then is extracted to create Ingeo filament. This is an agriculture commodity, but we need to use these materials for corn and the environment. It reflects the world and it is the world’s leading product.

Finally, the clothes are less expensive than many eco-friendly brands and clothes. More cloth is cheaper, more people buy cloth in life. Ingeo has been used in blankets, pillows, comforters, and mattress pads. The cost of corn is not a problem here. If materials attract the attention of designers, more consumers will buy them. And also, the clothes are less expensive than many eco-friendly brads.

There are advantages and disadvantages, but actually, Ingeo clothes gain tensile strength after 50 or even 100 washes, too. We are going to be out of petroleum, but if we improve the process to create Ingeo filament, it will be nice for consumers and environment that we can get Ingeo clothes easily in our life. Ingeo attire is eco-friendly and made from a renewable resource. We should spread these eco-friendly clothes and productions in our daily life.

Reference:
Ward, B. (2007, April 22). Don't shuck that shirt. Star Tribune. Retrieved
March 25, 2008, from Lexus-Nexis.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Food

I miss Japanese food a lot. Honestly, I don’t think I will miss American foods when the day comes that I have to leave America.  This time, I would like to tell how to cook my favorite beakfast that I have had since I was a kid. Every morning my mom used to make a good breakfast for 3 kids in my family. First, set to be ready to boil the rice in a rice-cooker before you go to bed and you can start to cook soon, because it takes about an hour including washing the rice. Usually, our family and people in Japan eat fish a lot. I used to eat fish at breakfast. My favorite fish that I used to eat were Saba-mackerel and Shake-salmon. Add a salt to the fish and grill it. While you are waiting for the fish, make a Japanese Miso Soup. Miso is soybean paste.  Usually, I put soft seaweed, tofu, and mushroom-hackberry in Miso Soup. In my culture, rice is needed at home for every meal every day. Rice, Miso Soup that I explained, fish and Japanese food are very healthy and have nutrition. I want to show Japanese foods to my American friends here and I want them to know how delicious, good, and healthy Japanese food is for people.

Food; fast food

Usually, I don't go to fast food in my country or America. I have already decided in my mind that fast food is not good and not healthy at all. In Japan, Japanese foods and restaurants are healthy and have good foods, but there are fast foods too. I will tell about similar and different points between Japan and America. First, there are some similar things; it is easy to find fast food. Especially, young people often get fast food. The price is very cheap. You can get foods soon. There are seats where you can eat inside, and also you can take it out. Next, differences are that I can tell the truth completely, but I think more Americans often go to fast food in their daily life. The size is totally different. The size in America is huge. I was very very surprised. How big large size is!!! The service and worker’s smile sometimes look and sound boring and lazy. I sometimes saw that worker saying lazily “May I help you?” and “What do you want?” I didn't feel good as a consumer. It is impossible in Japan. They are very friendly and give a perfect smile to each customer. They are nice workers even it is very busy because of a lot of customers