http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12045048
The Lake Michigan waterfront is filled with tourists every year. But one of the worst things is the garbage. Beaches do get dirty sometimes. And garbage attracts gulls. The gulls are a huge problem. Their droppings make the E.coli levels in the water high, and no one can swim in the water. When the city tried plastic bins with lids, the lids would blow off, and people didn’t really close the lids.
So the city decided to try Big Belly Solar’s solar- powered trash compacter. The compacter presses the trash down to make more room. The Big Bellies are enclosed, so there’s no danger of the bins overflowing. That stops the problem of having trash everywhere and hopefully, will stop the problem of gulls.
The Big Bellies are easy to use. They look like mailboxes, and they have solar panels on the top. The park saves money by having less trucks coming. Jim Poss invented the Big Belly. When he saw the overflowing garbage cans, he had a sudden inspiration. On the beaches, there is more than enough sunlight to power the Big Belly. This is a great way to solve the city’s trash problem.
I think this shows CHANGE, as it shows how human technology can innovate and develop, and helps change things for the better. I also think it shows FUNCTION, as it shows how the Big Belly functions, and how it actually works.
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