Animals getting hurt, air getting polluted, and health risks are increasing. We’ve all seen this through social media and the Internet. This all sounds frightening that single-use plastics are making this mess, and it is common sense to ban the usage of single-use plastics. However single use plastics is an ineffective way to save the environment, for it reduces employment, the economy will get hurt, and it will not benefit the environment.

Firstly, banning single use plastics will reduce employment for businesses. A survey recorded employment in a Los Angeles plastic bag ban and shockingly found out that stores inside of the ban reduce 10% of employment, however 2.4% of employment had risen outside of the ban. This proves that many businesses depend on single use plastics to get workers. Even if there will be a single-use plastic ban, more than 30,000 jobs that require single-use production would be at stake, so will the employees that depend on this job to make a living.

Secondly, if we ban single-use plastics we will hurt the simple and affordable economy we have. On Seattle’s ban on plastic bags, almost 40% of surveyed store owners described seeing their costs for carryout bags increase between 40% to 200%. Business sales will be negatively affected due to these prices increasing for consumers, the profit decreasing for the producers, and economic activities decreasing as well. If we were to substitute single-use plastics, prices will be higher. According to a poll 83% of people will not be willing to pay that higher price, and people will start crossing to the other side of the country just like the Connecticut’s 2019 plastic bag tax.

Many people and researchers believe that if we ban single-use plastics, we will start to use substitutes so the air will improve, and food will be less contaminated. However, in the paper from the State Chamber of Oklahoma on how banning single-use plastics affect the economy and environment, it argues that if we use substitutes, like cloth, we will also have a risk of cross-contamination and disease to the food we buy. This is mainly because, cloth items need be used 104 times before it is more effective like single-use plastics and for paper, 43 times until it is safer. Plus, if we are getting rid of this simple convenience, we have to find the out-of-the-box idea to substitute without harming the environment. The closest ideas we have to substitute single-use plastics is still far from the perfection of single-use plastics

On the outside, banning single-use plastics sounds like a great idea to stop pollution. However, on the inside, it provokes great harm. Due to the reduction of employment, the damage of the economy, and the ineffectiveness on the environment itself, banning single use plastics is an ineffective way to save the environment. After all it is not a question of single-use plastics harming our world, or our world harming single-use plastics.

As a demigod, Percy can do magical phenomena with his water powers, like blow up a pipe and flood the bathrooms with water (Chapter 6, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief) or can plummet from couple of stories high to a river without splattering himself on the impact (Chapter 13, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief). However, these powers don’t solve his way of making terrible choices. Through research and the context of the book, it is decided that Percy Jackson can make better choices by strengthening his relationships with his peers and have more control with his emotions.

Firstly, Percy can make better choices if he strengthens his relationships with his stepdad, Gabe Ugliano. In the book, Gabe Ugliano is described as a figure that Percy despised, calling his stepdad, “Smelly Gabe”.  Take the case of when Percy and Gabe were arguing. Percy was coming out of the taxi and coming back to his apartment. Gabe knew that he got there by taxi and wanted Percy’s money. Instead, Percy lied to get himself even in more trouble. From the Newsela article, “Conviction Challenge: Seek Out Different Beliefs to Test Your Own,” the author says that “disagreeing is ok and makes us a better person, however, the listener should’ve first listen to the talker, ask why they truly believed it, and then decide what to do next”. Percy should have asked why Gabe needed the money, so Gabe could ask himself, do I truly need it? If Percy did do the actions, as stated in the same article, he would actually fortify his connection with his stepfather. In connection to the idea of seeking out different beliefs and getting stronger relationships as a result, as claimed by the report, “Why Personal Relationships are Important”, people who had stronger relationships with others had “a faster recovery when they were reminded of people with whom they had strong relationships”. Percy is dealing with stress from the gods, and his mother isn’t there to help him. If he had a stronger relationship with his stepdad and didn’t have to be so unfair, he could have dealt with less stress.

Equally important, Percy can make better choices if he can control his emotions. This problem occurs to many middle students, including me. Every time I’m mad, I lose control and forget myself. However, in this case, Percy always want to defend Grover in anyway possible because they are friends. When Nancy Bobofit purposely dropped her half-eaten lunch onto Grover (Chapter 1), Percy automatically forgets all the advice from the counselor about disciplining himself and sends Nancy into the fountain. To make it worse, Percy sassed at his Pre-Algebra teacher even though Percy was already on probation. From the article, Recognizing and Managing Emotions, it advised to “stop and give ourselves a chance to think, consider what might happen as a result and how the result affects others”. Percy should have thought first what will happen if he got mad, then consider how Nancy Bobofit will be affected.

In the end, Percy has had a rough time being a middle school student and being a normal person in general. He didn’t strengthen his relationships with other individuals, excluding his mom; he also didn’t manage to control his emotions when he comes to stressful situations, like getting mad at Ares because he felt the “anger, resentment, bitterness” presence from Ares. Kronos is now making his way back to reality, the gods say that Kronos has a way to go into anyone’s dreams and haunt them. Would Percy stand a chance against Kronos, and his terrible choices?

Censure

Example from someone else: “He was censured for his conduct” Oxford American Dictionary

My example: The judges censured her masterpiece.

Certify

Example from someone else: ” The aircraft was certified as airworthy.” – Oxford American Dictionary

My example: I will certify to the opposition that this claim is true

Chaff

Example from someone else: “Winnowing was done by women, who tossed the grain into the air with small wooden boards, the chaff being blown away by the winds.” – sentence.yourdictionary.com

My example: Separating the chaffs from the cereal grains were either done by hand or by machines.

Chassis

Example from someone else: “The chassis of the car is in mint condition.” -Oxford American Dictionary

My example: The chassis of the radio is missing.

Choleric

Example from someone else: ” He is a choleric, self-important little man.” – Oxford American Dictionary

My example: The male bullies in this show were often represented as choleric and selfish students.

Percy should try to make himself more enjoyable to hang out with. The evidence is that Percy was annoying Annabeth with questions why their parents don’t go along (in Chapter 10). In the video about how to build trust and relationships, they mentioned that asking questions that people will enjoy answering will encourage them to talk about themselves. Plus, many people find it uncomfortable to talk about their personal lives. If Percy wants to be friends with Annabeth, he really should try to ask better questions.

Pinochle

Example from someone else: ” I play pinochle with a horse” – Percy Jackson

My example: She was a dab hand at playing pinochle

Caprice

Example from someone else: “He changed his ministers incessantly, and on mere caprice.” – sentence.yourdictionary.com

My example: His workers were tired from his caprices

Capricious

Example from someone else: ” The winds from the north and those from the south are at constant feud, and blow cold or hot in the most capricious manner, often in the course of the same day.” – sentence.yourdictionary.com

My example: Due to global warming, scientists believe that the weather will get more capricious, if we don’t do something about it.

Castigate

Example from someone else: “Leopold castigated his son for leaving the archbishop’s service”- Oxford American Dictionary

My example: For the fifth time, she got castigated by her parents because she missed the school bus again.

Caustic

Example from someone else: “Her voice was caustic.” – sentence.yourdictionary.com

My example: They may be caustic when it comes to meeting new people, but once you know them, they are really nice.

Kleptomaniac

Example from someone else: “Nancy Bobofit, a kleptomaniac….” – From Percy Jackson

My Example: I heard someone from my class had a dad who is kleptomaniac.

Candor

Example from someone else: “She was never quite sure how to respond to Martha’s candor though the two continued to be best of friends.” – sentence.yourdictionary.com

My example: I was surprised by her sudden candor.

Canon

Example from someone else: “The appointment violated the canons of fair play and equal opportunity.” – American Oxford Dictionary

My example: They know the canons of safety and fair play, so don’t mess with them

Cantankerous

Example from someone else: “Feeding and harnessing the cantankerous mules wasn’t exactly the highlight of her day.” – sentence.yourdictionary.com

My example: Everyday, she had to pass the cantankerous old man’s house on her way to school

Caper

Example from someone else: “The children were capering about in the room.” – American Oxford Dictionary

My example: With their new friend, Max and Alex capered around the park.

Death is greedy / Life is generous