Brice,
I came across some information today which informed me about the negative impacts of PVC on the environment. I had no idea of this when I picked the project and was was unaware while experimenting with the material. I came across an online resource that sums up the impacts like this. "This commonplace plastic is one of the most toxic substances saturating our planet and its inhabitants. PVC contaminates humans and the environment throughout its lifecycle: during its production, use, and disposal. Few consumers realize that PVC is the single most environmentally damaging of all plastics." Given this, I would like your permission to switch my material for the project. I realize that I would be about two weeks behind with experiments, but I am willing to work really hard to catch up in the next few days. My new material of choice is felt. Felt is a no-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers. Some types of felt are very soft, others are tough to form construction materials. I would like to work with the soft felt material. I would like to experiment with its absorbing properties of water, its ability to mold around complex forms and curves and keep its shape after drying,its ability to mix with other, natural materials, and applying and mixing different dyes to create color. I would conduct and post all of my experiments this weekend. Bring them to class and develop a final product idea on Monday. I would greatly appreciate your feedback on this one. Thanks.
Sam
Sam,
ReplyDeleteAlthough there has been a lot of debate about PVC recently it is a material that is commonly used in manufacturing and prototyping. You have learned how to work with this material and strongly suggest you stick with PVC for the remainder of this project.