Memo30+Describing+Events,+To+Make+an+Analytic+Point--sferguson

**MEMO30: Describing Events, To Make an Analytic Point**
This memo should include a 200-400-word description of an event that you have or will (it can be fabricated) observe during your research, leveraging the description for analytic insight. Again, make the description speak to a social theoretical question or point. For an example, see my 2008 AAA conference paper, “'From “Better Living Through Chemistry to “Essential2Life,” which leverages a description of an exposure science conference that I attended as a participant-observer. Also see the description of the student protests in Paul Manning’s “Rose Colored Glasses? Student Protest and Cartoon Chaos in Postsocialist Georgia”, linked to at [].

2010 European Bioplastics Conference:

As the largest conference on bioplastics occurs in different regions of Germany. The conference organizors have brought together a diversity of industry representatives, government representatives, entrepreneurs, social scientists and materials scientists for the last four years. While the numbers may seem small, 360 delegates, the number of countries is extensive at 29. The emphasis of the conference is on production facilities and technology, resin suppliers, distribution companies and other industry relevant material. However, there is a contingent of speaking sessions on consumer behavior and policy making. In one keynote speech the French Minister of Agriculture outlined the actions France and the EU more broadly have taken, the international trade agreements that limit regulation, and new policy options that are being tried to shift toward biobased goods. An intriguing section of this discussion is on the composting infrastructure necessary for these products to both proliferate and maintain a sustainable image. Germany has been the leader in this regard and has acted as a model for other EU nations to develop similar statewide programs for the segregation and recovery of compostable goods.

For whatever reason the United States and other North American countries have had less interest in forming a large conference presence specifically aimed at bioplastics. In part this seems to be due to the limited number of manufacturers in the continent as well as limited interest by consumers and government in promoting this option of sustainability. Also problematic is that no state or country in this region has anything approaching a composting culture or infrastructure and thus the options for handling bioplastics is limited.