Electric Cars and their Dead Batteries

    Consumers see more and more everyday that car companies around the world are beginning the transformation form gas and diesel combustion engines to the hybrid, and full electric cars. Just in the last two years, just about every single car company has announced and put into production fully electric cars. This can be viewed as an amazing feat of technology and innovation; which it is, however, where are car companies getting the materials to produce these car batteries, how are they being disposed of, and how are they compensating for the increase of power needed to charge these cars? Looking into the situation, the car industry is still very young with the whole electric car phase of automobile transportation, however it is growing fast. With these manufactures it's a race to see who can have the best most reliable and economic car first and with this comes lots of errors and over sights. For example, when this battery dies (like a lot of the early cell phones people had that can't keep a charge to save their own lives) what will happen when consumers need to dispose of them, is there a recycling facility that can break these down and reuse them in the future?
    I think the best answer is something that one car company is doing and needs to be reflected with everyone else. Tesla Motor Company has the right idea when it comes to saving the planet. Every battery pack made by Tesla can be 100% recycled and re-used again in the future. With this it gives not only the consumer but the company an incentive to use this method more so than just throwing it away. Tesla also offers quick charge stations in some parts of the USA that are solar powered, reducing the need to have main power lines fed right into their charging ports, this helps them be more power savvy and helps reduce carbon footprint and power plants from burning large amounts of coal to power their cars.

The Reality of Gymnastics

                   Gymnastics is a very dynamic sport full of personal and team development.
It the world of Gymnastics you have two types of programs. The Junior Olympic program and the Excel program. Coaches and gymnasts can talk together and decide which program fits best for each athlete.

 -Junior Olympic Program-
 In the Junior Olympic program gymnasts are prepared to move through levels 1-10 setting them on a straight path journey to College Gymnastics and the Olympics. The judging is more particular in respect to earning points and the girls get judged a lot harder. In the Junior Olympic program athletes really have to prove them selves and word extra hard to receive good scores. This program is known for well rounding the athletes and preparing them for every level to come. The video link below (copy and paste into your browser) is Shawn Johnson's 2008 Olympic Floor routine. This video is relevant because J. O. really does prepare athletes to be well rounded and for those that progress rapidly J.O. prepares them for the college and Olympic levels.

                                         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tooPCeR3IIY

-Excel Program-
 On the other hand we have the Excel Program. In the Excel program routines and skills don't have many bounds compared to the J. O. program. With this program, routines are catered to the athletes strengths rather than making them all do the same skills. This program is great for athletes that love the sport but are not necessarily the best at it. In Excel everyone gets awards and the judging is more low key enabling athletes to receive higher scores even though their skill may not be completely up to par.

Where would these programs present an ethical issue? Well, let me tell you. I have been a competitive team gymnastics coach now for about 4 years. I have found that I like the J. O. program because it helps well round the girls and I have found that I like the Excel program because it caters to the needs of those athletes that struggle to do well in the sport but still have a passion for it. The problem with all of this is.. over the years I, as well as other coaches, have found that some gyms will put their really talented athletes in the Excel program so that their athletes can take the top places. These top performing athletes are easily scoring 9.7 and 9.8's (the highest score you can get is a 10) in the excel program with all of these other girls that are just trying to barely make it by in the sport. This leaves all those athletes meant to be in Excel still at the bottom of the podium. This is not ethical at all considering the top performing athletes from selective gyms are clearly good enough to be in the J. O. Program where their talent belongs. These top performing athletes should not be in the Excel Program earning first place like it's a cake walk. These athletes should be in the J. O. program competing with other athletes that actually challenge and push them to make it to the top. Below is a J. O. Excel comparison to help show the difference between the two well known programs.

How do we solve this? Coaches and gym owners must take a step back and think about the ethics of putting top athletes in the Excel program. We all need to evaluate the fact that it's not just about  gyms being known to take first, but that their athletes need to be put in proper placement that pushes them to improve and be challenged. These programs were made separate to help all who want to be apart of the sport have a spot and we need to keep it that way.

Lets re- evaluate and put things back the way they were intended to be.
Lets make these programs great again.