So Ive been trying to change my ways for the past couple of weeks now...
Instead of using water bottles I now use my canteen.
It was incredibly difficult at first. My roommate has three stacks of water bottles in our room and its always so tempting to just grab one as I run to class. But its easier now as I just keep telling myself no. I make sure to have my bottle filled so that I am not tempted to grab a pre-filled bottle. Also I leave one in my backpack and one on my desk so that it is always accessible. The only thing that bothers me though is that the one UCLA gave us tastes like metal...bleh. Any suggestions? is it okay to drink metal? lol anyone else bothered by this?
Also I am trying to convince my roommate to stop using water bottles but he wont listen. He believes that the quality of water is different between bottled water and the faucet. Which I know after taking the environmental cluster that that is seriously not true. There is a bazillion dollar markup price for bottled water compared to tap for no difference in quality or taste.
On the subject of my roommate, I am trying to get him to turn off the lights when he leaves, any suggestions? It makes me cringe whenever I come back from class and the lights are on but no one is in the room. Ive had conversations with him regarding his practices and how much better it would be to be sustainable but he is not as receptive and says I'm only doing what i do cause of the class....NOT TRUE!
Don't get me wrong though I love my room mate hes a great guy but...
Why do people leave lights on? It benefits absolutely no one and it does not take very much effort at all to turn them off. I believe that it is because the electricity in the dorms are viewed as a commons. I asked my roommate why he doesn't just turn them off and he replied because he is already paying for them so why not just leave them/ the air conditioning on. It is this flawed mentality that since UCLA is already charging us a ridiculous amount of money, might as well take advantage of it or someone else will. This is a vicious cycle. If we all spent less energy we would pay less for utilities and maybe decrease the cost of housing. Also it is just morally responsible to preserve the Earth, she is our home.
Why do we call Earth a she anyway? that's sexist. just kidding shes motherly. and that's exactly the point, the Earth cares for us and we in turn should appreciate her.
So it is going to be my goal not only to reform myself but also my roommate!
Ahhh I wish everyone could take this class. Tonight I am going to Theta Xi's sustainability meeting to discuss the possible installation of solar panels onto our roof. Super excited for that. I am also going to be taking over the composting for Theta Xi and as good as that is...its SMELLY! haha
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Radically Cool Simplicity
"A path without a hear is never enjoyable. You have to work hard even to take it. On the other hand, a path with a hear is easy; it does not make you work at liking it."
-Don Juan from the Wiseacre Chapter of RS
This quote started off the wiseacre chapter of RS which examined the motivation and joy with which one lives more sustainably. It is difficult, if not nearly impossible, to live a sustainable life if one simply does not care to do so. With America's fast food and disposable economy/ society it is far to tempting to be wasteful. Internally one needs the drive to preserve the planet in order to do so.
So....
Before Radical Simplicity and this class, I was simply not motivated enough to live sustainably. I had all the means to do so stainless steel bottles, bicycle, whole foods gift card (just kidding), but I never used them. It was always so much easier just to pick up a water bottle then to wait and fill up my canteen. It was so much quicker hopping into the car then to walk or bike. Simply put, i was lazy and didn't see anything wrong with that. In ten years I see myself in an apartment with a girlfriend or friend with whom to share meals and living space. It would most likely be in an upscale location close to where I work. We would probably each have a car no garden as we would be far to busy to maintain one. We would eat out probably once a week and leave the apartment on weekends to travel and explore. I see myself eventually using my canteens more often and trying to be more sustainable. I also could see myself as pessimistic of all the other people not living sustainably. This pessimism would have led me to feel that I needed to partake in Earth's destruction or else I would lose out on planet Earth. I see myself driving everywhere, leaving the water running when I brush my teeth, and not educating my younger peers on preserving the Earth. I see myself as believing that Earth needs to be preserved but always waiting for someone to take the lead in revolutionizing America. I see myself identifying more with America's wasteful side than with the growing trend towards "green living"
But after taking this class/reading this book/ meeting inspirational people...
i know most importantly that if I want to see change and to lead a wholesome sustainable life. I need to take initiative. No one is going to baby me and remind me to turn off the lights, its all up to me. Earth should not be viewed as a commons but more like a home. If we destroy our home, we wont have any place to live. Something in me has clicked, and I realized that i need to be the change I want to see. Now I see myself in ten years leading a more sustainable lifestyle. I see my modest home surrounded on four sides by lush guardians and natural forest ecosystems. I see myself content with my efforts and more in touch with mother nature and her bounty. I recently took a walk in the botanical gardens here at UCLA, as it is my "secret spot" and reaffirmed how much I love nature and all she has to offer. I want a life where I wake up to the sound of birds and other critters and not to the sound of gnarled traffic and machinery. There is nothing worse than living a life void of escape. My material goal of the future is to cut back on the amount I spend. There is no need for excess. In ten years I see myself growing a multi tiered garden in a small home within biking distance of my work place so as to avoid driving and adding fossil fuels. However, I do not see myself trying to earn less or spending less on health care. Also I would still incorporate protein into my diet and eating out. I want to be sustainable but I don't want to give up the things I enjoy doing. I enjoy socializing and hitting up the town. I enjoy traveling and will carpool with friends to places. (If I own a car, it will be very fuel efficient.) We will go camping together and whatnot. I would also drive to visit my parents as we are really close. I will also definitely stop using plastic bottles. I will incorporate sustainable technology into my home such as solar panels, green roofs, and proper insulation. If I ever have kids I will make sure that they are taught not to waste and to appreciate the earth. Overall, in ten years I see myself progressed much from where I am today. It is my goal to see that happen.
As inspiring as radical simplicity is, I could never imagine myself living that way. Merkel leads a life I could never imagine myself living. As much as I would like to help out others, I want stability and security especially in my income and health care. I have invested far to much energy into gaining an education to not continue on to a good paying job. I want to be able to support my family and give my children a childhood where they are allowed to go to Disneyland and to other states. In summary I think that he goes to far because it would be difficult to support a family with his lifestyle. Much as nature serves as an escape for people living in the city, so too might the city be for those living in nature. I think that a balance between the two lifestyles is what is necessary. I believe that in order to create change, we need to work within the system and not on the outskirts. People I am sure are willing to change some aspects of their lives, but not very many I believe are willing to give it all up to live radically simple. As cool and ideal as simple living is, parts of it are for me and yet other parts are not. All the more power to those who can though. You guys are awesome.
-Don Juan from the Wiseacre Chapter of RS
This quote started off the wiseacre chapter of RS which examined the motivation and joy with which one lives more sustainably. It is difficult, if not nearly impossible, to live a sustainable life if one simply does not care to do so. With America's fast food and disposable economy/ society it is far to tempting to be wasteful. Internally one needs the drive to preserve the planet in order to do so.
So....
Before Radical Simplicity and this class, I was simply not motivated enough to live sustainably. I had all the means to do so stainless steel bottles, bicycle, whole foods gift card (just kidding), but I never used them. It was always so much easier just to pick up a water bottle then to wait and fill up my canteen. It was so much quicker hopping into the car then to walk or bike. Simply put, i was lazy and didn't see anything wrong with that. In ten years I see myself in an apartment with a girlfriend or friend with whom to share meals and living space. It would most likely be in an upscale location close to where I work. We would probably each have a car no garden as we would be far to busy to maintain one. We would eat out probably once a week and leave the apartment on weekends to travel and explore. I see myself eventually using my canteens more often and trying to be more sustainable. I also could see myself as pessimistic of all the other people not living sustainably. This pessimism would have led me to feel that I needed to partake in Earth's destruction or else I would lose out on planet Earth. I see myself driving everywhere, leaving the water running when I brush my teeth, and not educating my younger peers on preserving the Earth. I see myself as believing that Earth needs to be preserved but always waiting for someone to take the lead in revolutionizing America. I see myself identifying more with America's wasteful side than with the growing trend towards "green living"
But after taking this class/reading this book/ meeting inspirational people...
i know most importantly that if I want to see change and to lead a wholesome sustainable life. I need to take initiative. No one is going to baby me and remind me to turn off the lights, its all up to me. Earth should not be viewed as a commons but more like a home. If we destroy our home, we wont have any place to live. Something in me has clicked, and I realized that i need to be the change I want to see. Now I see myself in ten years leading a more sustainable lifestyle. I see my modest home surrounded on four sides by lush guardians and natural forest ecosystems. I see myself content with my efforts and more in touch with mother nature and her bounty. I recently took a walk in the botanical gardens here at UCLA, as it is my "secret spot" and reaffirmed how much I love nature and all she has to offer. I want a life where I wake up to the sound of birds and other critters and not to the sound of gnarled traffic and machinery. There is nothing worse than living a life void of escape. My material goal of the future is to cut back on the amount I spend. There is no need for excess. In ten years I see myself growing a multi tiered garden in a small home within biking distance of my work place so as to avoid driving and adding fossil fuels. However, I do not see myself trying to earn less or spending less on health care. Also I would still incorporate protein into my diet and eating out. I want to be sustainable but I don't want to give up the things I enjoy doing. I enjoy socializing and hitting up the town. I enjoy traveling and will carpool with friends to places. (If I own a car, it will be very fuel efficient.) We will go camping together and whatnot. I would also drive to visit my parents as we are really close. I will also definitely stop using plastic bottles. I will incorporate sustainable technology into my home such as solar panels, green roofs, and proper insulation. If I ever have kids I will make sure that they are taught not to waste and to appreciate the earth. Overall, in ten years I see myself progressed much from where I am today. It is my goal to see that happen.
As inspiring as radical simplicity is, I could never imagine myself living that way. Merkel leads a life I could never imagine myself living. As much as I would like to help out others, I want stability and security especially in my income and health care. I have invested far to much energy into gaining an education to not continue on to a good paying job. I want to be able to support my family and give my children a childhood where they are allowed to go to Disneyland and to other states. In summary I think that he goes to far because it would be difficult to support a family with his lifestyle. Much as nature serves as an escape for people living in the city, so too might the city be for those living in nature. I think that a balance between the two lifestyles is what is necessary. I believe that in order to create change, we need to work within the system and not on the outskirts. People I am sure are willing to change some aspects of their lives, but not very many I believe are willing to give it all up to live radically simple. As cool and ideal as simple living is, parts of it are for me and yet other parts are not. All the more power to those who can though. You guys are awesome.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
my ecological dinosaur footprint!
So my calculated ecological footprint is terrible...absolutely terrible. 43.75 acres.
This makes me terribly sad especially as I have always considered myself not wasteful.
Most of my footprint just as my trash came from my food consumption. Especially taxing of this category was my consumption of protein. Protein sources (pork, chicken, turkey, beef, fish) alone accounted for 79,140 sq yds or 64.4% of my food footprint. I consume so much protein because of my workout regiment which requires me to consume a third of my calories from protein. It is interesting to note that even with only a third of my diet, protein accounts for almost two-thirds of my footprint. I believe this is so because sources of protein are higher up in the food chain and require more processing, effort, and resources to harvest. One needs to not only feed the animal but also transport it, care for it, give it space to roam, and ultimately process it. This requires a lot of energy so it makes sense that protein is so taxing on the environment. One positive factor in my food consumption was that I did not consume any margarine (FF of 1208) which was both beneficial to my health and preserved the environment.
For my monthly housing footprint the major contributor to my footprint was the use of energy from the grid. It wasn't that it had a particularly high footprint factor but that the majority of my energy came from this source. Also to note that because my dorm room is so small as well as being relatively new, I was able to save square footage and conserve more resources. My transportation footprint was based on my travels with my floor mate who has a car. Because he had a car, I rarely ever used the bus system which is less convenient but more beneficial for the environment. Gasoline as expected was a major factor in my footprint. Of my goods and services education had the biggest role not because I used too many resources but mainly because as a student I am always in school. I feel like my monthly stocks footprint is lower than the average American because I do not have much furniture in my petite dorm room. my waste was high due to rampant use of disposable items such as paper napkins and plastic bottles.
In comparison to the average American I am wayyyyyyy over! In fact I use 182.30% more acres and if everyone lived the way I did we would need 9.31 new planets to support ourselves. This is terrible news. However I feel iffy on my findings. I don't eat that much more, I don't have a car, I live in a minuscule dorm room, I recycle, I am attempting to eliminate my use of water bottles, and I am conscientious (not necessarily 100% pursuing) of my goals in sustainable living. However as the numbers add up, I surely am a villainous waster of our planets resources. I am sure that such actions come from the university's bountiful resources being established as commons. In the dining hall food is virtually limitless with one swipe of a bruin card. There are no repercussions for wasted food. In the dorms utilities are paid for and so there is no limit on the amount of energy or hot water used. The resources of the university presents a challenge: limit one's usage.
I plan on reducing...big time.
my short term goal, which I hope to achieve by the end of this quarter is to:
-eat lower on the food scale
-waste less food
-stop using plastic water bottles
-turning the sink off when I brush my teeth
-riding my bike to places i need to go
-Also I will limit my usage in all of the other categories except education...I will not drop out of school.
my medium term goal is also my final project:
-I will be living in the Theta Xi fraternity house and will hopefully take over the position of sustainability chair. I am currently beginning to look after the compost bin on the lot.
-I will also seek to expand my knowledge by educating the other brothers on how to live sustainably within the house.
-I will continue to expand my efforts on my short term goals
For my long term goal I will:
-work to cement the sustainable practices I developed into my day to day life.
-I will spread my knowledge and help others to lead better lives in an ecological sense.
-I will do more community service that aids the environment such as restoration and spreading awareness.
I believe that such practices are without a doubt doable. Going green is not that hard (at times) It wont take much effort to eat all the food on my plate before getting a new one, nor would it take much more time filling up my aluminum water bottle than cracking open and eventually discarding a plastic one. These changes aren't so difficult, it is just difficult to ingrain it into our daily lives and mentalities. I will work hard to change my outlook and on my wastefulness and hopefully the rest will follow.
This makes me terribly sad especially as I have always considered myself not wasteful.
Most of my footprint just as my trash came from my food consumption. Especially taxing of this category was my consumption of protein. Protein sources (pork, chicken, turkey, beef, fish) alone accounted for 79,140 sq yds or 64.4% of my food footprint. I consume so much protein because of my workout regiment which requires me to consume a third of my calories from protein. It is interesting to note that even with only a third of my diet, protein accounts for almost two-thirds of my footprint. I believe this is so because sources of protein are higher up in the food chain and require more processing, effort, and resources to harvest. One needs to not only feed the animal but also transport it, care for it, give it space to roam, and ultimately process it. This requires a lot of energy so it makes sense that protein is so taxing on the environment. One positive factor in my food consumption was that I did not consume any margarine (FF of 1208) which was both beneficial to my health and preserved the environment.
For my monthly housing footprint the major contributor to my footprint was the use of energy from the grid. It wasn't that it had a particularly high footprint factor but that the majority of my energy came from this source. Also to note that because my dorm room is so small as well as being relatively new, I was able to save square footage and conserve more resources. My transportation footprint was based on my travels with my floor mate who has a car. Because he had a car, I rarely ever used the bus system which is less convenient but more beneficial for the environment. Gasoline as expected was a major factor in my footprint. Of my goods and services education had the biggest role not because I used too many resources but mainly because as a student I am always in school. I feel like my monthly stocks footprint is lower than the average American because I do not have much furniture in my petite dorm room. my waste was high due to rampant use of disposable items such as paper napkins and plastic bottles.
In comparison to the average American I am wayyyyyyy over! In fact I use 182.30% more acres and if everyone lived the way I did we would need 9.31 new planets to support ourselves. This is terrible news. However I feel iffy on my findings. I don't eat that much more, I don't have a car, I live in a minuscule dorm room, I recycle, I am attempting to eliminate my use of water bottles, and I am conscientious (not necessarily 100% pursuing) of my goals in sustainable living. However as the numbers add up, I surely am a villainous waster of our planets resources. I am sure that such actions come from the university's bountiful resources being established as commons. In the dining hall food is virtually limitless with one swipe of a bruin card. There are no repercussions for wasted food. In the dorms utilities are paid for and so there is no limit on the amount of energy or hot water used. The resources of the university presents a challenge: limit one's usage.
I plan on reducing...big time.
my short term goal, which I hope to achieve by the end of this quarter is to:
-eat lower on the food scale
-waste less food
-stop using plastic water bottles
-turning the sink off when I brush my teeth
-riding my bike to places i need to go
-Also I will limit my usage in all of the other categories except education...I will not drop out of school.
my medium term goal is also my final project:
-I will be living in the Theta Xi fraternity house and will hopefully take over the position of sustainability chair. I am currently beginning to look after the compost bin on the lot.
-I will also seek to expand my knowledge by educating the other brothers on how to live sustainably within the house.
-I will continue to expand my efforts on my short term goals
For my long term goal I will:
-work to cement the sustainable practices I developed into my day to day life.
-I will spread my knowledge and help others to lead better lives in an ecological sense.
-I will do more community service that aids the environment such as restoration and spreading awareness.
I believe that such practices are without a doubt doable. Going green is not that hard (at times) It wont take much effort to eat all the food on my plate before getting a new one, nor would it take much more time filling up my aluminum water bottle than cracking open and eventually discarding a plastic one. These changes aren't so difficult, it is just difficult to ingrain it into our daily lives and mentalities. I will work hard to change my outlook and on my wastefulness and hopefully the rest will follow.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Personal Trash Inventory
Data for 1 week:
Over the course of one average week at school I discarded a total of 16 pounds of trash or 2.29 pounds per day. Compared to the average American who throws away an average of 4.4 pounds of trash every day it seems like I through away much less. However, everyday I throw away 2.29 pounds of material and food that could have been used elsewhere.
In all honesty I did not realize exactly how much I threw away on a daily basis. WHen I recorded everything I was able to examine how wasteful my practices were and was shocked at all that could have been prevented. In today's society it is easy to just throw things away after they have been used. Portable condiment bags and disposable utensils are the perfect examples. This viewpoint had previously blinded me to how wasteful I am because I was so accustomed to just throwing things away without any thought. Before the activity I did not feel wasteful as I was only contributing as much if not less than the average American.
However, after documenting my actions I realized that it doesnt matter how much others are wasting, I need to limit my own waste. Even though I throw out less trash than the average American, there is still a good portion of it that really is unneccesarily thrown away. Thus, I consider myself wasteful and irresponsible.
The category that I wasted the most in was food (organic matter). I threw out so much as I often found myself taking too much to eat from the dining halls and not being able to finish it. Becasue the food is buffet style, students find themselves getting whatever item tastes good without thought to wheter or not they would actually finish it. This is certainly my case. This is a regretful habit as wasting food is terribly wrong. There are countless individuals out there struggling to find food for survival and her I am wasting food indiscriminately.
in performing this acrtivity I found myself throwing away a lot of disposable items such as forsk, cups, and plates. America has this fascination with convenience and extravegence. Here we can quickly give someone clean utensils that can be thrown away without any thought or feeling of remorse. I believe this idea derived from the American fast food culture. We are always in a hurry and look for whatever is most convenient. However at home, my parents and I wash our utensils and plates and this really helps to reduce waste.
There are many things that I can easily fix in my daily routine to reduce my trash flow. By carrying around a refillable canteen, I can drastically cut out the amout of plastic I throw away from plastic water bottles. Also in my dorm I can use metal utensils that I can wash instead of disposable ones.
I feel like a lot of our problems regarding waste are exaggerated from living on campus. Bruin Cafe, Rendezvous Cafe 1919, and Late Night De Neve all serve their food in disposable paper containers. Everyone receives a paper cup and plastic lid and straw to fill with soda. All these get thrown away including the left over food. This is terribly wasteful as students tend to frequent these places every night. This leads to a buildup of trash as well as the view that a "disposable" society is perfectly acceptable.
This exercise really helped me to realize that I take way more than I need from the available world food and supply. I feel ashamed that i wasted so much food that could have been used to feed the hungry and the poor. Also all the trash I threw away required energy and resources to make. My current practices are not in line with Radical Simplicity because I do not stop to consider the share that people of other nations and places need. I have been selfishly taking as much as I want without thought to the repurcussions.
I know that I need to change my ways so that I can better help to preserve the Earth. This along with other practices will help me to be a better human being.
| Date | Plastic | Paper products | Metal | Food (organic matter) |
| Tues 3/30 | 7 oz | 5 oz | 4 oz | 10 oz |
| Wed 3/31 | 9 oz | 7 oz | 0 oz | 19 oz |
| Thurs 4/1 | 8 oz | 8 oz | 5 oz | 17 oz |
| Fri 4/2 | 10 oz | 14 oz | 0 oz | 11 oz |
| Sat 4/3 | 21 oz | 12 oz | 3 oz | 16 oz |
| Sun 4/4 | 6 oz | 7 oz | 3 oz | 19 oz |
| Mon 4/5 | 9 oz | 12 oz | 5 oz | 9 oz |
| Total | 4.38 lbs | 4.06 lbs | 1.25 lbs | 6.31 lbs |
Over the course of one average week at school I discarded a total of 16 pounds of trash or 2.29 pounds per day. Compared to the average American who throws away an average of 4.4 pounds of trash every day it seems like I through away much less. However, everyday I throw away 2.29 pounds of material and food that could have been used elsewhere.
In all honesty I did not realize exactly how much I threw away on a daily basis. WHen I recorded everything I was able to examine how wasteful my practices were and was shocked at all that could have been prevented. In today's society it is easy to just throw things away after they have been used. Portable condiment bags and disposable utensils are the perfect examples. This viewpoint had previously blinded me to how wasteful I am because I was so accustomed to just throwing things away without any thought. Before the activity I did not feel wasteful as I was only contributing as much if not less than the average American.
However, after documenting my actions I realized that it doesnt matter how much others are wasting, I need to limit my own waste. Even though I throw out less trash than the average American, there is still a good portion of it that really is unneccesarily thrown away. Thus, I consider myself wasteful and irresponsible.
The category that I wasted the most in was food (organic matter). I threw out so much as I often found myself taking too much to eat from the dining halls and not being able to finish it. Becasue the food is buffet style, students find themselves getting whatever item tastes good without thought to wheter or not they would actually finish it. This is certainly my case. This is a regretful habit as wasting food is terribly wrong. There are countless individuals out there struggling to find food for survival and her I am wasting food indiscriminately.
in performing this acrtivity I found myself throwing away a lot of disposable items such as forsk, cups, and plates. America has this fascination with convenience and extravegence. Here we can quickly give someone clean utensils that can be thrown away without any thought or feeling of remorse. I believe this idea derived from the American fast food culture. We are always in a hurry and look for whatever is most convenient. However at home, my parents and I wash our utensils and plates and this really helps to reduce waste.
There are many things that I can easily fix in my daily routine to reduce my trash flow. By carrying around a refillable canteen, I can drastically cut out the amout of plastic I throw away from plastic water bottles. Also in my dorm I can use metal utensils that I can wash instead of disposable ones.
I feel like a lot of our problems regarding waste are exaggerated from living on campus. Bruin Cafe, Rendezvous Cafe 1919, and Late Night De Neve all serve their food in disposable paper containers. Everyone receives a paper cup and plastic lid and straw to fill with soda. All these get thrown away including the left over food. This is terribly wasteful as students tend to frequent these places every night. This leads to a buildup of trash as well as the view that a "disposable" society is perfectly acceptable.
This exercise really helped me to realize that I take way more than I need from the available world food and supply. I feel ashamed that i wasted so much food that could have been used to feed the hungry and the poor. Also all the trash I threw away required energy and resources to make. My current practices are not in line with Radical Simplicity because I do not stop to consider the share that people of other nations and places need. I have been selfishly taking as much as I want without thought to the repurcussions.
I know that I need to change my ways so that I can better help to preserve the Earth. This along with other practices will help me to be a better human being.
Introduction: So... what is my goal?
Soooooo... sustainable living. What is it? is it a lifestyle, a project, a casual thought? what does it mean exactly to be living sustainably? For me living sustainably is something I've always wanted to do, but never had the patience nor will to fully live it out. Sure I had the Klean Kanteen and used the recycled notebook paper, but I also would sometimes buy a bottle of water or casually through a can into the waste receptacle instead of the recycle bin. In the bathroom I also chose to use paper towels to dry my hands instead of the air dryer. With each decision though came a little bit of guilt. Am I a jerk for contributing to the destruction of our planet? But then I look around and virtually everyone else is doing just as bad as me and it seems ok.
But this sustainability thing doesn't start with everyone, it starts on an individual level. I cant directly control others, but i sure as hell can control myself. If I want a healthier world for future generations, I need to start being the kid who "go's green" and not just one of the many who don't really care.
However it is difficult to go green. We live in a society today where we throw everything away. We throw away the plates we eat our food on, the utensils we eat our food with, and the napkins we use to clean. We throw away plastic bottles, litter our trash, and subsidize resources so cheap that we are completely unaware of their true costs.
So what can one do to go green? Motivate. Grab a group of friends or join a club devoted to the environment. Ask yourself every time if you are being wasteful and if their is an alternative. Recycle. Reuse. Reduce.
But this is all easy to say. For this class I have a personal goal of not only changing my ways today, but to remain sustainable for the rest of my life. After all, a dead planet is no fun anyway.
But this sustainability thing doesn't start with everyone, it starts on an individual level. I cant directly control others, but i sure as hell can control myself. If I want a healthier world for future generations, I need to start being the kid who "go's green" and not just one of the many who don't really care.
However it is difficult to go green. We live in a society today where we throw everything away. We throw away the plates we eat our food on, the utensils we eat our food with, and the napkins we use to clean. We throw away plastic bottles, litter our trash, and subsidize resources so cheap that we are completely unaware of their true costs.
So what can one do to go green? Motivate. Grab a group of friends or join a club devoted to the environment. Ask yourself every time if you are being wasteful and if their is an alternative. Recycle. Reuse. Reduce.
But this is all easy to say. For this class I have a personal goal of not only changing my ways today, but to remain sustainable for the rest of my life. After all, a dead planet is no fun anyway.
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