Sunday, March 29: Eco-Sabbath. Unplug and reflect on your environment by detaching yourself from media.
So I wasn't all too sure whether or not Sunday was calling for a response, since detaching from the media means not going on the computer. Anyway, I thought of a few things that are noteworthy and might be worth reading.
The media has such a presence in my life. Each night, I watch the news. In the mornings on the weekdays, I listen to the news on NPR. Reddit is a boredom go-to and consuming other peoples' thoughts and ideas is pretty common thing in my world.
Nonetheless, it's also might important to reserve some time for myself. It is important to understand what this constant presence of the media and constant attachment to others can do to myself as an individual. I think it's good that our no impact week included a day devoted to introspection, and it seems like all outward change begins here. I hereby resolve to care less what others are doing and to devote more time to figuring out my place in it all.
Saturday, March 28: Giving Back. Find a way to give back to your community and reflect on what you did.
There is a beautiful place I like to go to near where I live, and around here we call it the reservoir. The reservoir is a man-made body of water the size of a lake that provides water to a lot of people in Delaware County. In some places, it is hidden, in other places, it is visible; in all places, it is a buoyant wonder that reflects the heavenly bodies and basks in the air.
So, I love this place. I run there often when the weather's right. The place I run to where the reservoir meets land is at the bottom of a large bowl of tall trees and hidden pathways. There is a small stream the trickles into the reservoir, and when I'm there I feel at ease and happy to be in such a wonderful place. It was an easy choice to decide that I would give back to my community by picking up trash down by the reservoir, because it was like deciding to reveal the beauty of a place I hold dear.
And that's just what I did. I went down there and cleaned up the place, scavenging for the not-too-hard-to-find array of bottles, cans, plastic, etc. It made me feel good to give back to the place that gives all of its beauty to me. It's almost to say that by giving back I earned my keep, although I know that the reservoir will be there regardless of me and my small hustle and bustle.
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| She's a beaut. |
Friday, March 27: Focus on Water. The average person uses 50-100 gallons of water each day through showering, brushing teeth, dishwashing, and laundry. Try to limit your use of water, and reuse water whenever possible.
I considered myself to be generally aware of the presence of water in my daily life; my body and all other bodies' need for this substance is something I've thought about at least once or twice. I was brought up to take short showers, and wasn't allowed to play with the hose often. You get the picture. But today I really thought not only of the presence of water in my own immediate world, but how it propels the world in less direct ways as well.
After all, it is responsible for all of our agriculture. Even moreso, it is responsible for the prices of crops. Water is my way out of a fire, it is my cup of coffee or tea, or the break in my hot summer day. What I'm trying to say is that water may seem even more precious today than before.
I'm very thankful that I have never had a day where I had to feel dire thirst, and that I have never had to fear that I would run out of water. With what I have been hearing about chemical waste being dumped into rivers and different pollutants taking over freshwater, I must say my one concern about this precious resource is that it may soon become too tampered with.
Conserving water can on one hand be a way of respecting earth's bounty and treating it with care, but on the other hand can be a way to ensure that the dwindling amount of clean water is being used in the most practical way. Either way, I love water.
Thursday, March 26: Focus on Energy. Try to limit the amount of energy you use. Turn off all lights, don't watch TV or use high-energy devices like microwaves, clothes dryers, etc.
This is something I'm typically very conscious of, so today was not that difficult for me. I did use an iron, although on low-heat, and I could have gone without doing so. Typically, I'll heat a cup of tea or some leftovers in the microwaves, though today I went tea-less and actually ate fresh food.
It seems like relying less on the instantaneous gratification of high-energy devices like blow-dryers, microwaves, washing machines, air conditioners, etc., might actually require a slowing down of the thought process. Without the possibility of drying my hair immediately when I get out of the shower, my thoughts might have to center more around showering at a time when I don't have to rush out somewhere afterward. These types of decisions create different habits, and it seems like they could create wholly different approaches to life. To live at a slower pace might encourage deeper knowledge or understanding of what it means to partake in something.
All this from saying no to a cup of tea?
By the way, here are some pictures from our nature walk at Laurels Nature Preserve yesterday.
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| This is the open field where we saw the hawk and the eagle |
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| This is the hill with the path that was badly constructed for rainwater. |
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| This is where the two tributaries meet: one muddy, one not so much. |
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| The very old bridge |
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| The first bridge we visited. |
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| Moo |
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| The rocks beneath the girdled maple tree |
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| A really tall hill that was to our left when we started our walk |
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| Us! |
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| I believe that past these trees is where the cows were? |
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| ..Ian |
Wednesday, March 25: Focus on Food. Eat only what you need, and eat only from local, in-season sources. Ask where your food (fruit, vegetables, meat) is coming from before consuming or purchasing.
Well I didn't do all that asking, but the first thing I did this morning was walk downstairs and search through my breakfast prospects. Who would have thought that my milk came from Colorado? Did you know that a lot of the products sold in stores are sourced from Minnesota? Would you consider this project to be better done in Minnesota? I would.
Today was interesting, though. And I did enjoy envisioning the journeys of all of the different types of foods to a lone refrigerator in an arbitrary town. It really makes me dwell on the interconnectedness that food brings to the world, as did the pleasant atmosphere of my lunchtime visit.
I enjoyed a nice turkey burger and mixed greens from the local Roots Cafe! It was delicious :) And certainly helpful to know that establishments like these not only exist but are thriving and energetic. There is also a lot of room for other local businesses to involve themselves with the "local food" movement, so I like to imagine that if business owners begin to see the successful environment that comes from Roots Cafe, they might begin to adopt their attitude.
Could you see this happening in a place near you, where people begin to change their idea of food and what they look for in a meal?
Tuesday, March 24: Focus on Transportation. Walk, bike, or use public transportation for all travel.
Usually my boyfriend and I drive "swap" my car between classes, but today there was none of that and I had enough moments to take a nice shower and eat a full bowl of chicken noodle soup after history. I felt less rushed today, and even found myself committing to not feeling rushed anytime soon.
I'm happy to know that I stuck to my commitment today, and I don't think that I would mind taking public once a week. I don't think my carbon footprint would mind the weightloss either :)
Monday, March 23: Focus on Trash. See if you can make it through the day without creating any waste, and use your blog or posts to reflect on what difficulties or enjoyment you get out of this shift. Tips: don't buy or consume products with packing that must be thrown away, don't prepare or purchase food that you will not eat.
Let me say that the ATM receipt was unwarranted. And one time I needed a tissue. I found a tag on a new pair of pants that I bought the day before last (phew). Let me say more on the eggshell I saved for composting, the clean plates that ended my meals, the tea I forwent c/o its mesh container, the HANDKERCHIEF I brought everywhere I went, and the can of soup I refused despite the illness that confronted me today.
With all of this new interest in wastelessness, questions like Why is it so normal for Americans to use something for less than 10 minutes and immediately condemn it to 1,000 years in a landfill? began. Then I realized that with a pace so fast, and minds so unquestioning, it's no wonder that synthetic materials have such a hefty presence in the everyday. This exercise prodded me to think just how hefty that presence is.
What will come of a tv once it no longer functions, or sneakers when their sole wears thin? What about the dinner plates that fade out of style next Spring or the millions of paper plates that settle into the tons of filth that don't have a purpose anymore? I, for one, am happy to be becoming aware of the amount of waste that I contribute to these heaping mounds, and am happy to know that I survived one more day of "no" to the unnecessary.
Sunday, March 22: Focus on Consumption. Don't buy anything new. Reflect on the stuff around you and what you really "need".
The not buying anything new part seems to be an integral step in my everyday considering the penniless life of a college undergrad. Still, there were more no's today than there otherwise would have been! For one, no, I will not buy a coffee from Wawa. Also, no, I'm really not going to buy that ginger ale. And, Today isn't the day for grocery shopping. Etc, etc. What made this easier was the fact that my house is all stocked up on food and there are alternatives to most of the products that would pop into my mind. But it still prompts me to think about my lifestyle choices, especially those that bridge into excess: routines and uncriticized behaviors of mine that might actually be having an ill-effect on my overall well-being. Do I eat too much food? Do I keep the lights on all the time? How about wash clothes that aren't dirty, or leave the water running too long? Could these habits not only have a bad effect on my environment, but also have a bad effect on mySELF?
Then it really seems like a bad habit to get into: overindulgence as a norm. So I begin to think: saying no is an act of the easily-escaped self-control. It isn't a large part of my every day life because I live in the lavish land of sated needs and of alternatives. However, this exercise is a reminder that the word no opens doors for creativity and the unknown. When I realize that I don't need these menial desires, persay, I am prone to criticizing: What DO I need? To need less seems to equate to chasing less, to rushing less, to enjoying a wide-eyed gaze toward the more important things.
Environmentally-speaking, the less that I need the less I consume the less of a negative impact I have on the planet that gives me life.
No!
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