In the 48-hour period between November 8th and 9th,
I journaled everything I did, from what I consumed to what I disposed of, to
truly understand my impact on the environment, and if, and how I was
contributing to an unsustainable future.
Upon reflection, one resource that I realized I used a lot
of, is water. From filling up my water bottle, showering, boiling the kettle, washing
my dishes and face and brushing my teeth (not to mention using the toilet, which
I didn’t journal), my mornings especially, seem shockingly water intensive. While
I do try to save water where I can, keeping my showers short and only washing
dishes when the sink is full, seeing how dependent I am on water, has really
opened my eyes as to how privileged I am to have such abundant access, while
others in developing countries are not so fortunate. This semester we have
learned just how precious water is, having learnt it produces most of the
worlds oxygen, among its other many important functions, from Marc Yaggi,
director of the Water Keeper Alliance.
Marc also informed us that in just a few short years, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. I never considered myself as someone who produced a lot of trash, or at least not irresponsibly. I carry a reusable water bottle and straw with me always, and generally don’t eat takeout, preferring to cook at home or dine in. However, reflecting upon my journal I realized there are times where I am not even aware that I am contributing to the worlds waste issue. Though I always dispose of my waste into bins and recycle, I am still contributing to the issue. Sure, I’d considered how pointless wrapping fruit and vegetables in plastics was and that my recycled coffee cup was probably not actually being recycled, but the life of a humble chocolate bar wrapper? Never. Journaling my food truly made me aware of how we, as westerners, rely on plastic. Whenever I order food or a drink in, I generally expect to receive it in a glass and over these 2 days I was shocked how often I was served drinks in a plastic cup, which also illustrated just how far not only consumers, but businesses have to go to improve to help our future. There is simply no reason to serve a drink in a plastic cup, let alone a new cup for each drink. It is scary to think that the wrapper of my chocolate bar or the plastic cup my beer came in, will be around long after me, and will be more damaging than purposeful in its life.
Another resource I depended heavily upon is gas and electricity, from heating my water, to cooking my food. At a lecture presented by Dr. Chandu Visweswariah we learnt that one of the leading causes of climate change is the burning of non-renewable resources. And while the most significant contributors of greenhouse are the energy sector, households also contribute to the issue. If the burning of these non-renewable resources continues, in the future we will face extreme temperatures, high scale disasters, and a collective 10 million people who will become displaced. Dr. Visweswariah stated that the solution to climate change is as simple as switching to renewable energy. For me living in an apartment means I have little control over the source of my heating and hot water, but seeing how reliant I am, has inspired me to do my best to reduce my usage and consider ways I can help encourage this change. After all, as Professor Kennedy said, the biggest sustainable changes happen at the community level.
Marc also informed us that in just a few short years, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. I never considered myself as someone who produced a lot of trash, or at least not irresponsibly. I carry a reusable water bottle and straw with me always, and generally don’t eat takeout, preferring to cook at home or dine in. However, reflecting upon my journal I realized there are times where I am not even aware that I am contributing to the worlds waste issue. Though I always dispose of my waste into bins and recycle, I am still contributing to the issue. Sure, I’d considered how pointless wrapping fruit and vegetables in plastics was and that my recycled coffee cup was probably not actually being recycled, but the life of a humble chocolate bar wrapper? Never. Journaling my food truly made me aware of how we, as westerners, rely on plastic. Whenever I order food or a drink in, I generally expect to receive it in a glass and over these 2 days I was shocked how often I was served drinks in a plastic cup, which also illustrated just how far not only consumers, but businesses have to go to improve to help our future. There is simply no reason to serve a drink in a plastic cup, let alone a new cup for each drink. It is scary to think that the wrapper of my chocolate bar or the plastic cup my beer came in, will be around long after me, and will be more damaging than purposeful in its life.
Another resource I depended heavily upon is gas and electricity, from heating my water, to cooking my food. At a lecture presented by Dr. Chandu Visweswariah we learnt that one of the leading causes of climate change is the burning of non-renewable resources. And while the most significant contributors of greenhouse are the energy sector, households also contribute to the issue. If the burning of these non-renewable resources continues, in the future we will face extreme temperatures, high scale disasters, and a collective 10 million people who will become displaced. Dr. Visweswariah stated that the solution to climate change is as simple as switching to renewable energy. For me living in an apartment means I have little control over the source of my heating and hot water, but seeing how reliant I am, has inspired me to do my best to reduce my usage and consider ways I can help encourage this change. After all, as Professor Kennedy said, the biggest sustainable changes happen at the community level.
In addition, across the 48-hours I journaled, I caught the
subway frequently, impacting the environment through the production of carbon
emissions. Though it is considered greener than driving a car, the impact is
still significant (Marshall, 2017).
Reading and reflecting on my journal I was reminded of
something Kathleen Talbot of Reformation said of their business: “better is
good, but not as good as it can be.” So, while I feel I live fairly responsibly, I
know now by being consciously aware of my actions there are things that I can
easily improve to help achieve a sustainable future. Two key takeaways from
this activity are that I need to be more considerate of my waste, and since
commuting every day to and from university, I know this is something I could be
doing back home.
Marshall, A. (2017). KEEP
RIDING THE SUBWAY, BY ALL MEANS, BUT KNOW IT’S NOT AS GREEN AS YOU THINK.
Retrieved from
https://www.wired.com/2017/03/keep-riding-subway-means-know-not-green-think/
Michelle- your reflections on your water use and when you chat about the plastic beer cup and wrapper are superb! This sentence: “It is scary to think that the wrapper of my chocolate bar or the plastic cup my beer came in, will be around long after me, and will be more damaging than purposeful in its life.” sums up the predicament so well! This is so well said! Great post!
ReplyDelete