On Adaptation

The toughest part of this week for me, I think, will lie in the scheduling. Colin brought this up yesterday when he pointed out that we’ve structured our lives in a way that “accordions together” the stressful or work related parts, with little time for decompression or everyday “life-maintenance.” We rush between trains and taxis, eager to hit the next obligation head on.

This week, I’m going to see what its like to bike to NYU each day. I already do this a couple of days per week; I live up at 108th street, so it makes for a nice half hour jaunt each way. On days like Tuesday, though, when my schedule begins at 8 and ends around 11:30, that means getting in the saddle at 7 am, and not dismounting till after midnight.

Obviously, if I relied exclusively on my bike for transportation, I would have scheduled my life differently, spreading things more evenly to make the riding as convenient as possible. I also probably wouldn’t even live at 108th street. Whatever the perks of being near Central Park, there are days when you just don’t want to ride.

This example hints at a larger point: this week, as we attempt to reduce our ecological footprints, we’ll be working firmly within the frameworks of our “normal” lives. That means that things like getting over to the green market to go shopping, avoiding plastic cups, or biking to school will require a little extra effort. But these things aren’tnecesarily harder by their very nature. They’re simply harder because, for the time being, they aren’t the norm. We aim to make them that way.

Regards,

Nelson Harvey

Starting Footprint Forward

After the discussion Colin Beaven led yesterday afternoon, I had to go and sit for a long time and journal my thoughts. I had first become passionate about global warming and its affects last year when I was assigned An Inconvenient Truth to study as a project in AP Lang. Whenever people would deny or argue against it, I would get upset and have a hard time articulating my feelings towards the subject and how worried I was (and still am) about our planet.

Hearing Colin made me realize there are so many who feel the way I do. He also made me realize the only thing I’ve done to solve the problem is get angry. I already live a lifestyle not focused on materials and not driving, etc, just because of my upbringing, but there are many things I could be doing besides. For instance, I had never thought about the impact of garbage. Deep down, I knew what was happening, but I would never admit it to myself.

 I thought a lot about what this means for me. A new lifestyle, one that is not generally accepted by a lot of people I know, and new things to fight for. I think– no, I know, I am ready to start doing my part to help make our world healthier and happier again.

I’m glad to begin this lifestyle within a community. Having others who are participating in Footprint Forward to help me with this change, as well as those in NYU’s Green Arch, will help encourage me stay with my commitments and teach me how to change my life (as I really know nothing about living a “greener” lifestyle). To be honest, I think my hardest part will be dealing with people who don’t agree with me. Acknowledging this to myself and others in this community, I think, will help me overcome that.

 Here’s to a new life- a healthier and happier one

~Amanda

Adam’s Footprint Forward Goals

The past year for me has been a continual adventure in footprint-shrinking. Every week, I learn a little bit more about what contributes to my planetary impact, and I’ve begun to realize that living in an  environmentally-responsible way isn’t nearly as hard as I thought, once you make the commitment to do it. Some of the biggest steps I’ve taken so far:

• I convinced my roommates to sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture), giving us a bounty of fresh local veggies every week.
• I quit flying in airplanes after I got back from India this summer. When I go home to Denver for winter break, it’ll be on a train with a bunch of my friends.
• I carry around a glass bottle and a plastic container wherever I go, in case I want to pack up some leftovers.
• I set up a worm bin in my backyard (relocated to my room for the winter) where we compost a portion of our food scraps.
• I dry my clothes on a clothes line, also in my yard, instead of using the dryer.

But there’s always more impact to reduce, and this week gives me an opportunity to experiment with some more extreme ideas that I haven’t incorporated into my daily life. I’ve already started showering by candlelight, and found that it makes the shower really relaxing. I’ll be trying as hard as I can to unplug, cutting down on the amount of time I spend on the computer and listening to music, and making an effort to only turn on the lights in my house that have CFLs in them (I know, they all should at this point… I’m working on it).

The biggest change for the week will be reviving an experiment that I tried earlier this year of carrying around all the trash I create, with the logic that by feeling personally responsible for it, I’ll have an incentive to create less of it. Hence, I’ll be cutting down on buying food in plastic packaging, recycling all the paper scraps that find their way to me, and composting all of my food waste (I’m certainly not gonna want to be stuck with rotting apple cores all week). I’ll let you know in the next few days how it’s going.

- Adam

a closet tv and email lover revealed

Hello World!

Footprint Forward is less than one week away, and it is all so very incredibly exciting. Myself and a group of students have been working so hard on this whole event, that it seems so surreal to imagine that it all starts on Sunday. In fact, I have been so focused on getting OTHER people excited about Footprint Forward that I almost forgot that during the week I plan on going low-impact as well.

Yesterday I decided to do a pre-no-impact no-impact week. As in, I am trying to ease myself into going no-impact (or, rather, lower impact). I only took the stairs. I carried around a plastic water bottle I had bought on Monday. I let my computer charge, but then unglugged it to do all my work, and turned it off at night. I tried to check my email less often, but I failed on that count.

It embarrasses me to say it, but I think what will be hardest will be to turn off the music and TV for next week. I have challanged myself to not turn on the TV at all. I dont think of myself as a TV junkie, but in my very very small studio apartment it feels like the TV has such a huge presence, that it is hard to ignore. I suppose I will have to double the amount of books I take out of the library for next week?

Anyway, I look forward to hearing everyones thoughts on what they find challenging, and hopefully rewarding in the upcoming week.

And, if you have any ideas about ways to ease into no-impact, I would love to hear them.

impactfully yours,
Rebecca

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