Over the next four months, a group of nine students in Lesley University's M.A. program in Urban Environmental Leadership will be challenging themselves to adopt more sustainable behaviors. Along the way, they'll be documenting their experiences--both the highs and lows--of changing their own behaviors.
First up, the cohort will be challenging themselves to eat locally grown foods and cut down on product packaging. Follow this blog to see how they get on!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Buckets of Rain
The rain has inhibited my ventures into the out of doors. I traveled to Brooklyn this weekend through torrential downpour, in hopes of having a small mental vacation. We were in, possibly, a city with the best public transit system in the country, but found ourselves consistently searching for parking along the busy streets. Perhaps the excuse was that the public transportation within a borough is not adequate; or the torrential rain would soak through our nonexistent rain coats and poorly chosen shoes; or perhaps, we have just been spoiled by the willingness of our peer to drive us around the city. Although our excursions were not done in a sustainable way, we made an effort to be conscious of our food consumption in support of local urban economy.
I have noticed that I make a conscious effort to consume in a sustainable manner, and that I know what is manageable. Although it is a small matter, I was rather proud of myself for spending a good part of the day out of my apartment yesterday, even through the rain. I had a vanilla chai and a hot chocolate over the course of two hours. I consciously asked for both items to be "for here" and not "for here" in paper cups. I looked around the café, 1369 Coffee House, and noticed several people sitting in for their beverages but drinking out of paper cups. I was a little disheartened to see a pretty enviro-conscious coffee place not pushing their patrons who dine/drink-in to use glasses and mugs, as opposed to the very disposable paper cups.
Awesome photos, Mel! It's weird when you see people who you assume to be at least moderately eco-conscious doing stuff that has an obvious (and usually easy) alternative. At the school I was at yesterday, a teacher was drinking a coke in the computer lab (isn't that a no-no anyway?) and she was young and stylishly dressed so when she walked out and plunked her soda can down in the regular trash can I was shocked frozen. How can people just do that! I thought, especially young people who have probably been learning about recycling since they were 5.
The rain has inhibited my ventures into the out of doors. I traveled to Brooklyn this weekend through torrential downpour, in hopes of having a small mental vacation. We were in, possibly, a city with the best public transit system in the country, but found ourselves consistently searching for parking along the busy streets. Perhaps the excuse was that the public transportation within a borough is not adequate; or the torrential rain would soak through our nonexistent rain coats and poorly chosen shoes; or perhaps, we have just been spoiled by the willingness of our peer to drive us around the city. Although our excursions were not done in a sustainable way, we made an effort to be conscious of our food consumption in support of local urban economy. 
I have noticed that I make a conscious effort to consume in a sustainable manner, and that I know what is manageable. Although it is a small matter, I was rather proud of myself for spending a good part of the day out of my apartment yesterday, even through the rain. I had a vanilla chai and a hot chocolate over the course of two hours. I consciously asked for both items to be "for here" and not "for here" in paper cups. I looked around the café, 1369 Coffee House, and noticed several people sitting in for their beverages but drinking out of paper cups. I was a little disheartened to see a pretty enviro-conscious coffee place not pushing their patrons who dine/drink-in to use glasses and mugs, as opposed to the very disposable paper cups. 
Awesome photos, Mel! It's weird when you see people who you assume to be at least moderately eco-conscious doing stuff that has an obvious (and usually easy) alternative. At the school I was at yesterday, a teacher was drinking a coke in the computer lab (isn't that a no-no anyway?) and she was young and stylishly dressed so when she walked out and plunked her soda can down in the regular trash can I was shocked frozen. How can people just do that! I thought, especially young people who have probably been learning about recycling since they were 5.
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