Marginally Sustainable, A Citizen Nonetheless

I have been admiring the unanimous commitment to locally grown, locally prepared foods -- and questioning my own devotion to sustainable urban citizenship. Before beginning this experiment, I would have jumped at the opportunity to demonstrate stoic diligence in the righteous quest to become the next "No Impact" dude. I am naturally inclined towards temperance. I have a fondness for self-deprivation, at least in theory. In some deluded state, I would have conceived a sustainable utopia, complete with bedside worm composting.

Fortunately, I never recorded my inordinately ambitious aspirations at the onset of this experiment. I can project backwards now, with some experience, and survey reality. It is winter, in New England, and I'm a vegetarian. My freezer hath spoken, enticing me nigh with "Trader Giottos" frozen pizzas and Californian broccoli florets.

My lofty goals have been reduced to the following:

1) Associate foods with a geographic origin.  
When I was 16, there were MANY revelations: one of which was the nutritional content of food. I became fascinated with fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. I researched nutrition entirely for my own edification. This was during the days of academic micro-management, a time when research was reliant upon an incessant, external impulse. I was intrigued by muscle glycogen, the glycemic index, and the bioavailability of vitamins. Until now, I have given little thought to the geographic origins of my food. I have considered in detail the nutritional effects and manufacturing processes, but not the distance traveled to my mouth. This is a new revelation. I will pursue it.

2) Minimize packaging. 
The following food products have been barred from my diet because they are accompanied by wasteful packaging:

• Dunkin Donuts Bagels
• Stop & Shop Sushi
• Take-out (All of it)
• Take-away Salads

The effort to minimize packaging indirectly increases the incentive to cook 

3) Continue the action project
I have been working on printmaking for the action project. I'm working with Alex on a 'reverse propaganda' campaign that will use public, unsolicited art installations to raise awareness and aesthetically improve neglected urban facades. We are working on 'branding' these installations with urban citizenship themes. The final mounted works will range from 2'x3' to 6'x10'.

Here's a work in progress: