The Carbon Footprint of My Shopping Cart

This week in my Sustainability class we have been discussing the importance of shopping locally. For the past few years I have tried to purchase as much of my organic produce at local markets and farms. However, until we really began to delve into the topic, I never really considered all of the other products besides just fruits and vegetables. With my reusable shopping bags in hand I dropped by my local grocery store after class. Instead of rushing through aisle-by-aisle grabbing my usual items thoughtlessly and tossing them into my basket, I decided to really evaluate each product to see where they were being produced and shipped from. While I felt disappointed thinking about giving up some of my favorite non-local products I decided to search for local alternatives to everything that I typically purchase. Much to my surprise it was significantly easier than I thought! Not only did this help improve my individual carbon footprint, it also saved me money. Most of the alternatives I found were Publix brand, organic, and they are produced and shipped from Lakeland, FL. There are so many other aspects of my life that I am working on in order to improve my carbon footprint, but for now this is one small step that I can feel good about. If you would like more information on how to properly evaluate your carbon footprint, and ways to offset it check out this website:

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Down to Earth

     Last week I had the opportunity to lend a hand at the Down to Earth farm. Working with a small handful of peers, we mulched two rows of crops to help protect the seedlings from the Devil's Shoestring root that has been latching onto and overtaking these small plants. The few hours we spent on the farm were extremely enjoyable for me. I have been working on my own small plot in a community garden for about nine months now and I love that I am constantly learning. I have spent so much time and energy on my small plot that it gave me such an appreciation for the work that Brian and Kristin do on their 2.5 acres of land.
     This experience gave me a greater appreciation for small local farmers, as well as locavores. There is definitely peace of mind when you can actually see where your food is being grown, as well of the growing process. I believe that there are an overwhelming amount of people who are so accustomed to running to the grocery store and grabbing the first piece of produce they find without a second thought. By no means am I criticizing people who do this. I am 100% guilty of this as well. Life happens. People get busy, schedules get crazy, and it is not that people are careless by nature, I think everyone just wants to trust their supermarkets with the responsibility of those conditions. If Publix puts it on the shelves, shouldn't it be safe? The fact of the matter is with how agriculture has changed over the past 50 years to be mass-produced and standardized, the quality has gone out the window. Newton's law says that every action has an equal or opposite reaction... well, we have completely butchered our agricultural process and now it is time to undo our damage by supporting locally grown, organic, and humane farmers.
     For the past few years as I have been learning about leading a sustainable lifestyle, I have steered towards shopping locally, trying to support the local network of farmers. After watching Food Inc. in class, as well as volunteering on Brian and Kristin's farm, that interest has spiked astronomically. There are so many benefits to spending your money at the local farmers' market as opposed to at large supermarkets. Supporting local agriculture means that money is going directly into your local economy. Purchasing food within your community puts the control back in your hands, you have the ability to physically visit the sites where your food is being grown and decide for yourself if you like the conditions or not. Health-wise it is beneficial because if you are eating locally grown food it is seasonally grown food therefore you are getting a healthy variety. It also significantly cuts down on your individual carbon footprint. If your food is coming from 10 miles down the road instead of 1,500 miles away it is a substantial difference.
     One of the biggest benefits for me has been attaining the feeling of living within a real community. Jacksonville is such a large city that it is easy to feel detached from other people, I felt as if it truly lacked any sense of community. I struggled with that for the first two years I lived here, until I discovered farmers' markets and my community garden. In this process I have discovered that a community is not something that simply exists, similar to a garden it needs to be tended to, and that is how it grows.


                                           Photos of Down to Earth Farm

                                           Baby chicks

                                          Down to Earth Farm

                         Amy and I at the end of the day with the plants that Brian gave us!

                                          "You Are Where You Eat"

                                           Down to Earth farm

                                          The chicken coop

  

My Garden Plot

Last August I adopted a plot in a local community garden. I put a tremendous amount of TLC into my 19' x 6' plot but the treacherous Jacksonville cold fronts ended up claiming the majority of my fall crops. After spending some time in my garden digging up my deceased plants and adding fresh compost to my soil the few plants that survived the cold fronts began to grow back. The plants that are currently growing in my garden are carrots, red leaf lettuce, kale, broccoli, spinach, parsley, and chives.  

                                           View of my garden plot.

Harvesting my first vegetables from my garden-- My first salad made from red leaf lettuce!

                                 View of my plot and the community compost bin.

                                        Small spinach plants and red leaf lettuce.

                                           Carrots and chives.

                                                  Kale!

                                      Red leaf lettuce and small spinach plants!

Class Project: Sustainable Living Ad Campaign

This week in class we worked in groups on ad campaigns that would target college students and sustainable living. The project dealt with Greg Horn's book Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability. My group selected Horn's section "7 Steps to Sustainable Eating" and chose to incorporate pop culture in the mix and ended up creating an ad campaign based around X-Men.

 

Gordon designed the posters while Renee, Aimee, and I worked on the argument portion of the assignment.

Professor X Argument: Use Reusable Water Bottles

What is one simple way to save some money? Stop using plastic cups, water bottles, and dishes. I know plastic items are cheaper and that is the way of the college student. However, for just a couple dollars more you can buy ceramic or glass dishes to avoid the toxins in plastic getting into your food. When you warm up your Ramen noodles in a plastic bowl in the microwave the heat can make those chemicals even more dangerous to your body. Also, instead of buying that 24-pack of water bottles you could just refill an EPA approved water bottle for a convenient beverage on the go. Doing this will save you money on water and will be able to give you those couple extra dollars for some ceramic plates! An essential part of most college student lives is that grand cup of coffee. Try going to places that use biodegradable cups or just make it at home and again save a couple bucks. Key trend here is to save money and buy less plastic items to ensure no digestion of toxic chemicals. --Renee Garcia

Wolverine Argument: Cut Fried & Processed Foods From Your Diet

Do you hate being sick and feeling sluggish? If you do, the best way to change that is to eat healthier. I know as a college student you would rather being eating Chick-fil-a for dinner instead of cooking. However, eating organic foods can prevent you from being loaded down with chemicals like pesticides and herbicides. Eating organic fruits, meats, and vegetables may be a little more expensive, but will free your body of harmful toxins. You will have more energy to study and be alert in school. I'm sure studying is not the only thing college students do, so eating non-processed foods will give you the energy and health to do more fun adventurous things. Especially for all you gym-crazed boys and girls, eating organic will help you be stronger mentally and physically. By using organic bananas in your protein shakes you can help your body prepare itself to stay fit. So think, is it really a better option to eat chips, McDonald's, and other processed foods? Or is it better to eat organic so you can be in the best shape of your life-- Renee Garcia

Shadowcat Argument: Avoid Soda and Sugar

Trying to avoid the dreaded Freshman 15? Want to have more energy for your long days of classes and work? Tired of the constant sugar highs and lows? The easiest way to avoid weight gain, maintain your energy, feel healthier and stay alert for your long days is to cut out sugar and soda from your diet. Life as a college student is extremely demanding with long days, a shortage of money, and balancing new lifestyle habits so it's important to pay attention to what you put in your body for fuel. Making smarter choices ahead of time will pay off significantly later. Sugar and soda cause you to overeat, and store fat. Not to mention they are also the biggest contributors to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer and other health woes! The average American consumes 160 pounds of sugar every year, so no wonder there are so many major health issues. Not to mention that it is hidden in a variety of different forms and names, including high-fructose corn syrup. All of these culprits are out there to cause you to gain weight, get sick, and become so heavily addicted that you are constantly shelling out more and more money to buy these products that are poisoning your body. So be smart and think before you drink soda or eat foods that are high in sugar.
 --Cheryl Pakidis

Storm Argument: Filter Your Water

How many of you have your own filter at home? Don't be shy. Not very many, huh? That's not a huge issue, but it's one you might want to consider. Not only does filtering your own water from the tap save water bottles, but it also saves water and eliminates many harmful bacterias that can make you sick. Do you honestly know where your water comes from? Think about it for a second: some animal has probably done his business in the same river that flows through your pipes! Gross! I'll admit that I don't have a water filter at home, and we still drink bottled water, but that's because of the expense. Money is pretty tight these days. However, where I live, our water is filtered before we even turn on the faucet. Maybe I will try something new though. What about you? --Aimee Moore

Educational Alliance for Sustainable Florida

     The Educational Alliance for Sustainable Florida (EASF) is a brand new network of university and college leaders engaged in sustainability efforts. Last week (January 25 & 26) the first gathering was held at the University of Florida. These two days were spent networking with representatives from schools across the state. The conference was divided into two parts: the Florida Student Sustainability Summit, and the EASF Roundtable.
     I was fortunate enough to split my time between these events and participate both as a student from the University of North Florida and as the National Wildlife Federation Southeast Fellow. The student summit focused on sustainable food on campus, renewable energy/carbon offset, and student sustainability efforts on campus. The second day was primarily focused on green careers and student workshops.
     On the other end of campus the roundtables were taking place. The two days of roundtables focused on developing this Florida sustainability network into a strong alliance. We have found that even with our annual Sustainable Florida meeting (formally Sustainable Florida was a combination of both businesses as well as schools. This has just split into EASF as the school network, and Sustainable Florida as a business network), that it is challenging to keep a strong network across the state. Many suggestions came out of the meetings and these new concepts will restructure the way all of the campuses communicate and keep current tabs on sustainability initiatives.
     The main idea is developing a detailed website with current information on all of the schools across Florida. Including representative contact information and current events will allow people from all over quick, reliable information to our sustainability efforts. This is key in order to avoid "reinventing the wheel" which is a phrase I continuously hear at these environmental events. By having access to all of the information about projects you can learn about the previous success and failure stories, and how to learn from what other schools went through. This step helps avoid unnecessary problems.  
    Another suggestion moving forward is to divide the EASF network into North, Central, and South Florida regions and to encourage more frequent regional gatherings. These regional divisions will allow schools the opportunity to get to know the schools within their region on a much more personal level. This will also allow the opportunity to work with other schools more frequently because the travel will be significantly less expensive, and it is more convenient to travel around the region, rather than the state. This will also encourage tighter networks because more meetings will be possible.
     While the newly formed sustainability network was a major theme during this event there were other major topics discussed. Climate change, waste reduction, sustainable food, and funding sustainability programs were other major contenders for leading issues.
For more information on the EASF event visit- EASF Roundtable Event
    
     One of the major reasons I love attending these events is because it allows me the opportunity to show how proud I am of my university. It feels really rewarding to be represented at major conferences with huge schools around the country. This is my fifth year at UNF, and I have seen the school grow drastically since I arrived in 2006. There are so many initiatives going on behind the scenes that most students do not know about. There are also so many ways to get involved on campus (a lot of fun events, not all stuffy conferences). I am very fortunate to attend a university with so many passionate people working with the goal of Sustainability in mind. For more information on ways to get involved visit our website UNF Environmental Center or just feel free to drop in to our new offices in Building 1 Room 2200.

"No Impact Man"

Colin Beavan, author of No Impact Man is someone who I admire tremendously. His book, blog, and film all greatly affected the way that I started looking at the concept of Sustainability. There are so many important points that he raises throughout his work that constantly forces me to reevaluate how I am living my life. No Impact Man has been having a rippling effect around the nation and I extremely excited that Colin Beavan will be speaking at Florida State College of Jacksonville March 8, 2011. I spotted this flyer at a local coffeehouse and I am happy to be sharing it here on my blog. I hope everyone takes some time to consider these concepts, I am glad that I did. 

No Impact Man Website

Personal Statement

1.    What are my concerns?

2.     What are my questions?

3.     What are my passions?

4.     What are my goals?  

One of my biggest concerns is that the majority of people do not understand the magnitude of the environmental problems that we are creating because of our way of life.  It is easy to place the blame on others and turn a blind eye to them but that will leave those problems unsolved.  Another concern that I have is the general apathy toward environmental issues. It is unnerving that the only time you hear any concern is when fuel prices begin to skyrocket, and then as soon as they stabilize again the concern disappears. There is a stigma that goes along with being an environmentalist; that you are a little “off your rocker,” sitting around all day hugging trees and laying in the grass. An environmentalist is simply a person who is conscious about environmental issues and protecting the state of the Earth. Reality is everyone should be an environmentalist, because the Earth is the one thing that everyone has in common. Fact is the choices you make today will ultimately impact future generations.

My main questions about sustainability all revolve around individual action. What can I do as an individual to make a greater impact? How can I help educate others and interest them in sustainability? I also have a lot of questions about the green job economy. Where can I find information on it, and what kinds of jobs are available? What are the different types of clean energy? How can we influence the government to invest more time and money into these resources?

I am extremely passionate about environmental issues and sustainability. I am passionate about knowledge and learning as much as I can about these issues to make the greatest impact possible. I have worked and volunteered in many different environmental fields including: organic gardening, sustainable food, recycling, green building, sustainable living, urban & regional planning (specifically public transportation at UNF), clean energy, biology and chemistry field work, biology and chemistry lab work, water analysis testing, and much more. I have also been the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology 2010 Fellow for the Southeastern United States. I have been a student assistant at the UNF Environmental Center since 2007 and since then have also been the student representative for the College of Arts & Sciences on UNF’s Environmental Executive Board.

My goals are to learn as much as I can about environmental issues and sustainability. I also want to learn about the green economy so I can eventually find a green career that will allow me to help educate more people on the significance of these problems, and also provide me with the knowledge to help find the solutions to these problems.