Stage 1 - Live without making garbage
Stage 2- Emitting no carbon
Stage 3- Least environmental impact with food choices
Stages After- Little environmental impact- consumer purchase, household (heat, electricity, water use)
Today I focus on my water footprint- I started off fairly poorly as I was in need of a shower, but unlike my usual thirty minutes- I motivated myself to be in and out in less than 10. I know that is still pretty bad, but we all have to start somewhere.
I never noticed how the task of washing one's hands is actually pretty wasteful- it is something we do without even thinking about it.
I have been reflecting a lot of my water usage over my spring break- I swam in multiple pools, showered almost every day- and didn't pay any mind to the amount of water I was using- It is interesting to look back now and wonder why it had never come to my attention before or why it just didn't seem to matter.
Before this project I had never really thought about my impact individually but more about people's impact at large- thinking of my usage as a "drop in the bucket" when it reality I contribute my share as does everyone else with very little thought or intention-ultimately leading to the destruction of the world we live in.
I want to be as good as Colin, even with the most challenging tasks, he goes in open hearted and with a certain strength and passion. While I do feel passionate about the Earth and preservation of our eco-system I also feel much more selfish and unable to give up the parts of my life and life-style that I enjoy and that bring me happiness. Thinking back on our discussion in class about the brain and validating our actions via our amygdala; I absolutely rationalize my use of water more than any other part of this experiment. I take water for granted because it is almost always at my disposal.
Before I came to school freshman year I visited a friend in Santa Barbara- as a girl from Chicago I had never experienced what a drought felt or looked like, but, in my five stay with Mariana I learned about how the drought effected her life and those in California. It seemed so odd to me that they couldn't water their grass or take long showers because I had never experienced it, even after my stay I remained ignorant to the drought because it was easier to ignore it than acknowledge and change my actions.
I am grateful for: water, books, shoes, essential oils, and rings.