The November issue of AJET Connect magazine is now out! In this issue I have two articles featured. One is a full two-page article, and the other is a one-page column by "Rosie." I have also submitted a photo for the November photo contest. I hope you will enjoy reading this month's articles! They aren't perfect, but I'm happy to be writing and getting my work out there!
And on a different note, I'm up to 9,451 words on my NaNoWriMo story. Although I know it isn't a very good story, as in this case quantity as more important than quality, I am still tempted to post it on lulu.com when I'm finished. If not for anyone else, I think I'd like to own a hard-copy of the story at least for myself. It can be a reminder of this accomplishment of November 2011. Also, if I ever do National Novel Writing Month again, it would probably good to have a physical copy of all of he work I've done from the past to keep track.
A day mostly well spent I think.
Good night Tokyo!
In light of today's theme, ENERGY, I have decided to postpone the rest of my blog updates until after Sunday, September 25th. I look forward to finishing up the week without my computer, and will be sure to tell you all about it towards the beginning of next week! If you'd like to know what's going on with the project before then, please visit any of the following websites!
Take my food list from yesterday and calculate my carbon "foodprint" here. Did I eat anything grown within 250 miles? How much non-organic meat and dairy did I consume? How much packaged food did I buy? Choose five items from yesterday that were not produced locally, and try swapping them out with things that are. Here is a link for "10 economical steps for putting healthy food on the table."
-My approximate carbon foodprint from yesterday was 1729. It's difficult to understand what this number really means unless you try the website out for yourself. It's very easy to use and interactive, but only has a basic selection of possible foods. This at least gives the user a good idea about the impact that their food choices are creating. I got a much better understanding of what kind of food is good to eat, and what kind of food is not. For example, the difference between fried food and baked, or meat vs vegetables! I don't only mean what's good for my body, but I also mean what's good for the environment.
-I challenge you to try the website for one day, or even one meal's worth of food. If you've eaten anything other than local, seasonal fruits and vegetables, you'll probably find that your number is quite high.
-I'm not sure about the origin of the food I ate, so I can't give a very clear answer here. Some of the ingredients probably came from within 250 miles, and most of them probably came from within Japan. It is still a little disconcerting to me that I never before thought about this. How has food, one of the main things that keeps us alive, become such an afterthought in our lives?!
-I do not have a choice about what kind of food goes into the school lunch, and they undoubtedly will serve meat since the lunch is made for growing teenagers. I think on a personal level however, I'm actually becoming somewhat of a vegetarian without even meaning to. I have probably only bought meat to cook or consume in my own house about five times all year, and I tend not to order meat even if I go out to restaurants. Every once in a while, maybe once a month, I will order a dish at a restaurant that contains meat or fish. Perhaps I could make this even less frequent? I don't dislike meat, but I don't ever particularly feel like I must have it. Perhaps I will never consider myself a vegetarian, but I'll do my best to continue with my current pattern. I'm not going to let it go to waste (for example in the school lunch), and I'm not going to let myself go hungry, but I will definitely make an effort to intentionally order and buy foods other than meat.
-If dairy products are bought from local farms with good treatment of the animals, are milk, cheese, and eggs still bad choices? I don't think that there is any way for me to get local dairy where I am living now, but I do think it will be possible once I go back to NY. I could even purchase from the same farm that Colin Beavan himself buys from. It is difficult for me to learn about farmers' markets that are happening in the area. There are none that I know of that happen on a regular basis, but I have asked a few locals to let me know if they hear about anything.
-I do my best to buy as little packaged food as possible. Not only is the package of the food a concern, but have you ever stopped to look at what's in the food? What about the process that the food went through, and how it could possibly have such a long shelf life? Why am I allowing all of those chemicals into my body? I think that if I can manage the time and the land, I would like to have my own vegetable and herb garden in the future. I'll know the conditions of the land and the state of the food that I'm consuming.
Day 4, Step 2
This week change your diet. Try vegan-ism, eating locally, eating organically, or simply reducing the amount of beef you consume.
-I know that it is not possible for me to do all of the above 100% of the time (mostly due to where I live) but I can make better decisions about what I buy and what I eat.
Day 4, Step 3
Dig in! Bicycle over to a farmers market. Learn some new recipes. Invite friends over for a potluck!
-I wish I could figure out where there was one! I agree with the benefits of going to farmers' markets, and when they're not available at least shopping locally! I started going to some local stores instead of the mega-supermarket and I got to know the shopkeepers! It was fun to join the community! Now, every time I go to buy bread down the street, we sit in the shop for 30 minutes or so chatting about this and that over coffee. I get to practice my Japanese, learn about Japan, and feel like I am beginning to belong to something! Slowing down and just taking time to talk with people in the neighborhood is really enjoyable. I've been spending a lot of time online during the No Impact Experiment because I've decided to blog about it, but once the week is over I think I'd like to go back to using the computer less, and getting more involved with friends and the community. This is definitely a major point of the No Impact Project. A pot luck and recipe swap sounds great! Maybe I can organize one for sometime soon.
Day 4, Step 4
Keep track of your food choices. Ask yourself throughout the day; what are the most challenging aspects of adjusting my food habits?
-The most challenging habits I've found about adjusting my food choices are first, being able to find things that fit the guidelines. Also, every once in a while I've wanted some sort of snack. There are ways to make snacks at home with better food and fewer chemicals. I think that the only reason I want the store-bought type is because that's what I'm used to. Getting over the habit of eating unhealthy food is probably what is going to be the hardest step at first, but I think it will eventually disappear. It apparently takes about one month to overcome old habits, and then we adapt to the new ones. I think that so many people give up before that month is finished, and they never reach the point of benefiting from change. If you never tasted potato chips, you wouldn't ever miss them, right? Plus, you can make your own equivalent of potato chips using your own potatoes grown in the backyard!
-Aside from trying to find food produced locally and telling myself there are alternatives to processed snack foods, the other difficult thing about the food stage is being able to find good food, and not create garbage. Then again, the plastic wrapper on the vegetables may be worth it if I'm eating that over meat and other goods. Also, I find that I'm given a lot of food and snacks from people at work and I find it's hard to refuse them.
-In general I think it would be pretty easy to adjust with the right resources, patience, and some time.
Day 4, Step 5
Write down five things for which I am grateful.
1) I am grateful for my healthy body.
2) I am grateful for my healthy mind.
3) I am grateful for my perseverance.
4) I am grateful for having a place I call home, and one that I really like at that!
5) I am grateful for the opportunity to learn something new every day.
-memo (Actually, I thought I would have to recycle the memo which was written on an old envelope. I cut open the envelope and used the inside! I was proud of this because I didn't have to throw it away yet.)
-egg shells x2
-small plastic tab from egg carton (recycled, mixed plastics)
-spinach remains
-plastic band from veggies x 2 (recycled, mixed plastics)
-small paper slip/egg expiration date (recycled, mixed paper)
-tea leaves (I actually used the same tea leaves as the person who made tea just before me, so I'm going to count it as their garbage and not mine. ^_^)
-Coffee filter (As I mentioned before, I don't usually use coffee filters. I only use them when company comes over, because I don't want to serve them coffee they may or may not like without asking them about it first. I thought a teacher was going to come over tonight to study so I made her coffee, but due to the typhoon she was unable to come. I drank it instead.)
Back to consumption:
So far the things that I've wanted to purchase this
week that I don't need include a personal calendar, a movie, and
chocolate. It hasn't been much of a challenge holding off on buying
these things, and it also made me think about my purchases before
actually making them! Why do I want this? Will I be happy once I've
purchased it? How much money do I spend on things that I don't really
need, or that don't really bring me happiness? If I buy this item, how
long will I use it? How happy will I be with it in the long run? Is it
worth the negative impact that it has on me and on the environment?
What can I do instead of shop for this item? Those things that I thought I wanted at the beginning of the week in Tokyo have completely left my mind.
Also, today I got a great compliment! One of my students told me that I was wearing a cool outfit. Then she corrected herself and she said I was always wearing cool outfits. According to her I have a "good fashion sense." After she said it, the boy next to her agreed. I'm glad that they think I have a good fashion sense! You see, it really is possible to have a style (that you and others like) that does not require having the newest and trendiest wardrobe. Most of the clothes I wear are old, hand-me-downs or used, bought at places like "Good Will" in the states or "Hard-Off" in Japan. I save a lot of time and money this way! For people who like fashion labels and brands or like knowing and owning what's in season, I think that they could use their style sense and put together trendy outfits (even designer labels) without buying them new. Trends come and go and come back again. Also, retro is chic. I've never been a huge fashion buff however, so I apologize if I've just offended anyone who is. I suppose there are all different kinds of styles out there. I prefer the "I pulled this together and it works" look, opposed to the "I bought this new as an outfit last week and it cost me a paycheck" look.
I didn't have time to write all of Day 3 yesterday, so I split it into two parts.
Part 1 had to do with transportation. Part 2 is now asking us to take action! Stand up for something we believe in, and send a petition or letter to our local/state representatives on a particular matter.
"The No Impact Project is about helping yourself, helping your community, and helping your country.
Steps:
Step 1
To start, just choose one issue - climate change, dirty fuels, or transportation. -CHECK-
-I chose "transportation."
Step 2
At some point this week, choose from one of the Sierra Club actions.
-Through the website, my request has been sent to NY Senator Gillibrand and NY Senator Schumer.
-After the message was sent, I received an automatic e-mail from the conservation director. I didn't want to send this message to people through e-mail, so I will post it here and you can read it at your own liberty! (I feel like I've heard that expression before, but perhaps not. It that strangely worded?)
"Dear Friends - Send a message to your representatives - I did! In
the first months of 2011, the President laid out a vision for building a
world-class transportation system that works for America. We need
clean, efficient, and affordable transportation choices that can break
our addiction to oil and put America back to work. Tell the Senate to
act on the President’s vision for a 21st century transportation system!
Urge your representative to stand firm against toxic high carbon fuels!
Check it out here:
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-Through the website, my request has been sent to NY Senator Gillibrand and NY Senator Schumer.
-After the message was sent, I received an automatic e-mail from the conservation director. I didn't want to send this message to people through e-mail, so I will post it here and you can read it at your own liberty! (I feel like I've heard that expression before, but perhaps not. It that strangely worded?)
"Dear Friends - Send a message to your representatives - I did! In
the first months of 2011, the President laid out a vision for building a
world-class transportation system that works for America. We need
clean, efficient, and affordable transportation choices that can break
our addiction to oil and put America back to work. Tell the Senate to
act on the President’s vision for a 21st century transportation system!
Urge your representative to stand firm against toxic high carbon fuels!
-The second thing I did was write about what I'm doing (No Impact Week) here on my blog where friends and family can see what I'm up to! I don't expect everyone to agree with me or what I'm doing, but maybe I'll inspire someone out there. Maybe even only one person, but I still think that it makes all the difference! A tiny spark together with the right conditions can eventually lead to a raging fire.
Step 4
Tell us (No Impact Project) how you feel about using your voice to make change.
-After sending in the above message, I received an automated e-mail from Senator Schumer. I know that it was not from him directly, but the e-mail stated his thanks for my participation and for voicing my concerns. Seeing this small sign of acknowledgment gave me courage that if I tried to contact my local representatives and Senators directly, I might actually have a chance of getting through to them with a letter, e-mail, or in-person meeting. I know they are very busy people, and what I have to say may or may not make a difference in their decisions, but the fact that I TRIED at least has the possibility to make an impact. And just suppose that many other people felt the same way about an issue as I did? If they were all too shy or scared to get out there and attempt to make a difference, then it is likely that nothing will happen. But, if ONE individual takes even just a little time and uses just a little effort to make a positive difference, imagine what kind of impact it would be if two people did? Four? Eight? Sixteen? Everyone keeps saying that we really need collective action to make a difference, and we need our governments to be making better decisions and pass stricter laws. Well get this: collective actions is really just a bunch of individuals gathered together to make a group. One big group makes a huge difference, but it is nothing without the individual people in it! Without them, there is no group! Also, the government and big companies really are just made up of people. There is no one force, there are a bunch of individual people gathered together to make decisions, pass laws, change laws, etc. These people have families, they have homes, they have good days and bad days, they have feelings. Who's to say they won't listen? Who's to say the way things are now cannot be changed? It may not be easy, and it may not be accomplished in one day, or one week, or one year, but change has to start somewhere. If you do nothing, you know what is likely to happen? ...nothing.
I think that day three will be easier for me than for some. I've been living for a year now with no car. My job is a 15 minute bike ride away from my apartment, and so is the train station and the bus stop. I commute to work every day either on foot or by bike. Occasionally when I go to my Japanese lessons I take the train, but it is still within biking distance if I so chose to attempt it. Every once in a while I end up being driven in a car if there's somewhere that I have to/want to go that isn't close to any public transportation. Also, sometimes people end up coming over to my house to hang out because there is no way for me to get to them. Living in the middle of nowhere (as they do) can have these disadvantages. So although I'm not driving, sometimes my friends come see me which I suppose still makes me part of the carbon equation.
Take stock of my habits - make a list of everywhere I'm going today and how I usually get there. What alternative modes of transportation could I use instead?
-Today I am going to work (the Junior High School) and back home. I will do as I usually do, and ride my bike there and back.
Day 3, Step 2
Throughout the day keep a list of everything I eat, where I eat, and where I purchase food. This will help me get ready for tomorrow's challenge.
-I did not purchase any food today, and I already described my food purchases from yesterday. Here is what I ate today:
-My homemade bread for breakfast. (I am trying to use up flower that I bought a while ago, so I made bread during the day yesterday.) (Flower, yeast, milk, egg, butter, water, olive oil, salt, sugar) (At home.)
-Homemade bread again and a pear for dinner. (At home.)
-As I already know what is coming, I am ashamed to admit that I barely know where any of this food came from, or what's actually in it. I made the bread, but where is the flower from? The butter? The corn? The yeast, milk, eggs, and sugar? The only things I'm pretty sure about on the list above, is that the pear came from Yamanashi and the tap water. I also think that a lot of the food in the school lunch came from Yamanashi, or from Japan at least. Maybe not all of it, but some of it.
-I think that the "local eating" phase of the project is going to be quite difficult for where I live, but I do think that the purchase choices I make now will be better than choices I would have made before!
Day 3, Step 3
Take a moment to reflect on my day. Was it a nice change of pace or a difficult one? What benefits did I discover? What could I improve in my experience.
-As I said, I don't think this is a hard step for me because it is the way I have to live everyday. For one year I had an international driving permit that would have allowed me to drive a car or a motor bike. Even before the No Impact Project, I intentionally chose not to purchase a motor vehicle, and not to get a Japanese drivers license. At the time I was simply hoping to save money. I also knew that if I had a car, I would never use my bike! I am glad that I made the decision to live without one though, because it makes my life a lot easier. I am able to save a lot of money, and I'm also able to stay in shape just by going about my daily routine.
Day 3, Step 4
Write down five things for which I am grateful.
1) I am grateful for the rain.
2) I am grateful for the light.
3) I am grateful for having ambition.
4) I am grateful for having such a wonderful and blessed life.
5) I am grateful for my family, my mother in particular.
Today's garbage:
-Small memo, used both sides of paper (recycled, mixed paper)
-floss (garbage)
-tea bag (recycled, mixed paper and garbage)
-small, cut scraps of paper (recycled, mixed paper)
-pear core (garbage)
-tea leaves (compost at school)
-milk bottle top (recycled, mixed paper and mixed plastic)
-small portion of leftover lunch (compost at school)
Our school lunch is served on reusable plates, with reusable utensils.
The milk is even served in refillable glass bottles. The only thing
that usually gets thrown away is the occasional dessert cup, the small
cap for the milk bottle, and any food scraps. Even then, the food scraps get used in the school compost.
I did not buy anything new today, nor did I want to! It's true what Colin says about getting past the immediate desire. It does actually go away, and it does actually make you happier to be satisfied with what you have now! The more I find I can use something over and over, the happier it makes me. Today I broke a rubber band by accident. I was about to throw it away when I realized that I would have to write it down and be accountable for throwing it away. Just then it struck me! I don't have to throw it away just yet, I can tie it together and continue using it! So that's just what I did. I felt happy that I was able to elongate the life of it, and to recognize that I "fixed it" instead of tossing it.
Also, I had a memo on my desk leftover from last week. I was finished with it, so I made a move to recycle it. Again, I knew I would have to own up to throwing it away, and I realized that I could still use it. There was still plenty of space left on the memo! I crossed out the "finished" tasks, and left it where it was. These two really small examples of reusing supplies may not seem like a big deal now, but imagine how big of a deal it would be if everyone did this? If even I did this all the time? I like the fact that I am held accountable for the things I throw away. It makes me think about why I use it in the first place. Does it need to be thrown away so early? What other options are there? At first, keeping track of my garbage felt like a pain or like I was being punished, but now I feel like I am really caring about the items I use. Where did they come from? Where will they go? How many people were involved in making this? What kind of story does it have? Will it have? I am starting to care about the resources involved in making it too. It's amazing how such a small time and easy project has made such a big difference on my thought process.
Today I moved onto the trash phase of the No Impact Project. Yesterday I was told to collect my trash so that I could analyze it a little today, and from today on for the rest of the week I am supposed to cut back as much as physically possible on the amount of trash and waste that I produce.
Steps:
Day 2, Step 1
Empty my special trash bin from yesterday. Separate the items into two columns, stuff that I used for more than ten minutes and stuff that I used for less than ten minutes. How does this make me feel?
More than 10
-plastic straw
-french fry paper
Less than 10
-facial oil tissue (x4)
-receipts (x3)
-plastic sugar and milk container
-hand wipe (unused)
-purikura backing
-piece of paper from bag
-toilet paper
-It makes me sad that almost everything I threw away yesterday was only meant to be used for under 10 minutes! The only reason the two items in "more than 10" ended up there, is because I took my time drinking my coffee and eating my french fries. The second thing that I regret, is that nearly everything on this list could have been avoided. The only thing on there that I haven't (and probably won't replace any time soon unless we install toilets like in Thailand and Cambodia) is the toilet paper, but everything else was simply unnecessary and wasteful. I received the majority of the items unknowingly, and didn't know how to refuse them politely. If everyone in Japan is expected to carry around small hand towels because they don't have paper towels in most public restrooms, why are we given napkins and disposable goods almost everywhere else? Why are so many stores and households switching to disposable chopsticks and paper napkins? The more I think about these things, the more I don't understand how society ever got to be this way.
Day 2, Step 2
Put together a no-trash travel kit for the week with something for drinking, a handkerchief/old T-shirt rag, Tupperware, utensils, and reusable produce bags. - CHECK- -I have put together a simple "reusable, sustainable kit." It consists of my personal grocery store eco-bag, reusable chopsticks, a small spoon, a small fork, a square of an old t-shirt rag for general use, a handkerchief, my thermos, a small Tupperware, and old produce bags that I can use again.
Day 2, Step 3
Stop making trash. Reduce it, reuse it, recycle it. Just don't throw it away. Keep a special bag at home or in the office to keep track of the trash I make during the week. -CHECK- -I will try to write what kind of trash I create here. Read below for today's. How are you doing?
Day 2, Step 4
Blog about these questions:
What did I throw away today? Why was it hard or easy not to make trash?
-Despite staying at home most of the day, I was able to make a lot more trash than I expected. Here is my trash list for the day:
-toilet paper (for using the toilet, as well as for using as tissues)
-toilet paper roll/tube (recycled into mixed paper bin)
-coffee grounds (no filter, I use a filter-less strainer)
-1 wrapper for vitamin tablet (recycled into mixed plastics)
-wrapper for shiso packaging (recycled into mixed plastics)
-small label from plastic bag (recycled into mixed paper)
-eggshells x2
-moisture reducing packet from a bag of flower
-I don't feel too bad about this list actually. Much of it was able to be recycled. I have eliminated paper towels and tissues (Kleenex) from my apartment, and am able to get by using rags and recycled paper toilet paper instead. The garbage that was produced from the food was all stuff that I had laying around the house and wanted to use up instead of waste. I had to go to the grocery store today, and the hardest thing I found so far about trash is food packaging. Especially in Japan, it is nearly impossible to get food of any kind that does not come already individually wrapped and thoroughly packaged in either paper or plastic. There is a store in my town that offers bulk options for things like pastas, sauces, vegetables and other goods, but other than this one store there is nowhere I can go that does not produce some kind of trash after purchase. For foods that I had no choice, I decided to go with the "bulk" option to at least cut back on the waste. At the vegetable stand, I decided to only buy what I could find not already packaged in plastic, however this limited my options significantly. I brought everything home in the basket on my bike in my own reusable bags. -I also found it a little difficult to pass by the things at the grocery store that I wanted, but didn't need. For example, chocolate. After his No Impact Project ended, I wonder what kind of items Colin Beavan remained to do without, and what he decided he would make exceptions for?
Day 2, Step 5
Be proud of my efforts and a great start to the week. Write down five things for which I am grateful.
1) I am grateful for my amazingly supportive boyfriend who puts up with all of my new fads, and is being very helpful and understanding about my "rules" regarding the No Impact week.
2) I am grateful to be blessed with the basic human needs - physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.
3) I am grateful to get the chance to do something I love every single day.
4) I am grateful for my loving family and friends.
5) I am grateful for all of the wonderful chances I've been given, and all of the opportunities and experiences I've had.
What kinds of things did you throw away today? What could you have recycled or saved? What could you have replaced with something reusable? Share your comments and ideas below!
It's DAY 1 of the No Impact Experiment, also known as the YES! Magazine No Impact Week! Today's theme is CONSUMPTION, meaning that we will be focusing on minimizing/limiting our buying habits for the week. Although consumption is the theme for today, everything we learn and attempt today will be applied to the rest of the week as well.
The daily themes are as follows:
Sunday - Consumption
Monday - Trash
Tuesday - Transportation, Take Action
Wednesday - Food
Thursday - Energy
Friday - Water
Saturday - Giving Back
Sunday - Eco-Sabbath
But really, it's more like this:
Sunday - Consumption
Monday - Trash, and Consumption
Tuesday - Transportation, Take Action, Trash, and Consumption
Wednesday - Food, Transportation, Take Action, Trash, and Consumption
Thursday - Energy, Food, Transportation, Take Action, Trash, and Consumption
Friday - Water, Energy, Food, Transportation, Take Action, Trash, and Consumption
Saturday - Giving Back, Water, Energy, Food, Transportation, Take Action, Trash, and Consumption
Sunday - Eco-Sabbath, Giving Back, Water, Energy, Food, Transportation, Take Action, Trash, and Consumption
Each day builds on the last, so not only do you have to worry about the new challenge, but you also have to keep up the standards from the day before, and the day before, etc.
Because I am half a day ahead of readers in the states, when I post at 9:30 PM JST, it will only be around 8:30 AM EST. Hopefully by reading about my challenges, experiences, frustrations and breakthroughs before your day has really begun, you will be able to gain eco-confidence and get ideas by reading my No Impact Week blog entries.
This weekend I went to Tokyo to visit my Saitama host family and friends from Denison/Waseda. If I had known about the No Impact Week earlier, I probably would have tried to change my plans to go to Tokyo. I was unable to change my plans but luckily I was able to come back to Yamanashi early, and going to Tokyo actually gave me a lot to think about and write about regarding consumption.
So on to day 1!
The challenge of the day is to "do more with less."
Annie Leonard has done a lot of research, has written a book, and has started a program about "stuff." It's called "The Story of Stuff (Project)." Below is one of the many videos and resources from her website. One of the things that sticks in my mind is that 99% of the stuff we buy will be trashed within six months. Think of the things that you buy, own, and use. How much of it will you keep longer than six months? How much of it was produced to be used only once before it is thrown away? How did our culture get this way?
Day 1, Step 1
Type up a list of all the stuff I need to buy this week. Delete the items I can live without. For the rest of the items, can I purchase them second hand? Can I borrow them? Can I make them myself?
I need to buy:
-This week I don't actually need to buy anything other than food, which does not count here. There are things that I could buy to make my life more ecologically sustainable in the long run, but for now I've decided to use things that I already have lying around the house instead of buying anything new.
-Omiyage for the people back at school that knew I was going to Tokyo. I think I will not buy these omiyage. The majority of the people don't know I went to Tokyo, and I think I'd like to do the best that I can with the project. This won't be as big of a cultural blunder as it would have been if I didn't bring anything for my host family. The co-workers at my school will live.
-Omiyage from Hakone/Izu at the end of the week. I think I will cancel this too. They will probably just blame it (my "ignorance") on me being a foreigner.
Day 1, Step 2
Put an empty, reusable bag in a private place at home. Fill it up with all of my trash, recyclables, and food waste. Make sure that nobody else's trash gets in there but my own. This will help me for Monday's challenge.
Color key:
Manufactured to be used once = red
Manufactured to be used over and over = green
Here is a list of the trash I made today: -4 pieces of facial oil tissue
-receipts for karaoke and lunch
-plastic straw in the "mandatory one drink"
-plastic milk and sugar wrappers for that one drink (iced coffee)
-(possibly) a hand wipe package and napkin. I didn't use mine and left it behind at the restaurant, but they may have thrown it away anyway.
-purikura backing (once I use the sticker)
-paper under the french fries I ordered at lunch
-receipt from my milk purchase -My host mother made me breakfast this morning. I'm sure she used packaged goods and dried some dishes with paper towels, so whatever garbage she used on me during breakfast should be counted here.
-A piece of paper that I took out of the bag that my host mother gave me.
-I did not keep it of course, but I "disposed of" toilet paper every time I went to the bathroom.
-I bet there are other things that can be put on here; trash that I created indirectly. For example, the cleaning supplies they used at the restaurant and at karaoke, the packaging for the food at lunch, the plastic that the karaoke microphones came in, and probably more. It's amazing that while consciously trying to make less garbage, I was still able to make this MUCH garbage! Imagine how much garbage people make that aren't trying to cut back! I carried around my own water thermos all day, refused all disposable napkins by using my own handkerchief, and carried my own reusable shopping bag when I bought my milk. I also made a conscious effort not to purchase any food on-the-go because it would have come in a disposable wrapping of some kind. Also, Japanese public bathrooms do not have paper towels. Imagine the extra waste if I had been in America.
-Have you thought about the kind of trash you create? What do you tend to throw away the most? When I'm at home, the majority of my trash ends up being food scraps. I looked into making a compost but was denied permission by the landlord. I will think more about this and see if there's a way I can work around the rules. Food scraps could easily be given back to the earth to create rich and healthy soil!
Day 1, Step 3
Just for the week, try not to shop for new items. Will I find something better to do with my time and money? Could I use this time to spend with friends instead?
-I don't think this will be much of a problem. I rarely shop as it is. Recently I've been wanting a personal planner/calendar for 2012, but I will hold off on it for now. It's not something I need, and I could probably make one for myself using recycled resources. I'd say my worst shopping habit in general is buying books and stationery goods. Not a terrible habit, just not a good one. How much of this should I cut back on after the week is over? How much is OK and how much is negative consumerism? Is all consumerism negative? When should we tell ourselves that it's OK to have something new? Is the point that once we replace the shopping habits with better habits, like socializing in the community, we no longer want whatever it is we thought we wanted? I'm pretty sure that this is the point. We replace shopping with social interaction, community, and other activities, and we realize that we don't really want those other things anyway! This week I will be spending a lot of time with friends!
-Today I went to lunch and karaoke with my friends in Tokyo. After karaoke we took pictures of us all together in a karaoke booth. I think that taking these pictures broke the rules of the first step, but at the time I didn't feel like I had much say in whether we went or not. I could see the picture counting as buying something new, but what about karaoke? Does it count, or not really? It's not a product. I won't be able to take the actual thing home with me, only the memories. It's something that many people can use over and over again. I'm going to count the karaoke as a social event (but maybe not a very eco/green one...) and the purikura photos as an accidental slip-up of day one. Wow. This is much more difficult than I expected it would be! If it's this difficult for me, someone who thinks about these things on a regular basis, how difficult would it be for someone who is trying the No Impact Experiment "cold turkey?"
Day 1, Step 4
What is the hardest part about decreasing purchasing? Blog about my experience, thoughts, and overall consumption habits. Am I doing anything new or unique?
-In general I don't really like shopping, but after just coming back from Tokyo I can see how some people are really dragged into the whole consumerism culture. On my way in by train, the closer we got to the city, the more clear it was that fashion was a really important aspect of Tokyo. Trendy bags, wallets, nails, hair, makeup, outfits, everything! As I was sitting on the train, I was thinking about how cool everyone looked, and how could we convince people to give up shopping if even I fall into this trap of longing for it? But then I tried looking around for the happy people. Were these fashionable people happy, or was looking at them just making me think I would be happy? None of them were smiling. Actually, the woman sitting across from me looked absolutely miserable despite her cute, put-together outfit. I envied her for her look, but what else? Immediately after arriving in Shinjuku I went to the station restroom. There was a long line of young, trendy women waiting patiently. All of the bathroom mirrors were occupied by fashionistas putting on or fixing their makeup; adjusting their hair or outfits. My mind started to wander, when I heard someone throw up from one of the stalls. No, not just one of the stalls. Several of the stalls. This was definitely not something I wanted to be a part of.
After leaving the station I was bombarded again by cute clothes and cute things. Every person who walked by had something that I wanted, and every window and advertisement, too. "Oh yeah! I want a new jacket! Oh yeah! Those shoes are cute! Oh yeah! That's a neat phone!" So I took a step back and tried to think about it reasonably. If I bought that phone right now, would I be happy? Maybe I would be interested for thirty seconds, and then I would realize what a dent it made in my wallet. Or maybe I'd use it for two days and need a new technology high. Shopping gives you temporary surges of happiness, but it's like any drug. Soon you need to use again in order to get that feeling of happiness back, or you need to use more just to get back to the same level of "high."
-I also got a chance to visit my host family for a little while during my weekend trip. At first I thought that going to Tokyo would be a bad thing for the project, but I actually think it helped open my eyes to it! Since I've known my host family, they've always had a lot of stuff. They are about to get their new host student tomorrow, so I helped them clean up a bit. There were piles and piles of stuff that they didn't know what to do with. A lot of the stuff will soon be thrown away, because I couldn't convince them to take it to a used-goods store. Some of the stuff being thrown away hasn't even been used, most of it still perfectly fine. I think our biggest problem as a society or a culture is that we want the cutest, newest item, and we buy it impulsively. We often buy things that replace what we already have, even if it's still in good working or usable condition. Then we simply throw the old thing away. I'm definitely not perfect and I buy things impulsively too, but I'm trying to make myself more aware of this and think about it, try to figure out why I do it and what I can do differently.
-My habits as of now are: I shop only a very little, and I usually shop for clothes, furniture, and house appliances used. I like giving away or reselling things opposed to throwing them away. Every once in a while I indulge, and I buy books and stationery or other objects that I don't need. In general, I have tried to stop using disposable goods such as napkins, tissues, and paper towels. I use old rags for cleaning, and buy 100% recycled paper toilet paper.
"Join us today at 2:30 pm EST as we chat with environmental leader Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and author of Eaarth. Contribute to the conversation by going to twitter.com and searching for #noimpact." - Lilly Belanger
"Be Happy Anyway," an article by Sarah van Gelder and Doug Pibel
Make sure to download (but don't print) the No Impact Week “How to Guide”
Well, thanks for reading Day 1! Any questions or comments? Mistakes and corrections? Write to me about it.
So beginning this Sunday, September 18 through next Sunday, September 25, I will be participating in what's called the No Impact Experiment. This is a one-week "carbon cleanse," and people from all over the world have joined together in an attempt to live consciously with less impact on the environment during this week. There are a number of resources, guides, support groups, and articles regarding the experiment throughout the week. Some of these groups and discussions can be found at the following sites: YES! Magazine online A link to the article regarding "YES! No Impact Week." YES! Magazine on facebook (Be sure to check out the events!) No Impact Project No Impact Project facebook page (Be sure to check out the events!) No Impact Project group (Be sure to check out the events!)
From Sunday to Sunday, I will be posting on my blog every day about my progress in the experiment. Please follow my progress, and comment as the week progresses! I think that this is going to be quite a challenge despite my already semi-eco lifestyle, but I'm ready for the challenge and interested in what kinds of things I'll learn! What will I continue to do after the week is over? What will prove to be too difficult in my current living situation? Will I be able to inspire others through my experience? We'll have to wait to find out!
If you are interested in the details of the No Impact Experiment or the guidelines of the No Impact Week, please download and view the No Impact Week Guide PDF. This is what the participants will be using throughout the week. As it is only an experiment, no one is expected to perform tasks that prove to be impossible in their situation. If there is no public transportation to their work place, then they have no choice but to drive. If there is no local food sold anywhere near their home, then they are asked to make the best choices that they can when they go to the supermarket.
There are only a few days left before the project begins, but if you are interested in joining me and 800+ other people in the experiment this month, please register here.
Keep on the lookout for my post on Sunday! And as always, thanks for reading.
