My Flexitarian Journey

Source: Keep Calm O-Matic, 2014

Up until a week ago, I had been strictly pescatarian after our Food unit for Global Sustainability. But, I am now fully embracing the idea of flexitarianism and am allowing myself to occasionally consume poultry.

I have accepted the fact that my sustainable journey is not going to happen in a heartbeat. It will take time and adjusting habits, recipes, shopping lists, where I get my protein, etc. I allowed myself to have chicken for the first time in almost two months while in Bali. After enjoying the vegetables and fish in Indonesia, I helped myself to Balinese chicken and spice soup…the Balinese name is slipping my mind. To be honest, it was delicious and I felt that this choice allowed me to better experience the culture around me. I’m sure it would have been more delicious had it been free-range organic chicken, but we can’t always get what we wish for when traveling.

My roommate heard me order and immediately said “oh, so you’re dropping the whole vegetarian thing now?”, to which I was slightly offended. I had explained to her the flexible but more sustainable lifestyle I was aiming for so… I once again explained the idea of flexitarianism to her. I do not regret having chicken. It would have been nice to be completely pescatarian following the Global Sustainability module, but things do not always happen so easily.

I have decided that I am okay with eating chicken every once and a while. It is certainly more sustainable than steak, lamb, and pork. I have seen my vegetarian friends attempt to eat chicken after a long period without consuming it and have watched them become very ill. I do not wish to become that way; I would like to have the option of eating my mother’s special dishes that contain chicken. When buying chicken back home, I will spend the extra money to buy free-range organic chicken and will encourage my mother and other family members to do the same

I wanted to add this blog post because my last post under Global Sustainability was entitled “Still haven’t touched meat”. Shortly after this post, I began consuming fish. My stomach was bored of lentils and 4-bean mix from Coles. I am not a perfect environmentalist, but I am striving to live a much more sustainable life. I am proud of how far I have come in reaching my sustainable lifestyle goals, but there is certainly more progress to be made. I am sure that reaching these goals will become easier with time, more experience, and new recipes.

Lessons that we learned in Global Sustainability are continuing to shape my every day actions and conversations. I am excited to go home in a month and establish all of my sustainable goals and ideas.

Still haven’t touched meat

This past Monday, we discussed the food industry and its impact on the environment. Through our assigned readings and watching the movie Cowspiracy, which I really recommend, I was informed about the extreme amount of pollution that animal husbandry causes. What was appalling to me is the fact that many environmental organizations are not telling this to people. In all of their suggestions of how to live a more sustainable and environmentally conscious life, reducing ones consumption of meat is never addressed.

I have watched many gruesome videos of animal slaughterhouses and have been aware of animal welfare for a number of years. I purchase free-range chicken and cage-free eggs and when I do consume beef I only buy grass-fed. But despite these conscious decisions, eating as much meat as I do is not sustainable. One of the parts of Cowspiracy that really stood out to me was the fact that one cannot be a true environmentalist and still consume meat. Regardless of the fact that the cow had a happier life and ate grass, it actually takes more water and resources  to raise the grass-fed calf into a full-grown adult when compared to a grain-fed adult. I realized how silly I had been all of these years. Yes, I understood that my meat purchases allowed for the animals to live happier lives, but I didn’t take into account the resources consumed, land used, and pollutants produced in the process.

I enjoy the idea of being a flexitarianism. I don’t think that I can fully commit to being vegetarian right away, but I enjoy vegetarian food and meat alternatives. Luckily, I am lactose intolerant so I don’t need to worry about reducing my dairy-product intake; that has already been taken care of. Now when I am grocery shopping I can make more sustainable food choices. Nina, Eric, and I currently seem to be in a stand-off and we are waiting to see who is the first person to eat meat.

I enjoy meat because it was something that I was raised with; however, meat is not necessary to live a healthy life. I am angry for all of the years that my doctors told me I couldn’t be vegetarian because I am anemic. I am sad that I was yelled at for not eating a big steak the night before my last two blood tests in order to be cleared to play soccer. I eat fish and the figures in our food lecture actually say that those who eat fish have high levels of iron. How is my doctor so uninformed? Why is meat still being promoted when it isn’t sustainable and it isn’t even good for our own health?

I am ready to continue this sustainable journey. It will be a process and the pathways might be complicated and scary, but it’s better to try to adjust your habits then to not practice what you preach. I am thankful for the knowledge that I have obtained at CUSP.

Disappointing Earth Hour in Perth

Source: Gavin Carvalho, 2015

Last night, April 28th, Perth and other cities worldwide observed Earth Hour from 8:30-9:30pm. A few friends of mine and I attended Earth Hour Solar Light Picnic at Kings Park overlooking the city. However, at 8:30 I was not impressed by the amount of lights that turned off. I believe that Perth could do so much better, what’s the deal here? I am extremely sad that there was not more of a contrast from 8:29 to 8:30p.m. This is not okay in my eyes because cities are supposed to lead the way to a more sustainable future. What will the future look like if cities do not participate in community events like these that promote climate change awareness? I do not wish to find out. Instead of being pessimistic and thinking that the world is going downhill because of Perth, I have found hope in other cities. Cities here in Australia like Sydney have performed well during Earth Hour in years past. The photo to the right was captured in 2011. Luckily, this means that the future is bright.

Source: Ryan McCarthy, 2011

Cities are catching on and showing their citizens that they are aware of climate change and other global environmental issues. I sat alongside some members of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) and they said that the first step they are going to take is to write a letter to the city of Perth complaining about the lack of participation by large businesses. I think that this is a great first step to take. As world citizens, we have to let people with power know that Perth’s Earth Hour was completely unacceptable. We have to make our voice be heard and let the citypeople know that next year, more participation is expected. Perth is filled with empowered people who want sustainable change, and we have to do our part; if we want change we have to help facilitate it.

This relates back to our sustainability course because people and local businesses are both involved. This event was to bring awareness to climate change, which is a huge global environmental issue. Those of us who attended left the event feeling as though cities might not be leading by example in WA, which did not empower us or give us hope for a more sustainable future. Global climate change is a growing issue that impacts our current population as well as future generations. Our planet can only tolerate so much.

I hope that I have the chance to attend Earth Hour in many different cities over the course of my life. I think it would be very interesting to observe which cities are aware of their environmental impact and which ones are willing to fully participate to bring awareness to climate change.

References:

Gavin Carvalho. (2015). Perth Earth Hour [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/events/855285657861725/ on 29 March 2015.

Ryan McCarthy. (2011). Sydney Earth Hour [Image]. Retrieved from http://negergy.com.au/blogs/news-reviews/5842570-does-earth-hour-work-earth-hour-photos-from-sydney on 29 March 2015.

Regional Resource Recovery Centre

Danielle Rose (personal photography) , 2015

This past Thursday our Global and Regional Sustainability course was able to visit the Regional Resource Recovery Centre. I was amazed at how efficient their systems were. This was the first time that I had ever seen these methods used in order to turn general waste into compost. I can’t believe that everything in the general waste bin in Australia goes into the composting facility. In California, we have three bins: general waste, recycling, and yard waste. I know that our yard waste gets recycled, but general waste? No way! The turbines that the compost is created in are massive and I was surprised at how much plastic they were able to remove from the finished product. Unfortunately, they were not able to get much of the glass out of the compost, which makes it so that RRRC is only allowed to sell the finished compost to agriculture businesses. I hope that one day the process is able to remove all of the glass so that community members can come and buy compost from RRRC to use in their home gardens.

I was thankful for the free goodies that we were given on site. The biodegradable trash bag is such a great product and I hope that in the future these become more common and less expensive. I have gotten much use from my reusable bag and reusable produce bags as well. These simple items, if used by everyone, can have a HUGE effect and lessen the garbage that goes into our landfills.

This experience really made me want to start my own compost bin once I go home to the states. It would benefit my family because we would be recycling food waste and would also assist our garden by providing the plants with crucial nutrients.

Danielle Rose (personal photo) , 2015

Getting a tour of the site gives me a sense of hope for the future. If more sites like this convert to the system that RRRC uses and start to create their own compost, our waste can be recycled and reused instead of poured into a landfill. I hope that other resource recovery centres will learn from RRRC and see how much they are able to provide from municipal waste. This trip also encourages me to enforce recycling in my flat in the student village so that it can end up at RRRC and be reused once again. My flatmates have been getting extremely lazy about recycling and I often find recycling mixed in with the general waste. Recycling is definitely going to be a topic that is covered at the next flatmate meeting. Recycle right!

Environmental Knowledge and Sustainable Habits

Just the other day, I was having a deep conversation with some of my flatmates. My flatmate Ilia and I were very concerned because throughout the Murdoch Student Village there are tons of dead and dying bees along the pathways. We assume (but aren’t certain) that this is due to some sort of pesticide or weed killer that is toxic to them. Our other flatmate Eli walked in laughing and mocked us at first, asking if we were the type of people to go around with picket signs reading “Save the Bees!”. We informed Eli that we had never picketed in the past, but since the decline in bee populations is a serious issue we informed him that we actually might join if given the chance. This discussion evolved and soon we were talking about recycling in our flat and trying to create less waste in general. I learned a lot about their ecological footprints and how they view the environment. Since this conversation, I have seen Eli recycling more often . Also, when he sees me tense up because he constantly leaves the water running while he walks around the kitchen, he runs over and turns it off. My presence, in a way, is holding him more accountable for his actions.  Simple conversations like these and spreading environmental awareness can create significant changes in people’s behavior. A small conversation with my flatmates turned into an exchange of knowledge that has already resorted in positive changes in my flatmate’s use of water and his recycling habits. I am happy to have been able to slightly change someone’s behavior in such a short amount of time. Hopefully, the more people that I talk to about sustainable habits and lifestyles, the more people that they will talk to as well. If all of us spread the word, we really can have a very great impact.

Sustainable Vision Progress and Reflections

A few posts ago I identified some aspects of my life and bad habits that I wanted to change in order to live a more sustainable life. After one week of trying to address all of them, I have been able to identify which goals are easily doable, and which goals will take a lot of work.

Surprisingly this week it was easy to be a vegetarian. It helps, especially as a broke college-student, that meat is so incredibly expensive. I was able to look up vegan and vegetarian recipes online using Pinterest that were full of flavor and equally as satisfying as a dinner that contained meat. This week I made capsicums stuffed with quinoa, sweet potatoes, green onions, white onions, garlic, and a dash of chilli powder. No meat was necessary and my stomach was full. Additionally, I consumed foods that used less water to produce when compared to the water necessary to breed animals for human consumption. Also, I was astounded when I read that the UN calculated that  the meat industry contributed to 18% of the climate change emissions in the year 2006 (The Guardian). This, they noted, was more than the amount of combined climate change emissions from all types of transport, including planes! Although being anemic makes it hard for me to avoid meat all-together, I am now more aware of how my eating habits affect the planet. I now know that I can eliminate more meat without compromising my strength, energy, and budget.

This week I have also been extremely good at planning ahead and packing reusable bags. I stocked up on burlap reusable bags here in Australia since I unfortunately left my stash of reusable bags at home. Simply carrying one bag around with me this week prevented me from contributing to wasting about 10 single-use plastic bags while I was shopping. Imagine if I continue this easy habit throughout the entire year. I would save:

10 bags/week x 52 weeks/year = 520 bags/year!

If only everybody could have this goal in mind. Imagine the impact that we would all have.

I have also worked towards my goal of becoming more involved in my community by noting Fremantle Environmental Resource Network (FERN) meetings and work days onto my calendar. I have started following Perth City Farm on social media sites as well so that I will be updated about when their markets are and when events are being hosted at the site.

I still am struggling with my personal water use with showers. I am trying to shorten my shower time bit by bit, but I think it will take some time. Since I have been more aware of water usage, I have been educating my flatmates about the importance of turning off faucets-all the way. With leaky sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms, I often find the sinks dripping or running. I always turn them off when I can, but it is important that my flatmates are aware of this problem too so that the issue can be prevented.

As I head to the store to do my grocery shopping for the upcoming week, meat is not on my shopping list. I will continue to carry around multiple-use bags and work towards using less water. It is a process, but I know that in the end it will be worthwhile and I will return to the states as a more informed, eco-conscious, and sustainable individual.

References:

The Guardian. 10 ways vegetarianism can help save the planet. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/18/vegetarianism-save-planet-environment on 22 March 2015.

Problems in Perth: Recycling

Source: Ashley Felton, 2006

The last time that I went into Perth a few weeks ago for the International Food Festival, I ended up purchasing a coke in a plastic bottle. I rarely have a craving for soda and do not like the idea of single-use plastic bottles, but I was desperate to wash the spicy paella taste out of my mouth. However, I am not here to tell the world about the food and drink that I consumed that evening. I am writing in order to discuss an issue of greater importance: the lack of recycling in Perth City.

My roommate Meredith and I looked all over the area where the International Food Festival was being held and could not find a single recycling bin nearby. I decided that I was going to carry around the bottle until I could dispose of it properly, because throwing it in a bin designated to go to the landfill would have been silly and would have made me feel guilty beyond belief.

The problem here is that hundreds of people attend these food festivals and vendors are only selling drinks that are in recyclable plastic bottles, yet there are no places conveniently located in the markets that allow for these attendees to recycle them. People make decisions based on what is going to be the most convenient for them. When there are many general waste bins around and very few recycling bins designated in the area, a problem arises.

I eventually found a recycling bin in the shopping mall area of Perth where I threw away the bottle. Since this experience, I have been looking in general waste bins as I throw away my trash and have noticed an incredible amount of bottles, cans, and glass that have been placed in these bins. It makes me crazy! Do people not know that there are finite resources on Earth and that they are contributing to the waste of precious resources that could be recycled and re-purposed? What is there to be done?

One of the first things that needs to be addressed is there needs to be an increase in the number of recycling bins. This will increase the likelihood that people will dispose of their waste properly. Another thing that can be implemented is increasing education about recycling and the purpose of recycling. When people better understand that their laziness or need for convenience is wasting materials that are capable of being transformed for another use, they may feel more obligated to take the extra thirty steps to the nearest recycling bin. As addressed in Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems and in course discussions, input and output of systems need to be minimized. Humans are a part of (not apart from) the city system and need to reduce the plastic, aluminum, and glass waste that leaves the system and heads to the landfill. Additionally, by properly recycling we can all contribute to reducing the city’s input because these resources can be melted and provide additional services for more people in the future.

From what I have found in my research, websites such as http://www.recycleright.net.au/your-a-z-of-recycling/ appear to be extremely helpful at identifying where different household items get recycled. This information should be stressed more often and people should know this information by heart so that the Perth city system can be more efficient and work towards reducing the recyclables sent to the landfill.

I will leave you with this food for thought:

“If you want adults to recycle, just tell their kids the importance of recycling, and they’ll be all over it.”

Maybe this new generation of children will be able to start an incredible sustainable revolution in order to change the world for the better. By educating today’s youth, recycling will become normalized and the demand to recycle these resources will increase the number of recycling services. We must start somewhere.

References:

Ashley Felton via Wikimedia Commons. (2006). Perth landfill [Image]. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfill#/media/File:Landfill_face.JPG. on 21 March 2015.

Local Sustainability Issue: Big Banks, Coal, and the Great Barrier Reef

Today in the restrooms at Murdoch Unviersity, the bathroom stalls were covered in stickers that looked like this (or that were conveying a very similar message):

Source: Greenpeace Australia Pacific, 2015

These stickers are trying to make uni students aware of the ongoing coal-related construction in Queensland that could have extreme impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. These banks are investing in development and expansion for coal, which is not a sustainable source of energy in the first place. On top of this, the project harms this World Heritage Site that is home to over 1,000 different fish species and numerous other organisms. Building a coal export port here is not a sustainable development. This port only will benefit the economy, and it will only be beneficial for a very short amount of time. What’s going to happen to the economy once the Great Barrier Reef is harmed to the point that it can no longer recover? What would happen to the spirit of Australian citizens? Do these big banks not realize how much the reef provides for the country? Let’s just take a quick look:

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2014) state that coral reefs produce approximately $30billion worth of benefits each year, these include
  • providing a source of food for millions of people around the world
  • protecting coastlines
  • providing habitat for sea creatures
  • providing jobs
  • providing a source for new medicines as well as a place for recreation
  • and the list goes on and on!

There is no other site in the world that is comparable to the Great Barrier Reef. It cannot be replaced. In my opinion, and I hope in the opinions of many others, we should plan projects around the reef, not around coal. The reef is vulnerable and susceptible and as a global citizen I am uncomfortable with this plan. According to Banking on the Reef (2014), we must keep 80% of the fossil fuels underground in order to prevent disastrous climate change. Our actions have extreme consequences, but many businesses and industries that are profit-driven do not look far enough into the future to realize this. Instead, more money is being invested in removing more fossil fuels rather than investing in renewable energy for the future.

In order to make your voice heard, you can visit http://bankingonthereef.com.au/ and fill out some simple information in order to reach out to the banks that are involved in this current mess. It really only takes a few seconds. The Great Barrier Reef needs to be helped, but it looks like big banks and the coal industry do not understand the damage that they are causing to the reef and to the planet as a whole. The reef and the species that it supports have intrinsic value and provide so many services to humans. In my eyes, it looks like these banks are really just harming themselves in the end. We must develop a planet that is better for future generations rather than consume nonrenewable sources at extremely quick rates while polluting the planet for our own children and grandchildren. I am very glad that information about the issue is being placed in bathroom stalls so that university students are exposed to this information. That way, more voices that are concerned about the health of the reef can speak up.

References:

Banking on the Reef (2014). The Situation. Retrieved from http://bankingonthereef.com.au/ on 19 March 2015.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific. (2015). Save the Reef advertisement [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/news/climate/Abbot-Point-Dredging–Whos-really-to-blame/ on 19 March 2015.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2014). NOAA Coral Reef Monitoring Plan. Retrieved from http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/noaa_documents/NOS/CRCP/noaa_crcp_national_coral_reef_monitoring_plan_2014.pdf on 19 March 2015.

Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems: Ventura, CA

Source: Danielle Rose (personal photography), 2014

Following today’s lecture on the fifth Melbourne Principle, I thought that it would make sense to examine my home town of San Buenaventura, CA and observe its future development plans. This way, I can connect a city that I know and love to the course material and can draw in ideas from today’s CUSP seminar lead by Cole Hendrigan.

To give you an idea of the city of Ventura:

• According to City Data (2015), the population size of the city at the 2010 census was 106,433, which increased from just over 100,000 at the 2000 census.
  
• The city is situated between the California coastline and rolling hillsides, about an hour north of Los Angeles.
• The main source of transportation is the 101 freeway
• There are two bus services offered, but city people generally do not use them due to their inconsistency and the stigma associated with them
• A new, free trolley service was established in 2013 that leads people from the downtown area to the harbor. This is consistent, and I find it personally pleasant. But, I am personally frustrated that the city has made public transport convenient for visitors and vacationers, but getting around the city is still difficult for those of us who live there.

This is just to paint a picture in your head of our location and how we get around town. I would definitely categorize Ventura as a place that encourages automobile dependence.

Despite its flaws, Ventura looks to be planning some very interesting projects, which include mixed use sites and beautification and maintenance of natural areas (City of Ventura: Community Development, 2015) . If you would like to see them for yourself, go ahead and take a look at the following link: http://www.cityofventura.net/files/file/02-11-15_PendingProjects.pdf.

To sum up this long list, there are a lot of housing developments that are in the works or that are waiting for the approval process. This does not surprise me, because with population growth, the city must find a way to house the influx of people. Additionally, these housing developments are apartments and condominiums, which will help to fit more people per hectare. These plans will  make it so that more people can call the beautiful city of Ventura home. Additionally, many mixed use areas are being proposed. On this list, many mixed use proposals combine apartments with commercial developments.

If these developments are to be put in place, I think that something else needs to be done. From above, I am sure you can sense my frustration with the lack of transport in Ventura, especially now that I have seen how easy it is to travel by public transport here in Perth. If more apartments are going to be erected, more people are going to come, and more automobiles are likely to be added to the traffic in my town. Apartments should be connected to the center of town or commercial areas so that, with more people here, there is not an even larger traffic problem during rush hour. I think mixed use site development would be much better, giving people the ability to live close to an area in which office spaces or businesses are right next door.

On the list of pending projects, you will also find a project to develop the waterfront promenade and outdoor recreational space near the Ventura Harbor. This would provide a wonderful outdoor space next to the water that would encourage locals to enjoy the beauty of their town. Also, there are plans to work on the botanical gardens and to create support facilities for Grant Park, which those of us from Ventura know as “the cross”. This is a historical site in Ventura that many of us hold near and dear to our hearts. It is fantastic to see that these areas are being tended to. Ventura’s Grant Park has recently added walking trails and more native flowers to Grant Park. Since then, have seen an increase in the number of visitors walking these paths and enjoying a picnic overlooking the town in the evening. People are surrounded by native flora and are able to look town upon their hometown and feel a sense of ownership and pride. I certainly think that these areas connect people to each other, to the city, and moreover, to nature.

Source: Carlos Domiguez via Flickr, 2009

As we move into the future, I wish to continue to see public, natural spaces taken care of. I hope that vertical space is considered when developing new condominiums and apartments, as stressed in the “Towards the Transit Oriented Region” seminar by Mr. (or is it now Dr.?) Hendrigan. I also hope that transportation is implemented in order to more efficiently move people from place to place, because if all of these housing developments are built with no way for the homeowners to get around town, it is seriously going to be a disaster.

References:

Carlos Dominguez via Flickr. (2009). Serra Park [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/daforce812/. on 18 March 2015.

City Data. (2015). Ventura, CA. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Ventura-California.html on 18 March 2015.

City of Ventura: Community Development (2015). Retrieved from http://www.cityofventura.net/files/file/02-11-15_PendingProjects.pdf on 18 March 2015.

Thoughts on the “Tiny House Movement”

Source: TinyHouseTalk, 2013

The tiny house movement has always fascinated me. Following the stories in the newspapers and magazines and occasionally watching the television show has made me realize that humans do not need huge houses in order to get by. In my experience, it actually seems as though larger houses encourage consumerism, because there are more empty corners and voids to fill in order to make the home appear “cozy” and lived-in. However, this class has made me think that maybe the future isn’t just in tiny houses with solar panels, but the future is in the cities. But, as someone who wishes to do research for a national park or to conduct field work, I have never imagined myself living in a city setting when I am older. It does not seem entirely practical for someone who will work so far away in a very specific field. Are tiny houses a good alternative to moving to a city? What if it is not feasible for people to move to the city based on their job location? Here are some of my thoughts on the subject.

Source: Steven Harrell, 2011

Steven Harrell’s (2011) graph on the right displays the cost of buying and owning a tiny house compared to a traditional house. There are clear financial benefits to downsizing and being able to own a house for the same price as some people buy automobiles today. On top of this, tiny house homeowners are able to de-clutter their life in favor of a more simple lifestyle-there simply is not enough space for unnecessary clutter and stuff. Many tiny houses are also easily transportable, which is a good selling point for families who have to move frequency due to job relocation. This allows for people to own their house and still have the flexibility necessary to move to where their job needs them to be.

On the other hand, many people who want a tiny house wish to be far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. If “cities are the future” of the world, then moving away from cities in favor of more rural areas may, in a way, have negative consequences. Transportation development is likely going to become more advanced in dense urban areas, and moving into a tiny house in suburbia or even farther away from the city center might make traveling more difficult. By spending so little on a house in the first place, tiny house owners may have the funds necessary to travel into the city on their own, but this means that they are still dependent on an automobile which is “so last century”.

The idea of a tiny house still appeals to me, but this course has made me realize that there are pros and cons to take into consideration about different lifestyle options. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

References:

Steven Harrell. (2011). Graph of tiny vs. traditional house costs [Image]. Retrieved from
http://www.tinyhouselistings.com/ on 16 March 2015.

Tiny House Talk. (2013). Micro-home [Image]. Retrieved from http://tinyhousetalk.com/woman-builds-diy-196-sq-ft-micro-home-11k/ on 16 March 2015.