Class Reflection

Over the course of the fall semester, V515 Sustainable Communities intensified and extended my perception of sustainability. The links between environmental consciousness, economic equity, and social justice have been bolded and are very real. Going into the class I already had a personal interest in sustainability, especially behavior change and its social attributes, though V515 taught me some of the science behind the theory and actions. My perception of sustainability is know reinforced with some hard science and philosophy from many authors, including my fellow classmates.

Personal tests and reflections such as the Ecological Footprint Calculator intensified my sustainable responsibility. For instance, the calculator pointed out that much of the emissions caused by my lifestyle are due to food packaging and the transportation of it. The notion that it would take on average three and a half Earths to match American lifestyles with those of the rest of the world. The course has been a call to slow down and reevaluate my actions and personal lifestyle. I have always strived to become a more sustainable actor, but this class has been a catalyst. My diet, for instance, has been one of fish and non-meats (mainly vegetables and fruits) for almost three-years. I am known as a pescatarian. After taking this course, I understand that my diet has a much larger effect than I thought on the world. Whether it be the case of overfishing, food transportation, or the externalities of packaging, I now want to move more towards a diet that does not come in a box or a plastic bag and one that harms no person or animal. Although this transition will be difficult, it is a beacon for making good consumer choices.

The readings and class discussions make you truly consider what is sustainability. It is an all-encompassing concept that is difficult to define. Sustainability defines so many aspects of myself. I make daily choices based on the concept. My political and economic preferences are shaped by sustainability to an extent. Before I buy something, I think about its packaging and its supply chain. If I think the costs outweigh the benefits, and evaluate if I really need it, I am usually deterred from buying it. Along the same lines, I have always tried to revel in a simple living lifestyle; one where I appreciate the small pleasures of life and reduce my material wants to the lowest common denominator. The connection between the economic underlying of most things in our modern society and the concept of sustainability are very apparent after completing the course. In general, economics is more than a way for society to function, but rather a signal. Therefore, the term buycott (i.e., voting with your dollar) means much more to me than it did at the beginning of the semester. Whether it was the Ted Talks or the Wheeler readings, I will now strive to put this concept before any impulse to consume.

In addition to simple living, my other main interest that is a huge part of sustainability is community development. I approached this class wanting to find ways to bring people closer together through the unified goal of sustainability. The Roseland readings stocked my knowledge with tools such as regulation, financial incentives, voluntary action, and public expenditure. Whether the weekly topic was transportation, waste reduction, or land-use, I discovered tools to accomplish these topics in a sustainable manner through connecting members of the community. This level of human interaction and cooperation was illustrated in many real-life examples, which is a takeaway that I will always value. I looked to this course throughout the semester for ideas on how to combine my passion for community and people with that of sustainability. The readings and class discussions provided me with many ideas of how I can strive for a sustainable tomorrow through my future career and personal life. The ideas outlined in the readings also supplemented my understanding that all things are connected—especially in a community setting. Green roofs, for example, is a concept that I was generally unfamiliar with before this course, but now understand how it is a concept that comprises so much. I now know that economic development can result because there is a market for green roofs, it is a way to make communities stronger through the formation of public and private partnerships, and it is a way to re-localize efforts to combat large problems such as climate change. Green roofs also highlighted Roseland’s point that described environmental protection policies as very small solutions to a much larger problem. Sustainability is more than nature conservation, it is about nature integration, in which conservation becomes intuitive. Naturally, sustainability is more than carrying a Nature Conservancy totebag…but still respectable (that is my tote bag below by the way!).

My interest in the enveloping concept that is sustainability has expanded greatly because of V515 Sustainable Communities. Everyday in addition to scouring the news about the usual politics and global events, I check out Grist and try to make connections between class concepts and what is happening in sustainable communities and the market place throughout the world. The New Consumer also provides great food-for-thought. Out-of-class experiences gave me desire to pursue more community events. I often find some events such as lectures and public meetings intimidating because I usually attend them alone and everyone else there seems like an expert on the given topic. My outside experiences, specifically the Solar Power Outreach lecture in Indianapolis, gave me more confidence and willpower to attend such events. These events not only give you new knowledge about a sustainable topic, but they help you practice becoming a more civic member of society and connect you to others with similar interests.

The personal project portion of the class gave me a special opportunity to try a sustainable practice that I always wanted to try. It also gave me a chance to examine and experience the sustainable practices of my classmates. Although I do not own a pet or have kids (yet?), I got a lot of joy from reading about those topics and others. I enjoyed reading about projects that had similar themes to my own such as diet and waste reduction. There were others that I thought were simply awesome such as bee keeping and a carless semester. Although I did not get to read every blog entry by each of my classmates, I tried to view as many as possible. The good thing is that these blogs will not go away so I can always revisit them for new ideas. In the same vein, that is how I feel about this entire class. I would have loved to have taken this class and only this class so I could reap as many benefits from it as possible. Fortunately, I will always have my textbooks and my experiences to keep pushing forward and further investigate those things that I did not get to fully absorb. I am genuinely excited to see what becomes of my new outlook on sustainability and how it shapes the decisions I make in the future. Thank you for the opportunity, V515 Sustainable Communities.

Here’s to you.

Solar Powering Your Community Workshop

It has been a couple months since I went to the Solar Powering Your Community Workshop presented by Solar Outreach Partnership,
but the bad-tempered audience and solar wisdom presented are with me like it was yesterday. This out of class experience began at 8:30am on Friday September 28th, though it really started at 6:00am because I had to drive to the Indianapolis City-County building from Bloomington and find a place to park. Regardless, I greatly enjoyed myself. After I grabbed some free coffee and had a seat in this small conference room, I noticed SPEA Professor Terry Usrey was present in the audience. I had met him on a couple occasions before and knew that he was involved with The Southern Indiana Renewables Energy Network (SIREN)
because it was him who helped me get an internship at WFHB Bloomington’s EcoReport news program during the summer of 2011.

You can see the back of Terry Usrey’s head on the left…it wasn’t the most appropriate setting for taking photographs…

I mention that the audience was irritable because they were constantly interrupting the Solar Outreach Partnership presenters and arguing amongst each other. It was so rude, and I kept thinking to myself “Are these people serious? Are these people really grown adults?” One of the audience members shouted at another for asking too many questions about her specific project. Little did the shouting audience member know, but that woman was the person who organized the whole event. He did have a point though: Too many people were asking very specific questions that did not relate to the rest of the audience. Some of the presenters were from the Boston area so they probably thought Midwesterners are insane.

The presentation was awesome. I had always wanted to learn about solar energy and its benefits, given that it makes use of the most natural form of energy known to Earth: solar radiation. It was fascinating to hear about Germany as the leading country using solar energy. The first presenter, Phil Haddix, pointed out, to my surprise, that Germany receives as much solar radiation as Alaska! That means that the United States is more than capable of transferring entirely to solar energy. In fact, Mr. Haddix also said that the United States gets enough solar radiation to power the entire globe for one year. After surveying the audience with questions, we dove right into the basics of solar technology. There are three types of solar technology: Solar Photovoltaic (PV), Solar Hot Water, and Concentrated Solar Power. Fortunately, I was only slightly familiar with PV, thus there was not much information overlap. The purpose of the presentation was to demonstrate and explain the ways that municipal governments can adopt solar energy as a source. It was good to see that John Hazlett of the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability was there so he could pass along the message to Mayor Ballard.

City-County Building PV solar panels in the back entrance courtyard

Mr. Haddix went on to explain the inadequate market for solar energy in the Midwest, comparing Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. Ohio was the leader while the other lagged behind from 2008 to 2011. He explained some of the cost breakdowns associated with solar energy in the United States and compared them to the costs of Germany. Hardware costs are fairly close in each country, but the non-hardware costs such as paperwork, permitting, and installation labor in the U.S. exceed those of Germany by just over $3.00 per watt. He also went on to compare the time it takes to install solar panels in the U.S. and Germany. Whereas it takes only 8 days to install panels in Germany, New York State’s goal is to install panels in 100 days. Clearly, the U.S. has some progress to make. He then attributed Germany’s success to a nationwide standardized process that is consistent and transparent for all regions of the country. He also provided a regulatory framework, which reminded me Roseland’s community tools. This one involved regulation. It was said that the key to a successful regulatory framework is to remove barriers, create incentives, and finally enact standards.

Jayson Uppal then presented about solar panels and zoning in communities. This was around the time the yelling match began between the two audience members. I am glad that Mr. Uppal was kind enough to calm them and continue with his interesting presentation. He explained that planning for solar energy in your community involves visioning and long-range goal setting (topics that were covered in Roseland Chapter 13 Governing Sustainable Communities), public investment, development work, regulations and incentives, and plan making. Mr. Uppal covered much of how barriers can be removed by addressing your given municipal government. He advised that citizens should make solar a by-right accessory use and press legislative officials to streamline the approval process and reduce costs. He actually referenced Bloomington, IN when mentioning how well cities are streamlining the solar installation regulatory process.

It was a pleasure to listen to solar professionals in a public setting. I had never really been to a lecture outside of Bloomington so it was enjoyable to experience one with non-students. I now understand the difficulties with getting a group of people to discuss something in a civil manner. Since the lecture I have been really into the Solar Outreach Partnership Youtube Channel. One thing I still have trouble understanding is feed-in tariffs and the specifics of how the process works. Here is an interesting Solar Outreach video describing the payback period of installing solar panels:

3-Point Plan for Sustainable Eating V: The Final Chapter

When it is all said and done, my personal project was a success. Even though I did not complete everything I had set out to do, I accomplished some of what I said I would and that’s all that matters. Much of the reason that I did not complete every part of the project (mainly the rain barrel) is because I wanted to be ambitious and bite off more than I could chew. The intention was to try three different things that I have always wanted to do but have never had the opportunity or reason to do so. I figured that composting, building a rain barrel, and practicing cooking plant-based meals were all loosely connected. All three aspects revolve around gardening, therefore this was an opportunity to try some sustainable practices that would fuel my future garden.

Composting

Composting has been the blood of my personal project. Although I turn and layer my compost only once or twice per week (as advised by the online resources in my former posts), I add to my indoor compost container on a daily basis. My trash can is now my tertiary receptacle—compost is my go-to for food waste, my recycling containers are for plastics, metals, and papers, and my trashcan is generally used for waste that cannot go in either of the other two containers. Obviously, I use the former two most. As I said in my last personal project post, composting has been my proudest undertaking in this endeavor. My dad visited my apartment building over Thanksgiving break and I showed him my compost. It is important to note that I have tried to get my mom and dad to compost at home for the past couple years with no success. I could tell that he was really impressed when he looked at my compost bin. Hopefully by showing him how awesome and simple composting can be I can use it as leverage to get him to start a pile.

See how little trash I have. Wow...right?

A good indoor compost container wins every time.

I learned a lot from this composting venture. Most importantly, I now understand why I had failed at composting in the past. I lacked consistency because my indoor or transfer container was not airtight. Prior composting efforts involved cheap tupperware and buckets. If anyone in this class wants to start a successful compost bin, invest in a decent container (preferably clear so you know when to take it to the larger outside container or outside pile) with an airtight lid. The airtight feature will prevent the smell of rotting fruits and vegetables and keep away insects. Whenever I attempted composting in the past I never managed to get deep enough into the process to witness the true spectacle that it is. It sounds funny, but you have to persevere if you ever want to start a compost. Consistency is key! It is a rather passive practice and is enjoyable when you see the results. I now look at food scraps and other materials in trashcans and am disappointed that those things will not be transformed into a resource.

I do not know how much useful soil will be left in my outside bin after winter. I hope it will continue to thrive through the depths of winter. Luckily, I found this helpful advice that explains how to manage a healthy compost pile in low temperatures. Regardless, composting is now second nature and will continue to be part of my daily life. It is difficult to think of a time when I did not compost.

Rain Barrel

On the opposite end of the spectrum, this is the part of my personal project that is disappointing. When I look back at the workload I had this semester, I am surprised that I even proposed such an ambitious idea. I do not think it is difficult to build a rain barrel under $20. It is certainly doable, but it was bad timing for me personally. I was only able to call a handful of businesses to find out if they had any food or gallon barrels. Most folks did not know what I was talking about or said they did not use such items. If I had more time in my schedule this semester, I would have walked from business to business with a photo of a rain barrel, such as the one below, to get the right answers. Plus saying no to someone’s face is much more difficult than over the phone.

I really learned that this project will take more time than what I have available in a semester. If I had set a $100 budget, disregarding any notion of obtaining a free barrel, I could have accomplished this part of the project in a weekend. Naturally, I wanted it to be a challenge and prove that it is possible to CREATE something (inexpensively) as opposed to BUY something prefabricated. I do know the workings and parts of a rain barrel and I know that I want to use non-PVC material to make it. When all said and done, this part could be an entire project in itself. I will proceed with my goal though and keep my eyes and ears open for a suitable barrel. This may be a better late spring-early summer project anyways.

Plant-Based Meals

I have had mild success with the meal portion of the project. It was inevitable that a week or two would get away from me—resulting in many frozen food items readily available in minutes. I have acquire the skill to make a hardy salad in different varieties. This part of the project was aimed at learning how to prepare a few main dishes that I could keep in my repertoire. Although I did not get too adventurous with this part of the project—mostly sticking with simple foods such as onion and mushroom tacos, black bean soup, basic falafels, pasta with vegetables, and vegetable stir-fry. Resources such as Supercook have been a great help when I am too lazy to seek out ingredients, but instead work with what I have.

I sometimes strayed away from my goal of frequenting mainly local groceries such as Bloomingfoods; I bought my vegetables, nuts, and fruits Bloomingfoods or Sahara Mart about as much as I did Kroger. Granted, it was much better than before I started the project—a time when I mostly bought from supermarkets. I enjoyed the feeling I got when I supported a local grocery, but the downside is that there is a definite price difference. Still, I will continue to buy things from local stores,especially bulk items such as granola and almonds. Until I broaden my horizon with preparing more sophisticated plant-based meals (rather than a salad and an apple), I will continue to search for recipes that will include vegetables I want to grow in my future garden. These include tomatoes, spinach, bell peppers, jalapenos, red onions, etc.

In general, I learned a lot about my capabilities and how any sustainable practice can be achieved through consistency and focus. The project, especially my composting and meal preparation have made me even more mindful of simple pleasures.

It is obvious that I have developed new habits and am grateful for doing so. While this is the last personal project journal entry, my personal project extends beyond this blog. It should be dubbed “Sustainable Life Project” because each component is an effort to revise my lifestyle and improve my sustainable actions overtime. I am a firm believer in you should only worry about what you can control. There is much to be worried about in regards to the sustainability and health of planet earth and those who live on it. Fortunately, I have decided to keep making smart choices and not to become complacent. Sticking with personal ambitions is all the more rewarding when it produces positive externalities.