What I Plan to Change

Hello to the world of blogging! My name is Meredith Leyden and this week I will be making changes in my life to lessen my Carbon Footprint. I am about to embark on a journey into the unknown and scary land of "living environmentally." While this may sound daunting, I have come to realize that only a small part of my life will change - hopefully for the better. Here is an outline of the six categories that factor into "living environmentally."

Transportation -

Currently, I take DC Public transportation at least once a week along with the AU shuttle bus multiple times a week to Tenleytown, and occasionally I succumb to the desire to take a taxi to Georgetown instead of the bus, which takes at least thirty-five minutes. While partaking in the experiment I plan to completely eliminate taxi services for the week and walk or run to Tenleytown instead of hopping on the AU shuttle bus. This elimination of taxis will benefit my wallet, while the elimination of the shuttle will benefit my body. I will try to use public transit as little as possible, keeping in mind that in some scenarios it may be my only choice.

Food –

I plan to eat only unpackaged, clean foods. This means I will only be eating fruits and vegetables, along with organic proteins. This will call for a trip to the Bethesda Farmers market on Sunday at the start of this journey and a shop at the on-campus farmers market Wednesday. This will not be much different than my current diet, but I will not be attending meals at TDR or the Tavern this week. I will do this because it is important to remember that food has an environmental impact as well. If produce is sold in packaging at the grocery store, that automatically will mean it is off limits. I will not be giving up meat because I have tried that once and realized that it was difficult for my hunger to be satisfied –only organic, grass fed meats will make the cut.

Consumerism –

I am an online shopping fanatic; currently obsessed with drugstore.com and urban outfitters online. During this week, I pledge to not buy any sort of product online as well as in Rite Aid or CVS. Something I buy all the time is gum. I buy at least a pack or two a week, contributing to my trash pile. During this week I will not print any of my readings for class unless it becomes impossible for me to take in the true meaning of the work on the screen. This should diminish my recycling by at least half. Also, I will use my camelback water bottle the whole week and not buy a Dasani every morning before class. This will greatly reduce my output of trash/recyclables. Currently, I go through at least one water bottle a day.

Technology –

I am constantly checking my Twitter and Facebook account whenever I am bored, but that is something that does not necessarily bring me happiness. There is so much more that I could be doing in my day through the use of technology; talking on the phone with my family and friends or skyping those I love. However, this type of technology can also be a distraction from my true needs. I currently do not watch TV, but I will try to limit my excess computer use to thirty minutes a day and take time to relax, reading a book for pleasure or taking a walk throughout Northwest DC.

Positive Impact/Political Action –

This week, one of my goals is to make others happy and be available to my friends. Lately, I have been overwhelmed by homework and my babysitting job (which I love but can be extremely exhausting and time consuming). I feel that I have neglected those I care about and understand that I need to make more of a conscious effort to show others I love and care about them. This week it got to the point that my mom had to call my roommate in order to reach me - she thought I had died because I hadn't spoken to her in four days. This needs to change.

Health and Happiness –

I have always wanted to keep a journal. This week I will attempt to start a daily “adult journal.” This way I can get my thoughts down on paper and feel a release. I also love walking, so I plan on taking at least a thirty minute walk every day to just be with myself, put my phone on vibrate and crank up the Ingrid Michaelson tunes.