Brendan Arnold

I think I’ve learned a lot about myself through this challenge. One of the things I’ve learned, although I suspect I should have known this already, is that when I do manage to get more sleep I wake up in a better mood and feel more productive throughout the day. I have also learned that it only takes me a minute or two to shower. The gallons of water saved meter on the Ecochallenge dashboard feels like the most concrete difference I make doing the challenge. It makes me want to shower faster and use as little water as possible throughout the day. One of the things I have learned during the challenge is how little control I have over my food waste. I do not cook much, and I never order meals; however, I go to the cafeteria quite a bit. I usually prepare one meal a day for myself, and it’s been nice during the challenge to make sure I properly plan out that meal. Overall, I think I am learning how to take care of myself and am getting better at making a positive impact.

I think I benefit from direct knowledge of how my actions impact the environment. This is why the water challenge has been my favorite challenge so far. I can easily picture that a shorter shower time means less water use, but it is more difficult for me to see the broader benefit of me getting more sleep. Additionally, “by reducing water consumption, we safeguard ecosystems that rely on healthy water supplies, ensuring the survival of diverse plant and animal species” (Energy5yourway). Protecting ecosystem and biodiversity is an area of conservation that I am especially passionate about. Obviously when I get more sleep, I am better rested, my immune system is boosted, and am generally healthier, but the global benefits are hard for me to see. I found a similar effect reading Bucknell’s sustainability plan and listening to Dr. Udo. Dr. Udo explained how we get our energy from the former coal plant that now burns cleaner things like natural gases. Learning this made me much more conscious of turning off lights and reducing energy usage. Dr. Weil’s video also motivated me to choose a second health challenge cutting out processed foods and added sugars. Removing unnecessary sugars and all processed foods had made me feel more connected to the environment when eating. As the challenge continues and I have a better understanding of the benefits of what I do, my motivation for the challenge and connection to the environment increase.

The counterculture movement formed in response to mass production of industrialized food, which added to consumerism and waste. The industrialization of food also had major health consequences as “factory production sapped the nutritional worth out of food, creating plastic imitations of natural originals” (Mcgrath 3). The food challenge and my additional health challenge both relate to reforming my relationship with consumption. The food challenge encourages planning meals ahead, Alice Waters is quoted saying “This is an environmental movement that’s about pleasure on the table” (Mcgrath 12). The Ecochallenge encourages me to make eating an experience instead of just processed foods. My one-time challenge for food was to plant my own herb garden which now includes mint, two bean plants, and two garlic plants. I planted my mint plant first as I hoped to be able to use the leaves for food and drinks and experience my own little farm to table. However, the plant became infected with aphids which I have only recently cured by carrying ladybugs to the plant. The lesson from the ecochallenge and the cultural revolution are both the same as they encourage a de-industrialized relationship with food.

I enjoyed these challenges for the last week, and it was also cool to see how the daily challenges intersected with my daily life. On Friday morning I spent two hours walking up and down Market Street pushing ice sculptures to stores that had purchased them. When I checked in for the eco-challenge later that night, I was able to think back on the time I spent walking outdoors that day. Most of the walking I have done has blended into my normal routine, but now on Monday and Wednesday nights I walk to Carnegie for tutoring instead of driving. As for purchases I found that I make relatively few purchases. Through the course of the week I bought soap because I ran out and food for the next few days. A few times I thought about making a purchase but then considered it a want instead of a need. Through the course of the week, I was surprised how quickly minutes of walking stacked up in the totals charts each day felt like only a small amount. I was also surprised how easy it was for me to go “no, I don’t need that” and walk away.

There is one significant barrier to me making walking and that is pain. Somedays I just do not feel good and instead of walking being a relaxing activity it’s just lances of pain. Another barrier to walking is the weather, when its cloudy and rainy I don’t want to go outside. However, I recognize that even on the cloudy days I still benefit from the time outside. In addition to some bad days, I do have a lot of good days and following the end of the semester on bad days I would replace walking with something like yoga which had meditative value and restorative value. As for as limiting my purchases I have no significant barriers in fact I view money as hours worked and am normally very hesitant to spend more than a few “hours” at a time. Growing up and in high school, I worked a lot of physical labor jobs which contributes to my view of money because I attach to the dollars and cents the effort that went into earning them. I find that my perspective on money helps to significantly limit what I purchase and when.

While I am not ready to live a minimalist life, I think I can become a minimalist consumer. Josh Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus cut back everything they owned to the essentials, while I am not sure I could do this or even want to. I can commit to not adding new stuff. Additionally, l figured being outdoors had health benefits as I’ve always been told “go outside its good for you” but the Swaim article cemented that I should make every effort to spend time in nature. I find this is supported by my own experience and that I feel better and rejuvenated after a day of hiking. After a long week last semester, I needed time to unwind and reset and getting outside was really beneficial, but I was still surprised to learn that there are actual health benefits to being outside as “the natural world…can offer a mental and emotional refuge when you need to unwind and recharge” (Swaim). Swaim goes on to cite a 2020 study which found evidence of contemplative time in nature helps relaxation and focus. I’m am all for being happier and healthier and look forward to trying to minimize my purchases and get needed time in nature.

I am excited about the small changes I can make in my life and learning about how a small step can have a larger impact. The small steps like taking a five-minute shower or only purchasing based on need seem incredibly manageable and rewarding. There are some daily challenges, like carrying all my trash with me, that seem like a large step to try to make. Trying to take a large step so soon would definitely make me nervous. There are also a lot of actions that I do not have control over given I live in a university-run building and eat university-produced food. The actions I feel that I have no control over include most food-based actions, types of lighting, and food waste management. I hope over the course of the challenge I learn small ways to reduce my ecological footprint and Bucknell’s. The one-time actions also make me a bit nervous because they all will require me to schedule a chunk of the day to dedicate to them. It is not that committing to the item itself makes me nervous, but rather finding the time and ensuring that my schedule is organized enough. That being said a lot of one-time challenges involve doing research into a topic, which I could spread out and would enjoy doing. Overall, the harder the action the more nervous it makes me, but I am excited to take a lot of small steps within my comfort zone as well as some bigger steps that take me out of my comfort zone.

I think one of the biggest personal changes I can make is shifting away from meat. After becoming lactose intolerant, I consume much less dairy than I used to but still eat meat with most meals. Meat is an easy and efficient way to get protein but “on average, eating 100g of protein from beef produces about 167 times more greenhouse gas than eating 100g of protein from nuts” (Climatescience). I think if some days or for some meals I can get my protein from a non-meat source that would have a large impact on my ecological footprint. Another way I can have a significant impact is by driving less, especially when the distance is walkable. For me, this could mean walking to the bookstore or stores in downtown Lewisburg instead of driving. Minimizing car usage is a great way to reduce personal footprint as “74.5% of transport emissions come from road vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, busses, taxis, trucks, and lorries” (Climatescience). In addition to choosing to keep my feet on the ground, I can also make a greater effort to carpool when walking is not an option. Reducing meat and driving in my daily life, while small changes, could have a large impact on my ecological footprint.

No, our daily and one-time actions will not directly address the drivers of climate change but will instead move us in the direction of being able to do so. Personal changes do matter, but “reducing our own emissions…is only part of the solution” (Climatescience). The other part of the solution is collective action as “private individual actions don’t increase at a rate sufficient to affect the problem in a timely fashion; collective action seeking changes in policy and law can” (Solnit). Our time participating in the eco-challenge will teach and prepare us for joining, leading, or being involved in collective climate action. The eco-challenge encourages personal research and reflection on individual values, these things are as important for creating change as reducing carbon usage as they prepare you for getting involved. Overall, the eco-challenge alone will not impact the emissions of big oil corporations, nor will it generate policy from the mess that is Congress. What the challenge will do is encourage people to get involved at whatever level they can because “if a protest [or movement] gets 3.5% of a population involved it is almost certain to succeed” (Climatescience).