Earth Month – Week 1

For my first challenge of Earth Month, I chose to take colder showers, as well as limit my time in the shower altogether. While I still took just as many showers as normal (because otherwise this week would have been a little gross and unhealthy), I did manage to cut down on the time I spent (and the water I spent) in the shower. I also managed to shower with water that got progressively colder with each passing day.

Last week was refreshing, to say the least. Cold showers are definitely a crisp, mildly uncomfortable way to wake up in the morning, which is a bonus for a tired engineering student. Through this challenge, I learned just how much my morning routine centered round warm water. It made me realize that with minimal effort, I could use significantly less energy than I normally do when showering. I thought deeply about how important it is to me that I have some slightly warmer water for a few minutes every morning, versus what the impact of getting that water is. I also learned that, while i used to take cold showers every morning in high school, getting back into the practice of cold showering is for more difficult than the transition to warm water was.

Next week, my challenge is to never once turn on my bedroom light, unless it is night outside and I absolutely need to see. The inspiration for this challenge comes from my ability to generally navigate my bedroom without anything more than ambient light. I want to see if I can go a whole week without using the light, just to see how necessary it is. I anticipate that I won’t notice a difference for a few days, but it will get more difficult as the week goes on. I anticipate coming out of next week with a deeper appreciation for indoor lighting.

(Welcome to) Earth-Month Challenge!

For my Earth Month Challenge, I chose to reduce my impact in the fields of Energy and Transportation. Each week, I hope to add a new challenge to my daily routine, and hope to keep at least some of them going in future weeks!

My Week 1 challenge is to take colder, shorter showers. Each day hope to turn the shower handle a little bit colder, and spend less and less time in the shower. This will be a challenge to my comfort when I shower first thing in the morning.

During Week 2 I will refuse to turn on my bedroom light during the day. Being on the West side of the building, I get enough natural light in my room that it should not be necessary to use the lights at all. I may have a hard time adjusting to low light, but as the week goes on, it should get easier.

For Week 3, I will unplug any chargers I have and only charge my laptop and phone during the day. Given my busy schedule finding time and setting aside my phone and laptop for a few hours will prove difficult, but will be worth the power saved.

Week 4 brings the most difficult challenge; I will only take the stairs out of Morrill, and will take the stairs up at least once daily. My schedule makes it so I only leaave Morrill once or twice during a day, so this is a reduction of 50% or more of the elevator rides I take. There will be some pretty serious calorie-burning going on during my trek up the stairs, but that is the only challenge I see!

I intend to, instead of utilizing resources for each challenge, NOT utilize resources. I hope to slowly learn to be more and more sustainable in this way.

 

Earth Month Challenge Part the First

My focus for the duration of Earth Month will be Energy and Transportation. My major, Civil Engineering, is deeply tied to efficient transportation, traffic management, and energy conservation. When a civil engineer looks at a project, his or her main concerns are about how quickly and efficiently the project can be completed, as well as the design life of the infrastructure to be built or replaced. A career as a civil engineer requires a deep understanding of  the energy and transportation needs of a modern society.

There are many ways for a person or group to decrease their impact on the environment in the areas of Energy and Transportation. For example, people can avoid using their own vehicles by taking city bus or mass transit. People without cars of their own could, instead of calling an Uber, purchase a subscription to Car To Go, allowing for transportation in more efficient vehicles. Another alternative to this is to simply give up driving altogether, and opt for a bike or more efficient motorcycle. For long-distance trips, the Megabus or Greyhound are viable options for commuting. Those people whose lifestyle, job, and location require a car could try to leave earlier or later for work, to avoid sitting in rush hour or freeway traffic. People who are in the market for cars could consider more efficient hybrid or full electric models. Likewise, manual transmission-equipped vehicles tend to be more fuel efficient. During the winter time, people who must drive in the cold could, instead of cranking up the heat, could keep a blanket in their cab for warmth. Also, these people could completely brush the snow off of their vehicles, decreasing their drag profile, and increasing efficiency.

In the way of energy, there are also a multitude of ways for a person to decrease their footprint. A person can do small things such as turn off room lights when they exit, open their window blinds and navigate by natural light, take cooler and shorter showers, use only reusable water bottles and dishes, switch to using cold water in their washer loads, make sure each laundry load is a full load, replace older light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones, and unplug electronics when not in use.

Around campus and Columbus, resources such as the Car-To-Go service, Co-Go or Zagster bike rental, the CABS and COTA bus services, the ARC, and any bike shop, such as Paradise Garage can help a person get off to a strong start in reducing their environmental impact through transportation and energy. These resources are all easily accessible and provide everything from advice in the area of transportation to actual transportation.

Online resources are also numerous. Aceee.org seeks to provide people with the knowledge they need to act on environmentally sustainable policies. The Ohio Department of Transportation website (www.dot.state.oh.us) also contains many reports and articles about new, efficient building projects going on in the state of Ohio. ucsusa.org is the website for the Union of Concerned Scientists, and offers a multitude of tips and recommendations for legislative and personal actions for people to undertake to increase their own efficiency. Finally, for the commuter crowd in Columbus, the Channel 10 News site (www.10tv.com) can be an indispensable resource for monitoring traffic on the highways around Columbus, allowing people to be on the roads for potentially shorter lengths of time. These sites all offer different views on how people can decrease their environmental impact with everyday acts.

Columbus TWO-Do List

This semester, I chose Option 2 for my Columbus To-Do List. I attended the special Belay Clinic the OAC put on for ENR scholars. I did not remember to take a picture of the event, but I did sign the attendance roster for the clinic. The clinic began with a safety and equipment overview, followed by hands-on practice with the belay equipment. The clinic instructed me in the proper use of the two approved belay devices at the outdoor Adventure Center, as well as the proper techniques for belaying, tying-off, and performing safety checks on climbers. The clinic then shifted out into the rock-gym, where we practiced announced and unannounced falls, tying-in, and actually belaying. I enjoyed the clinic far more than I thought I would. During my time as a boy scout, I took many classes that were set up in the same way as this clinic. It is safe to say that I missed these kinds of classes. It felt rewarding to learn a new outdoor skill. I would definitely recommend a clinic like this one to a friend. The instruction was laid-back, the environment was friendly, and the skill was rewarding to learn.

From this option, I look forward to learning more skills that I might be able to utilize outdoors. With future clinics, I hope to explore even more new outdoor recreational activities. Through this assignment, I hope to find new, healthy ways to spend my free time, as well as new skills to complement those that I learned during my time as a boy scout.