The single most frustrating thing I’ve found out about life so far is that there are no right answers. When it comes to the important decisions, everything is so incredibly, infuriatingly, grey. This of course directly contradicts all my hopes, my search for the ultimate ‘truths’ to my life and this world.
I have been focused on one of these in particular lately; evaluating my own environmental sustainability. I watch a documentary earlier this year, “No Impact Man”, in which a typical NYC family vows for one year to make no environmental impact. It’s a really engaging portrayal of their struggles giving up everything from electricity to toilet paper and the impact it had on their lives, health and relationships as a result. Inspired by this I got myself and my students on board to participate in the small-scale version of this; No Impact Week. It eventually spread to almost the entire school (so cool!) with a large group of students and staff vowing to participate. The objective was for everyone to choose some activities, products, and/or lifestyle choices that they would be willing to alter in favor of the environment for one week. The conclusion would be a reflection on how hard it was to make these changes and what changes are possible to stick with on a more permanent basis.
I choose to give up quite a bit actually. In stages throughout the week I created little to no trash, ate vegetarian and locally produced food, largely turned off my electricity, didn’t print or use napkins or anything disposable, cut down my shower time and water use, biked/walked everywhere and purchased no new items except food. I was pretty happy with my plan. I felt like this would be the beginning of my very own inspirational crusade to save the planet :) Everything on my list seemed so clearly the right thing to do. In reflection though, it seems to be a slightly different story.
I stopped using electricity in my apartment (except the fridge, my alarm clock and occasionally the stove). I lit 5 or 6 candles around the apartment in the evenings and got by without it. It was actually really fun and created a cool atmosphere in my apartment. But the reality is, I had to purchase candles to replace my electrical lighting. I had the darndest time finding candles here and ended up settling on some imported ones. So yeah, I used less electricity but I had to purchase candles manufactured in another country with resources from different locations across the globe and finally shipped to Korea. I haven’t worked out the math yet, but this may not be as environmentally friendly as I thought.
I also cut down on motorized transportation. Not too hard since I don’t have a car, but I do take the subway and bus often. To locations relatively close, I started biking or walking instead. Great, so I’m cutting down on fossil fuel use, right? Well... not really. Whether or not I was on it personally, the bus and subway still ran as scheduled. The energy was still expended. This even extended to the elevator at school. Every morning I would watch a few of my colleagues hop on the elevator up to their classroom while I took the stairs. Same case here; whether or not I was on it, the elevator was going up. Relatively the same amount of energy was used despite my efforts. (Although all of this is entirely more health-friendly for my body!)
The most difficult part of my No Impact Week was trying to eat only locally and sustainably. Determining what foods are made here in Korea at this time of the year and figuring out where to purchase them was indeed a challenge. This was also amplified by my non-existent Korean language skills. But with the help of my students, I came across this amazing organization called Heuk Salim. It is similar to a CSA in the US. Ultimately, I found out they sell variety boxes of organically locally grown produce and dairy and deliver it right to your door! For 50,000 won I could get the delivery twice a month with my first one happening during No Impact Week. I was so pumped up for this delivery, so I was extra disappointed when it finally arrived. It was literally packaged in two boxes, with an ice pack and all items individually wrapped (sometimes twice!) in plastic wrap. No very environmentally friendly at all. As far as content, there was only one type of fruit (these tiny orange-like things), one dairy (some eggs), one tofu and the rest was basically some version of green leaves. Not much I could put together to make an interesting meal at all. No potatoes, apples, or much of the other things I researched were currently in season. Bummer!
In fact, my entire lifestyle is a contradiction. Traveling itself consumes an enormous amount of energy. Considering how many miles I log throughout the year, this is a disappointing realization.
In the end, I was frustrated with how a lot of environmental decisions are not as beneficial as I would have thought. There are no black and white answers. There’s no list of activities you should or shouldn’t do. There’s rarely entirely environmentally friendly alternatives. Alternatives fall into that grey area and are sometimes at best only slightly better for the planet. But I think I was looking at it in the wrong light. An improvement is just that, an improvement. What I was able to do throughout the week was to be aware, help my students also be aware and be an advocate for an environmentally conscious way of thinking. This is a pretty awesome result. Even if our actions seem to be only helping a little bit, we are still part of the solution rather than part of the problem. We also can influence people around us with our actions and this can add up to something much bigger than what we previously thought.
My conviction was restored with the following thought; it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I don’t have to be environmentally perfect, never use transportation, eat only local. What I can do is be more environmentally friendly, cut down on energy use, and eat locally more often. I think this is an inclusive attitude that will bring other people, organizations, and governments on board.
What am I going to keep from this week? I’m definitely going to continue to eat as locally and vegetarian as possible. Not restrictively so, but as a general rule. I’m going to continue bringing my own reusable bags and supplies everywhere I go. And of highest priority is to stop buying so much stuff! Do I really need a 6th pair of flip-flops? Another pair of yoga pants? More clothes, decorations, and gadgets? When I ask myself these questions I receive a resounding ‘No!’ in response. I can and will live within my environmental means and exploit those I only absolutely need. Above all, this experience has helped me become aware. I think about my habits and actions and question whether they are the best or not and how they can change. I think this is the ultimate message. Evaluate, reflect and become part of the solution.
P.S. Remember that cartoon, “Captain Planet.” Love that show.
No comments:
Post a Comment