Fall Quarter Comes to an End

It feels like just last week that my roommates and I moved into the ecohouse, and now the quarter is already coming to a close! I have learned a great deal over the past few months living at the ecohouse, and I look forward to returning in January to continue soaking up new information about eco-friendly living. Here is a list of the highlights from Fall quarter:

• Creating a two week No Impact Challenge based on Colin Beavan's year long pursuit to live without a negative environmental impact in New York. From this challenge, we were able to get a better sense of areas where we could reduce our carbon footprint and what would be manageable to live without in our everyday lives. This event challenged us to not buy anything new, go without producing trash, use only sustainable transportation, buy local foods, reduce our energy use, etc. What we found is that we were already doing most of these things by biking everywhere in Athens, shopping at the farmer's market, and not buying new items other than food. From the two week challenge, we collectively produced only half of a bag of trash waste. We found that most of the trash in that bag came from food packaging. After the challenge, I realized that purchasing food with minimal packaging is the area that I can improve upon the most. I have been more conscious of this when shopping for groceries. Overall, the challenge was a success because we were able to identify personal areas of weakness while sharing our journey with others through social networking.

• We held a zero waste bonfire event in October. To welcome our friends to the ecohouse and introduce them to our environmentally conscious lifestyle, we decided to host an international potluck/bonfire. As many of our guests were going to be international students, we asked everyone to bring a food dish from the country they are from. Guests were asked to only bring dishes in reusable containers without plastic wrap or other materials that cannot be recycled. We set up our recycling bins in a visible location with signs explaining what each container was for. Over 40 people attended this event, and we were impressed to find that less than one small trash can of waste was generated from the night. This showed us that it is easily possible to dramatically reduce the amount of waste produced when entertaining, and that there is no hassle involved with making changes such as this. Not only was the event a wonderful evening filled with friends and fun, it was an opportunity to share the ecohouse culture of sustainability with a large number or people. Everyone was very receptive to the idea of recycling and bringing reusable containers, and many said they couldn't wait for another bonfire!

• Over the course of the quarter, we have become more familiar with the technology powering the ecohouse and have had the opportunity to share the history of the house with others through group tours, open houses, and many personal interviews with journalism students, newspapers, and other media outlets. The primary purpose of the ecohouse is to serve as an educational tool that will generate critical thought and discussion amongst visitors about sustainability and environmental issues. This quarter has been a learning experience for myself about public communication and learning effective ways to share a positive message about the benefits of living green. Next quarter, I hope to continue developing my skills as a public speaker and environmental advocate.

 Overall, this quarter has been a wonderful experience for me personally. Over winter break I am challenging myself to take what I have learned about recycling, composting, and energy conservation to my hometown to share with family and friends. My family already recycles plastic at home, but my goal is to set up bins for other types of recyclable materials, as well as start a composting system. It is my hope that this experiment over winter break will demonstrate to my family how simple it is to reduce your waste through small changes. If you are a student going home for break, I challenge you to do the same thing with your family and share your experiences with us. In the meantime, Jim, Kate, and I look forward to hearing from you in January and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!