Task #2

Start a recycling program at home

Right now I’m living at a Meditation Center for a week, I was just in Boulder, Colorado for a week, and before that, in Nevada. I’ll be taking an alternate (more creative?) route with this task, juggling the fact that I’m doing lots of traveling and not rooted in any one community for more than a week until early October! (Oakland)

What I do plan on doing however, is documenting getting all of my food needs for the coming month (September 15-October 15) from only two sources: 1) Doing food resource recovery (things that will soon be thrown out, or have) for my own needs, and donating any left over food to those in need. 2) The gifting of those who joyfully do so (friends, communities I’m living with, etc.) The intention behind this is to discover the abundance of food that is thrown away and make as much use of it as I can as well as come face to face with any habitual individualistic patterns of buying and eating food alone, and on some level furthering a separated, “throw-way” culture.

My other intention, for only this week, is to take all recycling that I have back to boulder, Colorado, where it can be recycled. (There is no recycling that I have found yet at the center.)

Make a list of everything you throw away, and recycle.

I’m documenting this in a notebook, and am going to post it all at the end of the week (Sept 23).

Make a list of all the things you don’t use, and give them to people who might appreciate them. What was it, and to whom?

Based on what was going on in my life at the time, I actually did this task about 3 weeks ago! I’ve recently give away ½ of the clothes I own to friends I was living with (Peregrine, Heather, Mandy, Daniel), and have let my parents know that they can give away my any clothes they have of mine that are still at their house.

Giving away other things like a bag (to Heather), and a sleeping bag, pillow, and a few books (to Hummingbird Community), has gotten me down to:

* Hiking backpack (clothes, sleeping bag, tent)

* Computer bag (books, computer, personal items, notebooks, ipod, cell phone)

* Bike, Helmut, Lock

* One box: dress clothes, books, important papers, closet hanger extras

I do have some books, and memorabilia at my parents home in Michigan as well.

* Observe what you tend to consume. Make a list of things you could economize. In addition: tell us that you are already doing to make a difference. What was it, and how much were you able to economize during one week?

I’ll also write down what I want to consume over he week and post it on the 23^rd.

My intention for this week is to focus on the consuming aspect of this task. How can I have as little environmental impact in this week? My intention for this week is to be Vegan (no animal products) as I’m not sure if the animal products at the center here in Colorado are from a local, sustainable source. (Whereas the fruits and veggies are at least organic).

In terms of the energy I consume during travel over the past year, I want to share what initiatives and effort I’ve made in that realm. I have traveled much by craigslist rideshare (www.craigslist.com), trains, buses, and even bikes and hitchhiking! In Boulder, Colorado I only traveled by bike, and sometimes by the local bus systems. Partially because of necessity, but also definitely because of what I know of the energy it consumes, and the paradigm of infinite resources it fits into to fly, and drive a car.

Educational opportunity!

Check out this 20 minute video by Annie Leonard about all that "Stuff!"