#dw 10.05 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

environmentaleducation · 3 years ago

Text

Consumption Journal

The following journal takes into account my consumption of goods and resources over the course of one week, from October 25 to October 31. I have listed in as much detail as possible, all of the things I consumed during this time period followed by an in depth analysis of the impact my consumption has on the environment. Lastly, I offer advice to educators as to how to best address these issues with their students and of course, in their own personal lives as well. I hope you find this journal fun, sad, morbid, ridiculous, provocative, and pretty much every other gamut of emotions known to humankind. I know I did. Please enjoy, but be mindful to consume these words responsibly.

Monday, October 25

Food

Breakfast- 1 egg/brioche bun/1 tomato/onion/spinach

Lunch- N/A

Dinner- Leftover chicken breast and garden salad. Carrot/red pepper/red onion/spinach/romaine w/olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette

Snacks- 1 head of broccoli/2 baby cucumbers/Side of Ranch dip & 1/4 bag Miss Vickie's Spicy Dill chips

Beverages

Water- 2 liters

Beer- 3 cans- 473 ml

Wine- N/A

Water Usage

Shower- N/A

Shower leakage- 2 litres per 5 min=576 litres per day (measured with 2 litre pitcher)

Dishes- Approx. 25 litres (single basin sink, measured with a 2 litre pitcher)

Electricity

10.05 kWh

Consumer purchases

Groceries- N/A

Running gear- N/A

Clothing- N/A

Dog supplies- N/A

Social Media

Instagram- 1 hr 30 (daily average as per my iPhone data)

YouTube- 45 minutes (DW documentary)

Netflix- 1 hour

Transportation

Metro - Vendome-Guy Concordia

(round trip)

Bixi- N/A

Tuesday, October 26

Food

Breakfast- 1 egg/brioche bun/1 tomato/onion/spinach

Lunch- Leftover vegan pasta w/assorted vegetables

Dinner- Leftover vegan pasta w/assorted vegetables

Snacks- Trail mix from Bulk Barn-250g

Beverages

Water- 2 liters

Beer- N/A

Wine- 1 bottle red- 750 ml

Water Usage

Shower- 1 shower- 7 min. (approx. 60 litres) source-https://home-water-works.org/indoor-use/showers

Shower leakage- 2 litres per 5 min=576 litres per day

Dishes- N/A

Electricity

10.4 kWh

Consumer purchases

Groceries- N/A

Running gear- N/A

Clothing- N/A

Dog supplies- N/A

Social Media

Instagram- 1 hr 30 (daily average)

YouTube- N/A

Netflix- 2 hours

Transportation

Metro- Vendome-Guy Concordia

(round trip)

Bixi- N/A

Wednesday, October 27

Food

Breakfast- Granola cereal-w/oat milk, 1 banana, and approx. 15 blueberries. Topped with Bumble Bloom vegan honey.

Lunch- SOL Veggie Burger on kamut bun-lettuce/tomato/red onion/cucumber/dijon mustard/vegan mayo

Dinner- Mediterranean-Chicken breast/couscous and assorted vegetables/hummus/baba ganoush/olives/pita

Snacks- 1 head of broccoli/Ranch dip

Beverages

Water- 2 liters

Beer- 2 cans-473 ml

Wine- 1 bottle red- 750 ml

Water Usage

Shower- 1 shower- 5 min. (approx. 50 litres) source-https://home-water-works.org/indoor-use/showers

Shower leakage- 2 litres per 5 min=576 litres per day

Dishes- Approx. 35 litres-post cooking (heavy load)

Electricity

4.75 kWh

Consumer purchases

Groceries- 2 chicken breasts/2 blocks of tofu/2 heads of broccoli/1 bag red onion-approx 10 per bag/1 cucumber/2 green onions/1 bunch of coriander/1 bunch of mint leaves/2 heads of spinach/5 avocados/1 loaf sourdough bread/2 blocks of cheddar cheese/1 tub humus/1 tub baba ganoush/250g-olives/250g-almonds

Running gear- 1 running cap

Clothing- N/A

Dog supplies- Treats-8 rawhide chews

Social Media

Instagram- 1 hr 30 (daily average)

YouTube- 25 min (DW Documentary)

Netflix- 1 ½ hours

Transportation

Metro- N/A

Bixi- N/A

Thursday, October 28

Food

Breakfast- Granola cereal-w/oat milk, 1 banana, and approx. 15 blueberries. Topped with Bumble Bloom vegan honey.

Lunch- Mediterranean-Chicken breast/couscous and assorted vegetables/hummus/baba ganoush/olives/pita

Dinner- 1 order of french fries @ Ye Old Orchard/Late night munching on Mediterranean leftovers

Snacks- Hummus/baba ganoush w/pita

Beverages

Water- 3 1/2 liters

Beer- Cider-1 pint/Guinness-1 pint

Wine- 1/2 bottle red- 375 ml

Water Usage

Shower- 1 shower- 7 min. (approx. 60 litres) source-https://home-water-works.org/indoor-use/showers

Shower leakage- 2 litres per 5 min=576 litres per day

Dishes- N/A

Electricity

3.74 kWh

Consumer purchases

Groceries- N/A

Running gear- N/A

Clothing- N/A

Dog supplies- N/A

Social Media

Instagram- 1 hr 30 (daily average)

YouTube- N/A

Netflix- 1 hour

Transportation

Metro- N/A

Bixi- N/A

Friday, October 29

Food

Breakfast- Avocado toast w/red onion/tomato/lemon juice/sea salt

Lunch- SOL Veggie Burger on kamut bun-lettuce/tomato/red onion/cucumber/dijon mustard/vegan mayo

Dinner- Pizza Hut- 2 large veggie pizzas

Snacks- Hummus and baba ganoush w/pita, broccoli/cucumber

Miss Vickie’s Salt n Vinegar-1/2 bag

Beverages

Water- 2 liters

Beer- 4 cans-473 ml

Wine- 1/2 bottle red- 375 ml

Water Usage

Shower- N/A

Shower leakage- 2 litres per 5 min=576 litres per day

Dishes- Approx. 25 litres

Laundry- 1 large load at Laundromat- 180 liters-source: kind lady who runs the laundromat

Electricity

4.68 kWh

Consumer purchases

Groceries- N/A

Running gear- N/A

Clothing- N/A

Dog supplies- N/A

Social Media

Instagram- 3 hours (Norda launch)

YouTube- N/A

Netflix- 2 hours

Transportation

Metro- N/A

Bixi- N/A

Saturday, October 30

Food

Breakfast- Avocado toast w/red onion/tomato/lemon juice/sea salt

Lunch- SOL Veggie Burger on kamut bun-lettuce/tomato/red onion/cucumber/dijon mustard/vegan mayo

Dinner- Fettuccine pasta w/veggies

Snacks- Hummus and baba ganoush w/pita, broccoli/cucumber

Miss Vickie’s Salt n Vinegar-1/2 bag

Beverages

Water- 4 liters

Beer- 3 cans-473 ml

Wine- 1 bottle red- 750 ml

Water Usage

Shower- 1 shower (post run)- 10 min. (approx. 95 litres) source-https://home-water-works.org/indoor-use/showers

Shower leakage- 2 litres per 5 min=576 litres per day

Dishes- Approx. 25 litres

Electricity

8.65 kWh

Consumer purchases

Groceries- N/A

Running gear- N/A

Clothing- N/A

Dog supplies- N/A

Social Media

Instagram- 1 hr 30 (daily average)

YouTube- N/A

Netflix- 1 hour

Transportation

Metro- N/A

Bixi- N/A

Sunday, October 31

Food

Breakfast- Avocado toast w/red onion/tomato/lemon juice/sea salt

Lunch- Leftover fettuccine pasta w/veggies

Dinner- N/A

Snacks (shared amongst friends)- Hummus/Ranch dressing/Carrots/Bell peppers/3 Cheeses/Pita bread/Plant-based dumplings/Plant-based meatballs-2 packs/Veggie samosas/Plant-based Gusta sausages-4 pack/Falafel/Assorted nuts/Olives

Beverages

Water- 2 liters

Beer- 4 cans-473 ml/1 bottle- 500 ml

Wine- 2 bottles red- 750 ml

Water Usage

Shower- N/A

Shower leakage- 2 litres per 5 min=576 litres per day

Dishes- N/A

Electricity

8.11 kWh

Consumer purchases

Groceries- Hummus/Ranch dressing/Carrots/Peppers/3 Cheeses/Pita bread/Dumplings/Vegan meatballs-2 packs/Veggie samosas/Gusta sausages-4 pack/Falafel/Assorted nuts/Olives

Running gear-N/A

Clothing- Icebreaker-1 base layer merino wool shirt/1 pair merino wool gloves-warranty replacement

Dog supplies- N/A

Social Media

Instagram- 1 hr 30 (daily average)

YouTube- N/A

Netflix- N/A

Transportation

Metro- N/A

Bixi- N/A

Weekly Totals

When deciding upon how to tally up the resources I consumed over the course of the week, I categorized my totals into two parts; “commodified consumption” and “addictive consumption” (Mulligan, 2017).

I noticed a worrisome trend regarding the amount of water being used or wasted in my daily life. I have attempted to calculate how much of the world’s most precious resource I used over the course of one week to reflect upon how my consumer habits directly or indirectly impact the people of our world that have limited or no safe access to clean drinking water.

*It is important to note that I have combined my reflections regarding my consumption habits with a suggested course of action to offset my ecological footprint. These suggestions can be found at the end of each section.

Commodified Consumption

“Commodified consumption” refers to, “the cycles of purchase and consumption of products which seems to address our perceived needs and yet we find that the cycles never end and our needs never seem to be met” (Mulligan, 2017, pg. 34). Under this category, I have calculated the following in reference to the basic needs presented in Maslow’s hierarchy. I have also added transportation under this section due to it being a basic necessity in the modern age.

Food

I found it very difficult to calculate how much water was used or emissions that were created in relation to my food consumption. Instead, I chose to focus on my dietary choices to determine whether or not they actually reduce my overall environmental impact.

I try very hard to maintain a diet that adheres to a ratio of 80/20, plant-based to animal products respectively. My overall food consumption during the week I recorded shows that my diet easily adheres to this regiment.

However, it is naive for me to think that simply adhering to a plant-based diet without considering where the vegetables and related products come from will actually do anything to offset my carbon footprint. Since I try to only purchase unwrapped, raw vegetables, it was nearly impossible to determine where most of my food comes from.

This revelation is highly alarming and highlights the need for me to investigate further into the source of my food instead of blindly choosing non-domestically grown vegetables just for the sake of adhering to a plant-based diet. It raises a very important question; Which is better (or worse) for the environment, broccoli from Mexico or a juicy steak from an organic farm just outside the city of Montreal?

Water (drinking, utilities, waste)

As an avid runner, I strictly adhere to drinking two litres of water per day. On days that I run, the amount doubles. The week I chose to record was a very low-volume running week due to school and work priorities. During the warmer months, my personal water consumption doubles at the very least. However, I find no problem with this because the outcome of not drinking water is grave to say the least.

Drinking water total- 18 ½ litres

Showering and bathing is another non-negotiable expenditure of water resources for basic health reasons. However, I found that the length of my showers far exceeded the necessary time it takes to adequately bathe myself. On days that I run, I shower longer. Summer time inflates this number considerably as daily showers become necessary since my apartment doesn’t have air conditioning.

Shower water total- 260 litres (average) Time-29 minutes

I hate doing the dishes just as much as everyone else, but mostly due to the fact that I have a single basin sink that makes the job way more difficult and wasteful. I calculated this total by measuring the amount of water with a 2 litre pitcher. This process was very time consuming. I found myself trying to stick close to the initial measurement of 25 liters after the first load and not actually trying to reduce the amount of water I used.

Dishes water total- 85 litres

I washed one giant load of laundry during the week. I simply asked the nice lady who runs the laundromat how much water the washer I chose used. She said it’s in the ballpark of 180 litres per load. I began to question how “dirty” some articles of clothing actually were and wondered if I couldn’t have gotten away with using a smaller washing machine. I can improve upon the amount of water I use for laundry by lowering my standard for what I consider dirty. I don’t mind being a dirtbag!

Laundry water total- 180 litres

Nothing hurt my soul more than figuring out how much water was being wasted through my leaky shower tap. For at least the past six months, I have tried countless times to contact my landlord (Sergakis) to send a plumber to fix it. They never responded to my phone calls and emails. I don’t even know where the water main is in my apartment building, nor do I possess the skills needed to fix it myself, so it continues to leak at the time of writing.

To calculate the amount of water being wasted, I simply held a two litre pitcher under the tap to see how long it took to fill up. I found it was leaking at a rate of two liters per five minutes. Over the course of a 24 hour period, this adds up to a total of 576 litres. This leak far exceeded all of my other daily water consumption needs. Over a six month period, I calculated that this single leak has wasted the one-day, two liter drinking water requirement for over 50,000 people. These findings are absolutely devastating and I have since drafted a registered letter to send to my landlord demanding them to fix the leak immediately.

Water waste total- 4,032 litres

Weekly “commodified” water usage total- 4,575 litres

Clothing

I pride myself in how rarely I buy new clothes. When I do buy new, I choose brands that are committed to environmentally-friendly production practices. However, even the most ecologically-minded companies are still making a massive ecological footprint. Therefore, the best product for the environment is the one you never buy. Most of the time, I rely on the generosity of friends to pass down used clothes, especially technical running gear that often comes at a very high financial and environmental cost.

Seeing that clothing is non-optional, I choose to shop exclusively at second hand stores in an effort to reduce my carbon footprint. However, I did submit a warranty replacement request to Icebreaker during the time of recording. After attempting to fix (multiple times) my merino wool shirt and gloves, I chose to take advantage of the 1-year warranty that was coming close to expiring. This was the only clothing purchase I’ve made within the past month.

After spending more than ten years living out of a backpack, I’ve learned to make do with what I have and not desire more stuff based on the fact that I’d literally have to carry everything I purchased on my back. I knew before starting this project that my clothing purchases would be at a bare minimum. I could reduce my carbon footprint even further by learning better sewing and mending techniques to extend the life of the clothes I already have.

Shelter (electricity)

Since moving to Quebec just over three years ago, I have realized how massive of a role electricity plays in day-to-day life. For half the year, if you don’t have electricity to heat your home, you might die. This was a very sobering realization and has been difficult to come to terms with for my tropical-blooded self.

The good news for Quebec is its reliance on renewable hydroelectricity, albeit not perfect and with its own set of environmental drawbacks. Nonetheless, energy is super expensive and I only finished paying off last year’s HydroQuebec bill in September. The amount of money I pay for electricity makes me very conscious of how early in the year I turn on the heat and how many lights I leave burning at any given time. I opt to bundle up indoors and endure the cold until it becomes unbearable. Fortunately, my house receives ample natural light, thus keeping Hydro costs low and my carbon footprint to a minimum. I could reduce my impact even further by ensuring that all lights are off when not in use and waiting even later in the year to turn on the heating.

Electricity total- 50.38 kWh

Transportation

I used the metro once and rode a bixi once over the course of this assignment. I ran everywhere else I needed to go. I am very proud to report that I consumed zero fossil fuels and emitted a grand total of zero emissions to meet my transportation needs!

Addictive Consumption

Mulligan states that “addictive consumption” is the “endless cycles of purchase and consumption [that] can seduce us into thinking that new and more products and services will meet our needs” better than before (pg.34). Under this category, I have chosen to list everything I consumed that was not necessary in meeting my basic needs, yet continues to rope me back in day after day.

Alcohol

Hi, my name is Paul and I’m an alcoholic. Seriously, this exercise of tracking my consumption has led me to realize that I have a substantial drinking problem. It’s not only how much I drink each time I indulge that worries me, but it’s also the frequency and my inability to tell myself, “not today.” I honestly can’t remember the last time I went more than two days without a drink. I catch myself justifying my habit on a daily basis with excuses like, “I can run a marathon on any given day” or “I deserve a drink because I’m doing super well at school and at work.” I am the epitome of what you’d call a high-functioning alcoholic. I am excelling in every area of my life right now and having a drink or two (or four) at the end of the day just doesn’t seem like a big deal. But, if I put my drinking habit underneath an ecological microscope, it becomes abundantly clear that it’s not only my health (and bank account) that’s suffering, it’s the planet and the people who do not have access to clean drinking water.

Over the course of the week, I consumed nineteen pints of beer and six and a half bottles of red wine. Just writing that out is enough to give me a hangover. What’s even worse is the amount of water it takes to produce beer and wine. In 2009, The Wall Street Journal reported that one 473 ml beer (one pint) takes roughly 75 litres to produce, from the production of the ingredients right through to the brewing process. In my beer consumption alone, I consumed 1,425 of water to support my habit. This finding was not news to me. I already knew this sobering fact going into this assignment. However, I’ve tried for ages to justify my beer consumption by telling myself that if I only drink local craft beer, it’s somehow better for the environment due to a lack of emissions surrounding the transport of the beer to the store. What a joke.

In 2009, The Economist reported that it takes a whopping 720 litres of water to make a 750 ml bottle of wine. Similar to the calculations made with beer production, this includes the entire wine making process from start to finish. Therefore, I indirectly consumed roughly 4,680 litres of water with the 6 ½ bottles I drank from Monday to Sunday. This finding was not hard to imagine, but is definitely news to me. I thought my leaking shower was bad. Wine consumption is way worse!

The only solution I can think of to curb this wild amount of water usage is to simply stop drinking. Admittedly, I’m not ready to stop drinking entirely. My goal, starting this week on my 37th birthday, is to reduce the amount of alcohol I consume by fifty percent. This will be a significant challenge because culturally, alcohol is widely accepted and a big part of running culture (go figure). Also, because my life isn’t a flaming trainwreck, it’ll be necessary for me to be mindful of the impact my drinking habit has on the environment to keep my impulses at bay. If I can’t reel in my alcohol consumption on my own, I think it’ll be necessary to consult professional help. I really hope it doesn’t have to come to that, but I’m willing to take this step if it proves to be necessary.

Water wasted through alcohol consumption: 6,105 litres

Consumer purchases

When I think of consumer purchases, my mind immediately goes to clothing, electronics, and leisure goods. I have already touched on my food, alcohol, and clothing purchases, which doesn’t leave much more to discuss. As previously mentioned, I strive to buy as little clothing and leisure goods as possible. It helps that I am currently a student and pretty damn broke, so even if the temptation to buy something springs up, I fiscally can’t afford it. So, I simply don’t buy it. That’s not to say I’m never tempted to buy things. It’s actually quite the contrary. As I will discuss in the next section about social media, there is an ever-present pressure to accumulate things that I don’t really need because of my particular lifestyle. I love the outdoors and my “Christmas list” of things I want to buy is as long as the trails I choose to run. Touring bikes, backcountry skis, fastpacking gear, running everything, the list goes on and on. Thankfully for the Earth, I can’t afford any of it. If I could however, this section would be much, much longer and way more depressing. Cheers to being a broke university student!

Social Media

Oh Instagram, you terrible rabbit hole of anxiety and self doubt. How I loathe thee! Yet, why on Earth can’t I get rid of you? I really struggle with social anxiety and at times, it’s crippling. Yet, why do I struggle to keep my hands off my phone? Why must I scroll so damn much? I know full well that Instagram exacerbates social anxiety, yet I don’t seem to care. I have thought long and hard about this conundrum far preceding the start of this assignment. I disengaged from Facebook years ago and I’ve never used Twitter or any other social media. It’s just Instagram. Here’s my personal philosophy regarding why Instagram is so hard to get rid of and subsequently, terrible for the environment.

We’re all afraid to die. Even for those of us who claim we’re not, deep down, our human instincts are constantly telling us to put as much distance between ourselves and a 6 foot hole in the ground as humanly possible. Funny enough, Instagram helps maintain a false sense of security regarding our own mortality by selling us not only products, but also our identities and the experiences attached to them as well. For example, when I see a short clip or picture of some dude running across a razor-edge ridgeline, I think to myself the following things: First, “that dude is gonna die and I’m glad I’m sitting safely in my living room,” which is quickly succeeded by, “damn, I suck. I would suck less if I tried that too.” What a wild disconnect. Then my brain goes quickly to, “well, what would I need to be able to accomplish that? Is it his shoes, gear, or his ability to fly around the world to do all kinds of crazy shit in exotic locations?” All of a sudden, without even being presented with an actual advertisement, I’m already making a list of the things I need to buy in order to fulfill my lifestyle goals. How insidious!

But what does any of this have to do with avoiding death? The desire to run high alpine ridgelines seems like a sure fire way to meet an early demise. Here’s the catch. I believe that we innately want to accumulate things and experiences in order to get the intrinsic satisfaction of meeting our most basic needs, even if they’re not remotely connected, to feel as if we’re not going to die by the end of the day. Since most of us who engage on Instagram have most of our basic needs met with little to no worry, our brains continue to crave that satisfaction. When we buy into stuff and ideas, whether it’s a physical product, an experience (cheating death is wildly satisfactory), or just an idea of what we’d like our lives to look like, we fulfill that intrinsic desire to keep distance between ourselves and the grave. Instagram provides this satisfaction in heaping spoonfuls.

This leads to the explanation as to why Instagram is environmentally unsound. Instagram sells products big time. Even I, Mr. Impervious to Consumerism (not), gets sucked into wanting to fulfill my lifestyle goals without even thinking about it and I've even been used in recent ads to sell products! Instagram is absolutely magnetic. I see someone doing something I love or would love to do and immediately, I begin to think about what it would take to do it. Almost always, it involves consuming a product that typically comes with a huge environmental price tag. Did the post even mention a product? No! But the implications are there en masse. The more Instagram we consume, the more we desire. The more we desire, the more we consume. The more we consume, the further away from death we feel. Allow me to take the liberty to say, and pardon my language, fuck you, Instagram. See you tomorrow at 7 am.

*I have no idea how to stop consuming Instagram. This is a huge point of contention in my personal philosophy and I feel powerless to stop because my social life and lifestyle choices are completely intertwined with this particular social media platform. I did place a limit on my phone to stop my consumption after 1 hour each day. However, I typically ignore the suggestion and keep on scrolling anyway. I’m doomed!

Average Instagram usage per day: 1 ½ hours

Advice for Teachers and Educators

This process of recording my consumption habits for a week was wildly confronting. All of my “problem areas” were not news to me. I already knew I drink too often and my leaky tap drives me insane every night as I lay in bed trying to doze off. But, once I put all of my findings and reflections on paper, the scope of my wasteful consumption suddenly became very real. It was an exercise in humility and critical reflection that I feel would be beneficial for teachers to incorporate into their curriculum, regardless of their students age. It is easy to adapt this exercise to fit within the skill and maturity levels of all students. This practice of self-reflection and the uncomfortable feelings that come with it allows for the development of critical thinking skills, which are necessary in establishing real behavioral change. Merely presenting facts about wasteful consumption is insufficient in teaching students how to actually change their behavior.

I would recommend that teachers use this exercise in conjunction with elements of emotional learning. David Goleman (1995) suggests approaching emotional learning by first teaching emotional vocabulary. This works well within the parameters of this assignment because of the emotions that were evoked before, during, and after recording my personal consumption habits were easily documented and allowed for reflection. Being able to relate and accurately express how we feel about consumerism, advertising, and personal waste and how these habits negatively affect other people and the environment is a critical step in building empathy towards them. Goleman suggests that through the process of building emotional intelligence is the first step towards actually changing our environmentally damaging behaviors and begin to shift towards becoming earth-centric consumers that care not only for ourselves, but also for the Earth and the people that call its fragile ecosystems home.

Resources

Alter, A. (2009, February 17). Yet another 'footprint' to worry about: Water. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123483638138996305#:~:text=It%20takes%20roughly%2020%20gallons,pair%20of%20Levi's%20stonewashed%20jeans.

The Economist Newspaper. (2009, February 25). Thirsty work. The Economist. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.economist.com/news/2009/02/25/thirsty-work.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.

Mulligan, M. (2018). Consumption and consumerism. An introduction to sustainability: Environmental, social and Personal Perspectives. essay, Routledge.

1 note · View note