Harrison Ford saves the day...again.

This morning I came across an article about the amazing Harris Ford out saving the world again.

Ladies and Gentlemen: the face of a badass.

Not only does he save galaxies, in real life he has saved  lost hikers, stranded boy scouts, AND now the rainforest. He is the "poster boy" (and more) for a group called Conservation International. Over at their website, you can measure your Carbon Footprint and Eco Footprint and make a donation to offset it if you wish.

What is sustainable living?

I honestly didn't know the answer to this question until I googled it a half an hour ago. So here is what wikipedia has to say

Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and personal resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption, and diet. Proponents of sustainable living aim to conduct their lives in ways that are consistent with sustainability, in natural balance and respectful of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology and cycles.

After reading several blogs about best ways to live sustainably, I realized I was already doing or interested in starting to do a lot of them. Here is a list I compiled of things I'd like to work on or what I've already started during this year project.

• Become a minimalist. One blog said, "Buying less stuff means you are contributing less to the consumer/waste cycle." Another said "Downsize - smaller car, house, job. Become downwardly mobile." I like the sound of that.
• Cut back on paper towel use. This is something I really need to work on. I use paper towels for everything because I get grossed out when towels are dirty and won't use them.
• Cook in. Stop eating out. My roommate and I are really working on this at the moment.
• Turn it off. I need to get better at turning off lights and unplugging things.
• Turn off TV indefinitely- As you may remember from my past entries, I've been working on this already.
• Simple cleaning solutions. I like the idea of using simple things like baking soda to clean up.
• Use what you've got. This is something else I've been mastering while getting rid of all my belongings. One blog suggested "Get rid of two similar things for every new thing."
• Shop locally. My roommate and I have been purchasing the veggie bags from the local farmer, a service provided by my company. But we could stand to do more shopping at farmer's markets.
• Reusable bags.  We do our best to remember these whenever we go for a large shopping trip, but I need to make sure I have some in my car for those days I end up stopping by a store for something quick.
• Buy secondhand everything. This is another thing I really picked up on through my year. When selling awesome stuff on craigslist and amazon, it makes you realize you can also find awesome stuff there too.
• Line dry clothes. This is something I'd like to try more. It's a bit hard not having much room in a shared apartment, but it's probably something I'm going to have/want to do while I'm traveling anyway.
• Eat less meat!  Done and done! :D
• Quit buying bottled water.  This is a good one to remember. I usually have my metal reusable bottles with me, but every once in awhile I'll buy plastic, forgetting how bad that is!
• Try homeopathic remedies first before going to doctor. Even though I haven't done much research into medicines, I do feel some of the food research I've done falls into this category.
• Shorter, fewer showers.  The lazy side of me loves the idea of this! But I do also enjoy not smelling and having greasy hair. But shorter is something I can do my best to work on!
• Green burial.  This was something I'd never thought about, but seemed interesting enough to look into.
• Learn to sew. I can do a bit on my own, but this was something I'd been interested in working on during my year.
• No more elevators. Something I try to do when I can, but should make more of an effort into.
• Get dirty. I feel the call of soil in my hands. I don't have a garden or a ditch to dig, but I think this will be something I'll look forward to in my volunteer work abroad.
• Learn to forage wild edibles.  This is something I'd love to learn more about. It kind of falls into the 'being prepared for the apocalypse' theme I seem to have picked up lately.
• Wash clothes less and in cold water. Another that appeals to lazy Bethany. But again, it's a fine line to walk between sustainable and 'smelling like a hippy'.
• Green wedding.  Another interesting concept to ponder.
• Avoid buying things in styrofoam or plastic. Avoid unnecessary packaging and one-use plastic containers. This is a major one I want to work on. I buy things without considering what kind of waste they are producing. Although, I have moved away from buying produce at Trader Joe's for this reason.
• Organic foods. Something I've been doing much better at over this last year.
• Eat seasonally.  I began doing some research on this, but didn't quite follow up entirely. However, if you are buying locally, you will tend to end up only getting things that are in season.
• Reduce amount of processed food you consume.  Another part of the diet change I instituted this year. But I could still use more work.

And finally, one blog recommended the Y.E.R.T documentary to further explore this topic, so that is something I will look into seeing.

Man, there are a lot of links on this post.

The Peace Corps question

An ongoing question I am wrastling with ("to wrastle"- a verb coined by Chaucer, apparently, and then used repetitively and irresponsibly by my high school principle) is whether or not I should join the Peace Corps. The question is not really whether or not the Peace Corps will be an amazing and life-changing experience, but more-so whether or not it really fulfills the goals I'm working toward with my travels and my life.

I've been pretty set on the idea, having made a few strategic moves to make my application even stronger, such as taking on a TESL class and getting certified with first aid and CPR. However, some of the aspects of serving in the Peace Corps do not appeal to me as strongly, such as the possibility of being in one remote place for the entire assignment. Also, it will be a challenge to work out how to get my student loans sorted out while I'm gone since I can't defer all of them.

I want to serve in another country, it is something I've felt drawn to for many years, but I have to really decide if the Peace Corps format is right for me. I've been reading several blogs about other options, such as finding volunteer opportunities wherever you are at. That idea sort of appeals to me. Mainly, I just want to get my hands dirty and do something that seems to make a difference for people who are really in need. But since I am not a trained nurse or architect or something, my options are sort of limited.

As you can see, I do not have it all figured out yet, but I will continue to push my Peace Corps application through since the process is known to take up to a year and I will continue to consider the idea as I immerse myself in world-wide travel.

I Declare A Spending Freeze!

Ok, going over my travel budget and thinking about everything that I want to do while I'm traveling, I'm becoming more and more aware that I absolutely must stop spending money, specifically on food and fun nights out. There goes my social life!

Stop complaining Elmo. Your tea was always imaginary.

 
As I was thinking about where to blog about this new personal pact--on my new travel blog, Found, Wandering, or here--I realized this ties in with sustainability as it relates to ethical consumerism. The less prepackaged foods I buy, the better. Here's an article that discusses more on that thought. This will especially be the case if I continue to get a good amount of my produce from the local farmer who sells produce bags at my work. Local means less gas used and emissions with the transportation and fresher food for me.

This spending freeze will also force me to be more resourceful and creative--buying less products and reusing what I already have.
And, with all this prep for the Peace Corps, it will be good to really assess what is needed versus what is wanted and what I can live without (I'm looking at you guys, Daily Latte and Weekly Movie!)

"Red Tent" Post #1 Sustainability

Gentlemen, you may want to excuse yourselves from this post (please refer to this post for explanation) but don't feel that you must. Just a warning that we're gonna get all womanhood up in here!

This is what I call the buffer zone, in case anyone wants to leave before they can't un-see what comes next.

Ok, now that that is out of the way, my first exploration into sustainability comes in the form of...duhn duhn duhn... the Diva Cup.

For those of you who may not have heard of this little devise, basically it is a replacement for tampons and pads. It's a cup that goes all-up-in-ya and can stay put for up to 12 hours with no fear of toxic shock syndrome. And it's made of silicone so its reusable instead of disposable with a general recommendation to replace once a year. So I'm sure you see where I'm going on the topic of sustainability. This is what their website has to say:

Excellence in environment care :Our commitment to being “green divas” is evident in our products, lifestyles and educational resources. Every year, billions of disposable tampons and pads are thrown into our landfills and waterways. Our award winning DivaCup and DivaWash helps to reduce the eco-footprint of feminine hygiene by providing reusable solutions to disposable tampons and pads.

Excellence in sustainability: Our mission to offer women a new way to care for themselves extends far beyond period care. We invest our knowledge, time and resources in community and International organizations that offer health care, empowerment and education to women and children around the world.  - http://divacup.com/

I've known people who've used the cup but I never gave it much thought until I started reading travel blogs about girls who highly recommended it to keep costs down, backpack space available, and to create ease when encountering times in your trip where throwing away pads or tampons might not be the most convenient.

Also, they seem to be healthier for our bodies as well:

The DivaCup is exclusively available in a natural un-pigmented silicone. We considered manufacturing The DivaCup in colored silicone but decided against it because the skin, including the sensitive skin of the vaginal walls, should not be exposed to dyes, chemicals, etc. Although colors are fun, adding other components such as pigment particles, along with chemical additives required to bind the particles to the silicone, create additional risk to the base chemistry of the silicone. Diva International feels that this is an unnecessary risk to take as there is still a possibility that the particles or other chemicals may not bind properly and could leach into the body.  - http://divacup.com/

 Unfortunately, tampons may contain traces of dioxin from bleach, pesticide residues from conventional, non-organic cotton, and mystery “fragrance” ingredients. - http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/FemCare_fs_022411.pdf

So, there you have it. Now, I haven't been able to try it out yet as I keep getting sent the Model 2 which is for post childbirth instead of Model 1 for pre-childbirth.
I hear there is an adjustment period (ahem-- no pun intended) while you get used to the new process, but I figured best to start now if I'm going to use this during my travels.

Initiating the "Red Tent" post status

Some of you may have heard of or read the incredible book by Anita Diamant called The Red Tent. Basically, to quote wikipedia, "The book's title refers to the tent in which women of Jacob's tribe must, according to the ancient law, take refuge while menstruating or giving birth, and in which they find mutual support and encouragement from their mothers, sisters and aunts."

Anywhoo, in my blog, I am now instating "Red Tent" posts where I will discuss things that, perhaps, not all men will care to read about but where I can feel free to discuss womanly type issues without worrying about offending anyone. Not that men aren't welcome. It's just my way of giving you a heads up beforehand.

And if you have not read The Red Tent, I highly recommend it!

The end.

Community, World, and Sustainability

That's a lot in one month! And I'm getting a late start. But I'll do my best!
I already have a Disaster Relief training scheduled through the Red Cross. I will continue part of last months goal with working on my Peace Corp application. And I will study up on ways I can do my part to be less impactful on our world's resources and especially how I can incorporate sustainability in my travels this coming year.