Here is how the points work:
Positive Points
1 pt for every day you don't shower
1 pt for every 5 sustainability pledges you get
1 pt every day you don't eat meat
1 pt for every hour you spend doing a carbon neutral leisure activity
2 pts for doing your laundry with rain water
Negative Points
- 1 pt for obtaining a disposable shopping bag
- 1 pt for obtaining a disposable cup or bottle
- 1 pt for riding in or driving a car
- 1 pt for ordering a package
- 1 pt for doing laundry
- 1 pt for watching an hour of TV
- 1 pt for getting caught using unnecessary electricity (i.e. leaving the light on)
This week is about challenging ourselves to reach new sustainable living heights. It's about making the student body semi aware through our pledge getting that we are present and care about spreading sustainable living practices to as many people as we can. It may be that this week will also lead to discoveries that some lifestyle change that may have looked completely impossible before is not so far fetched once you do it.
This will be a record of my week.
Monday
I spent most of my day today gathering pledges from my friends around campus. I won't tell how many exactly though... I want to keep that upstairs team on their toes!! I found that it became easier and easier to go up to people and ask them if they were interested in making their lives more sustainable. It was a really great thing for me to make myself do because.... believe it or not Dickinson College... I'm shy. And quiet. I know, right???? But I actually can totally go into my shell if I let myself. I really try to make myself as outgoing as I am because when I was younger I would never speak up or jump off the cliff or stick my face in the cake (I don't know...) and I always always regretted it. I just go for it now. Why the hell not?? Anyway, I talked to so many strangers and talked them into signing pledges. It was a really good exercise for me.
Another thing I did today is not eat meat. It was not overly challenging, they had vegan chili in the KOVE (Kosher Vegan) and it was amazing. Oh, and I didn't shower... but I don't shower on Mondays anyway so that was a simple one :-P
Tuesday
Today did not consist of as much pledge getting as the day before, I was pretty busy, I got some though.
I knew I was going to loose a point today for riding in a car because I had a riding lesson BUT I was going to gain 2 for doing a carbon neutral activity. However, I didn't want my points to cancel out when I came home and took a shower so.... hm.... brainstorming.....
I washed my hair with rainwater!
I got rainwater out of the house's rainwater collection barrel and filled a big bucket with it. I brought it into the house to (hopefully) reach at least inside air temperature. Then I poured a large mixing bowl about half full and dunked my head in it. Then I lathered and rinsed in the original water, and after that I just kept pouring it out and refilling it and rinsing until the water wasn't soapy any more.
It was honestly a really humbling and thought provoking experience to clean myself this way... why do we need all the long showers and hot water? We don't. I have to say... my hair looks just as good as it always does.... which is pretty damn good.
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| here's your proof |
Wednesday
Today was not an overly active day in the point getting for me. I didn't really get any pledges because I was super busy with classes and Soup and Bread stuff.
But I got passive points, I once again didn't eat the meat... although I am startin to feel myself slloowwinn down a bit.... not super but I think I can totally last out the week.
I also didn't shower soo... it's been since Sunday that I haven't bathed under running water? I'm tied for first with Ashley... am I proud of that? Jury is still out.
Thursday
I can't wait to take a shower tomorrow. Seriously. It's going to be so amazing and awesome. I've been looking forward to it all day.
I can't wait.
Friday
I took a shower... which was amazing. I honestly really really appreciated it for what it was after living without a modern comfort for a period of time. It made me realize that absolute cleanliness (which is debatable whether or not I pursue anyway) is not really important at all. It's a complete luxury. It doesn't make us smarter or better at our sport or better people. It's minor. Trivial. I'm really lucky and glad that I was able to have such a thought provoking experience just from taking a shower.
Then we had the Treehouse retreat which was camping at the Farm which was awesome because we were able to turn away from our computers and cell phones and just sit around a campfire talking and laughing. And we slept 14 Treekids in a 10 person tent. COZY!!
Saturday
I was not able to really do a lot over the weekend for Eco Olympics. I did nothing detrimental for my team, I ate vegetarian and didn't shower, but I didn't do anything above and beyond.
Sunday
Today we talked about our experiences for the week. I'll summarize mine here:
I found Eco Olympics to be a great growth opportunity for me. I got 78 pledges, which means I approached 78 people and told them about Eco Olympics and got them to be on board with making their own sustainability goals. I washed my hair with rain water which was quite a gamble and it turned out fine. I'm really proud that I did that because I was wavering because I was worried mostly about how my hair would look when I was done but I took the chance and am happy I did. I personally did not drink any soda this week which is a big accomplishment because I don't think I've gone a day without a Dr. Pepper in months. I didn't eat anything that came in disposable packaging. I didn't get a disposable bag from a store. I ofset my driving by doing carbon neutral activities. The only TV I watched was a movie for class. I picked up a book for fun. I sat outside. I went on Adventure Thursday at a local location so I could walk instead of drive. I was a vegetarian!! I was even vegan sometimes!!!
And what did I realize? It wasn't hard. It's something that everyone can and should do, for at least a week. I don't think I'm going to go back to some of my old habits. I had a great week full of fun and laughter and camaraderie and did it without even missing the creature comforts that I thought I needed to be happy and took for granted.
This is me signing off of my Eco Olympics Experience. I hope you enjoyed reading about it!!
Treelove,
Amy
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