Choices for Sustainable Living Discussion Course

Erik Gicker 4/19/2019 8:08 AM

CSL 4 Water

I live in the Mid-Atlantic watershed. Specifically the 02070010 watershed in Northern Virginia. Pollution and drought and common water concerns in the area. My watersheds geographic boundaries are the Appalachian Mountains, Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay. The closest body of water to me is the Occoquan reservoir and Great Falls National Park. There are man-made lakes and ponds in the area. There is Lake Braddock and Reston Lake. Towns and communities are built around them. My tap water does come from the watershed. The water in my watershed is treated and also drains into the ocean.

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Erik Gicker 4/04/2019 7:30 PM

CSL 3 Food

I eat meat at least once a day. It use to be worse because it use to be every meal. Now I only eat fruit in the morning or drink fluids. For lunch I usually try to eat what I have at home after I come home class. Most people in my family we eat a lot of beans, rice, and various soups. They don't each much meat and if they do its usually chicken. Dinner time is when I usually eat meat. I did notice I did not eat any pork and only ate red meat 3 times this week. When I was younger I would eat a lot more red meat and pork. I eat more seafood now and overall I am trying to cut down on all meat. I would like to cut down on meat even more than I do now. I only ate out 3 times this week. I enjoy cooking and want to make more time for it.

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Erik Gicker 4/04/2019 6:44 AM

CSL 7 Consumption and the Economy

In the DMV there is a lot of people. We consume and produce so much waste of various kinds. Food is a big producer or waste. Whether people are going to the grocery store or eating out they spend money to do so. Many places are chains or franchises that may be cheap but for a reason. Most of their profit does not stay in the community. By spending money on a local business you invest in your community. World economy is built on monopolies and big companies McDonalds and Coca Cola but local economies are built on local business. McDonalds is also not good for your health. I personally don't eat there or most fast food places. Overall Im trying to consume less in all areas of my life. Shopping at a farmers market is another example and way or investing in your local community and economy. Every-time we spend money we are voting with our pocket. When we buy something we are saying we stand behind this item. If something sells and there is high profit that will drive the economy. We can say no to things that are produced poorly and impact our environment negatively. If we can consume smarter and vote with our pocket we can have a more positive impact on the economy.

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Erik Gicker 3/14/2019 3:06 PM

CSL 6 Transportation

There are many different ways to get around the city. Here in DC there is cars, metro bus, metro rail, bike routes, and taxis like uber. You can ride share with apps like uber and lyft that offer a cheaper option than individual riding and is more efficient. Carpooling wastes less gas and reduces emissions. In DC they have bikes and now scooters that you can rent as you ride. The scooters can be left anywhere which is very convenient. This week I am in Dallas. They also have scooters and thats all Ive been using. So far I have traveled 4 miles by scooter and I have 2 days left. The experience is refreshing and I enjoy feeling the sunlight. They go fast in certain areas up to 15 mph. I have used it to get to and from the convention center.

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Erik Gicker 2/22/2019 6:45 AM

CSL 5

A fellow classmate mentioned composting to me and how he does it at his house. I think composting is a very important way of repurposing waste. Compost is valuable to growing plants and having nutrient rich soil. Unfortunately in my neighborhood we don't have a community compost. I really want to have and maintain one in my backyard. I need to do more research though because my yard isn't very big. We already have 2 gardens and plants in pots. Our composting can reduce waste output in my home. We do recycle as well and ideally I would like to be zero waste. Im not there yet but thats what Im trying to move towards. Ever year we also have a community clean up where we collect trash and recycle as much of it as possible. I did not participate last year because of a different job I had but I plan to be involved this year.

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Erik Gicker 2/07/2019 2:52 PM

CSL 1 Reflection

I look to gain more sustainable practices in my everyday life from this course. I think many areas of my life are sustainable now but I definitely have room to improve. A behavior I hope to change is how I commute to school and work. I live next to the Vienna metro and the Mason Shuttle comes there and I plan to take that sometimes instead of my car to class. I also hope to possibly carpool with friends as well. Ultimately I want to cut my dependency on oil. I hope I can contribute something unique to the group. I have lived in this area for a long time and I live really close to campus. I also speak Spanish fluently, which might benefit the group especially in areas like awareness.

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Erik Gicker 2/07/2019 10:00 AM

I am looking forward to hiking on a new trail this month!

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