Erin Stagner

Sorry for double posting, just realized the pic didn't make it through the first time, but this is The Old Church that we walked to!

This week my partner and I decided we would take advantage more of the fact that we live downtown and actually walk to things. It's been really nice, and surprisingly not as bad as I thought it would be. It's so easy to get caught up in the convenience of having a car drive you 5 minutes as opposed to a 20 minute walk.. but it makes sense to leave my car at home and take that walk because I get to spend more time talking with my partner, I am exercising, I am using less fuel and it makes me appreciate the city we live in more. In the past week we walked to the PSU farmers market, The Melting Pot for valentines day, Safeway for a few essentials, and last night we went to The Old Church for a meditation ambient concert. It honestly took no time at all and felt very fulfilling. I am looking forward to the warmer days when walking outside will be really nice. 

**Posting for Week 4**

These past two weeks I decided to make some changes to my laundry and water habits. I finally set up my portable washing machine and upon opening it I was given a little insert saying that the estimated yearly energy cost for my machine was $3, with 23kWh/yr use based on 6 loads a week (more than I do typically) which was wild to me. We have gas heated water but I connect the machine to the tap and run it only on cold/lukewarm. I have reduced the amount of detergent I add in tremendously and use around a tablespoon per load and add white vinegar. I learned that I can collect the grey water used in a bucket and re use it for the next load, though I have yet to try it. The washer also has a spin cycle and I have been able to hang my clothes in the bathroom to air dry. It is a longer process but my clothes seem much happier not being beaten up by my complex's washer/dryer units anymore!
I also made a point to use my reusable water bottle every day for the last two weeks. I find that filling it the night before and refrigerating it with a couple drops of lemon juice makes it really fresh the next day and removes some of the tap taste.

If you live in a smaller space and are interested in getting a compact washer, I recommend the 0.9cu Magic Chef washer from Home Depot (I recommend investing in the insurance, too)!

 

 Back when I lived in California I remember spending hours out of my week solely in my car. My community college was 35 minutes one way and my significant other at the time lived a full hour from my home, and I would make those drives easily 4-5 times a week, and pay bridge toll. Neither were remotely close to public transit. It would have been at least an hour on the BART and an additional 20-30 taking the bus. It was not ideal. It also did not account for the Bay Area traffic that would increase the travel time two times over depending on the time of day. I also remember hanging out in my car a lot even in the parking lot and leaving the engine running, depleting my gas and releasing more emissions unnecessarily. Now that I live and work in downtown Portland I rarely have to depend on my car as often as I did living in California. That said, I still rely on my car (almost daily) as a means to get to work and school. Working over in China Town I find it is more worth it for me to make the 8 minute drive and pay for street parking than I would either walking or taking max ride to work. One thing that really discouraged me was how long the max line can take compared to such a short travel. I have considered getting a bike and using that means of transportation, but my apartment if unfortunately too small, I will have to see what my next unit’s space will look like. I think for the time being I will continue to use my car to get to work for the sake of time, convenience and safety. However, I am making a point to be more conscious of walking to destinations like campus or the PSU farmers market, which is what my partner and I did together over the weekend. We found it was a really fun way to spend the sunny Saturday together while getting exercise and supporting the local economy.

Reading this session was interesting because it talked about things we can do to liven up our local streets. I find living downtown that can be a bit challenging given how the streets are home to a lot of communities in the city and it can be hard to navigate making changes with their needs in mind. Donating and volunteering at soup kitchens and shelters could be one way to help strengthen community and those we meet outside. 

I also did not know about ‘carbon offsets’ in airlines, which is something I will be looking into as I used to fly a lot pre-covid. I think that is a really helpful method of taking back some of your carbon footprint and something I hope to see from more companies.

My partner and I are going to visit local food co ops and/or a farmers market this weekend to prepare our own locally sourced, organic dishes and ultimately try to shift our grocery habits towards local businesses. We recently purchased (preserved) truffles/oil and saffron (it came in a really cute glass bottle with a cork that I will absolutely save) and have been planning our meals on a calendar. We're going to do truffle risotto and a saffron dish with locally sources pasta.