Summary of Results from Ecological & Carbon Footprint Calculator (and what changes I made to bring those number of planets down!)

So here begins my lifestyle project. Thirty days of changing habits to be a more conscientious person on this planet. I've decided to focus on food, garbage/waste and energy. My ecological & carbon foot prints were surprising & informative (4.8 planets!). My lifestyle stat was 67 which got me the prized advice that I should take an environmental studies class. Good thing I'm in your class!

Food: I didn't eat much meat at the start of this project, but I've decided to give it up entirely. That goes for red meat, fish & foul. Basically anything with a face. It will be difficult, because though I don't eat a lot of these animals, I thoroughly enjoyed them when I did. I hadn't eaten pork in 18 years & had given up red meat for about a decade. A few of the foods I may miss are carne asada, burgers, salmon kebabs, fish tacos, sardines, shellfish, tapas, burritos & my beloved ceviche, which is honestly one of my favorite foods on the planet. I can go a month without these, a lifetime without them all? That we shall have to see... In the last couple months I started working in a restaurant that pretty much puts bacon on half their menu, so I very recently started eating pork again. Although when I tried the pork chop, I kind of gagged; it's been awhile since I've eaten pork flesh like that & it was weird. They say pork flesh most closely resembles human flesh. There's a thought. This restaurant is great in the fact that they purchase local, organic, sustainable, grass-fed, free-range, antibiotic & pesticide-free produce & animal products. They also use recycled materials throughout the restaurant --restored bowling ball lanes for tables, mismatched, salvaged silverware, etc. It's a pretty great place. Because I don't keep a regular schedule, night classes & work hours that vary from day to night shifts, I don't eat regular meals. I eat smaller meals or snacks throughout the day. So for the convenience factor I will just list my foods in the order I consume them, not really labeled as any particular meal. I studied holistic nutrition so I've been well aware of health & wellness related to diet for some time. I almost always buy organic & seasonal produce, well-sourced meat, poultry, fish & dairy. I think my challenge will be not getting bored with vegetarian fare. But this will force me to cook more, which is something I really enjoy but don't necessarily have/make the time for. 

Garbage/waste: 

For garbage & waste I think I'm pretty conscientious, in the sense that I recycle & compost. I don't waste a lot of food, I rarely purchase anything new & even then I've gotten into second-hand treasures; I'm pretty frugal overall.  I like to think if something is in perfectly good condition, I don't replace it or throw it away. I tend to buy things only when it's absolutely necessary. I get e-bills & recycle any junk mail. I bring bags for planned shopping with me & if I don't have one, I usually just carry the items by hand or in my purse, assuming it's feasible. We started getting fruit flies in the house because of the compost, so we put it outside but then everybody stopped composting, so I washed off the bin & brought it back inside. We're keeping the windows open to keep it nice & cold in the kitchen to deter any bugs. I will recycle all house hold goods and purchase only recycled ones that I know of to be from the utmost green sources, such as places like Rainbow (or similar stores).

Energy: 

I will be more aware of my energy use at home & in general. I will turn off any lights left on by me (or my roommates that are not being used). I will be sure to plan errands in advance, so that I'm not using resources more than I should (that's just convenient and common sense). I will wear layers at home as much as possible so that I don't have to use my space heater. I will unplug any appliances that are not in use, ie: BlendTec, toaster, lap top, space heater, phone charger, etc. I actually already type a lot of my homework on my phone, and usually only use my lap top when I have to write an extensive paper. Most of the email and on line interaction I have are via my iphone, which I will now only charge to 100% & then unplug. I will not leave any electronics that are not in use plugged in overnight, other than my alarm clock for obvious reasons. I will not have more than one form of entertainment on at once, ie music &/or lap top. If I must buy something, I will do my best to purchase it from a local, sustainable source, to prevent any external costs in packaging and shipping.  

Thirty Day Lifestyle Project Journal

November 5th
Food:
Grilled plantains, 1 free range egg, black beans, red onion, tomato & avocado
Green smoothie of kale, spinach, half orange, half banana, 1 celery stalk, 1/3 cucumber
Yerba Mate iced tea
Apple with almond butter & dried cranberries
Falafel sandwich from kebab place across the street from my apt.
(All produce organic)
Garbage/waste:
Put all scraps of food material in compost. Have started saving all glass jars & bottles & even yogurt pints to store food & transport green smoothies. Threw all junk mail & extra envelopes in recycling bin. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am, afternoon and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Used iPhone to type out school work for an hour. Room is drafty, so used heater for 20 min. in bedroom. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 6th 

Food:
Gluten-free English muffin (don't know if all ingredients are locally sourced) with almond butter & apricot jam (both organic from Trader Joes)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Half a Late Night Burrito from Luke's Local (all organic, vegetarian, locally sourced ingredients)
Half cup canned black beans, half tomato, third avocado, dash red onion, 1 egg
1 pink lady apple, handful walnuts, dried cranberries, chocolate chips and wedge of cheese (all organic from Rainbow)
Garbage/waste:
Ran out of shower gel, so recycled bottle & bought a local (& expensive!) grapefruit one from Rainbow. Went through mail on my desk & recycled extra envelopes & paperwork. Took out recycling, trash & compost for Thursday morning collection. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min.). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym.Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving (~20-30 min. Used iPhone to type out school for an hour. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Turned on lap top after work for an hour to watch Colbert & the Daily

November 7th
Food:
Strauss yogurt with locally made granola, walnuts, dried cranberries & drizzle of agave nectar (all organic from Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Remaining half of Late Night burrito
Two slices of veggie pizza from work (red sauce, arugula, jalapeños mozzarella with green goddess dressing)
Kale salad from work with raisins, pink lady apples & green goddess dressing
Half a Reed's Ginger Beer
Waste/garbage:
Threw away small bag of garbage from room. Composted all scraps of food. Bought beverage at gym & kept the bottle for future smoothie use. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min.). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used I Phone to listen to music while at gym.Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving (~20-30 min.

November 8th
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Veggie burger at work: pea flour party, lettuce, tomato, onion, hummus, yogurt curry sauce in challah bun. With French fries
(Not sure of all sources, but my place of employment uses organic, local & seasonal sources for produce & goods)
Waste:
Finished shaving cream so purchased new one from Rainbow. Recycled bottle of old one. Finished yogurt container so washed it out to use for storage. Bought beverage at gym, saved bottle for future green smoothies. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min.). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used heater for 20 min. in bedroom. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Turned on lap top after work for an hour to listen to music. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 9th
Food:
Half gluten-free English muffin with almond butter & jam (all organic from Rainbow)
Veggie burger with tomato, onion, avocado, hummus, lettuce & curry yogurt sauce with French fries (at work where we use all organic seasonal produce)
Waste/garbage:
Bought beverage at gym, recycled bottle for later use. Recycled boxes and to go containers of food from work. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min.). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min). Used iPhone to type out school work rather than on my lap top for an hour. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Turned on heater for half hour to warm room. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 10th
Food:
English muffin with butter & apricot jam
KIND bar
Apple with almond butter, cheese, dried cranberries & chocolate chips (all above purchased at Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Salad from Whole Foods: spinach, hard boiled egg, soy beans, teriyaki tofu, red onion, beets, carrots & balsamic vinegar
Waste/garbage:
Recycled box from salad from Whole Foods, KIND bar wrapper in trash. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min.). Used kitchen light in am & in pm to prepare/consume meals (~20-30 min.). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used lap top for an hour to do school work. Used heater for 20 min. in bedroom. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Turned on lap top after work for an hour to watch Colbert & the Daily Show. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 11th:
Food:
Remainder of Whole Foods salad
Yerba Mate bottled iced tea
Pink Lady Apple with almond butter
Large salad of red quinoa, butternut squash & yams, avocado & spinach with balsamic vinegar
Waste/garbage:
Whole Foods box recycled, recycled & washed Yerba Mate glass bottle. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am, afternoon and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Used iPhone to type out school work for an hour. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 12th:
Food:
Strauss yogurt with quinoa, walnuts & half banana with agave syrup
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Made veggie patties with black beans, quinoa, spinach, an egg & a little gluten-free flour.
Half a gluten-free English muffin with tomato, onion, avocado, mustard & mayo
Pink lady apple with walnuts, almond, butter, cheese & dried cranberries
Waste/garbage:
Needed a new razor so bought a recycled (& expensive one!) from Rainbow. Composted all food scraps.
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am, afternoon and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used BlendTec for 10 min. to make green smoothie & veggie patties. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 13th
Food:
Strauss yogurt with half banana, walnuts, dried cranberries & ginger granola with agave syrup
Yerba Mate iced tea
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Brown rice spaghetti with “meat sauce”:  red sauce with my veggie patty, Portobello mushrooms, eggplant, spinach & a little shaved cheese
Apple with almond butter
Waste/garbage:
Recycled Yerba Mate glass bottle, threw out small bag of garbage from room. Took out recycling, compost and large bag of garbage for the household. Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20- 30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used gas heat to cook pasta & meat sauce for 15-20 min. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 14th
Food:
Grilled plantains, 1 free range egg, black beans, red onion, tomato & avocado
Green smoothie of kale, spinach, half orange, half banana, 1 celery stalk, 1/3 cucumber
Veggie burger with tomato, onion, avocado, hummus, lettuce & curry yogurt sauce with French fries (at work where we use all organic seasonal produce)
Waste/garbage:
Composted all food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 15th
Food:
Strauss yogurt with half banana, walnuts, dried cranberries & ginger granola with agave syrup
Yerba Mate iced tea
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Three slices squash and feta cheese pizza (from work)
Waste/garbage:
Composted all food scraps, recycled junk mail & extra envelopes
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 16th
Food:
Strauss yogurt with granola, walnuts & half banana with agave syrup
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
1 piece of French toast with walnut & banana compote & whipped cream
Brussel sprouts with cinnamon, apples & almonds cooked in butter
Sauteed butternut squash, sweet potato & red onions with quinoa
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, threw out small bag of garbage from room
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.).  Used curling iron for 5 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used gas heat to cook dinner for 15-20 min. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged.Used lap top for two hours to type up homework & watch Colbert & the Daily Show.  Unplugged lap top when not in use.

November 17th
Food:
Half gluten free English muffin with almond butter & apricot jam
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Grilled plantains, 1 free range egg, black beans, red onion, tomato & avocado
Brussel sprouts with apples & almonds with avocado & two over medium eggs
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 18th
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Kombutcha from gym
Sauteed butternut squash, sweet potato & red onions with quinoa & avocado
Apple with almond butter
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, recycled Kombutcha bottle
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used gas heat to cook dinner for 15-20 min. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 19th
Food:
Strauss yogurt with quinoa, walnuts & dried cranberries with agave syrup
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Brown rice spaghetti with “meat sauce”:  red sauce with my veggie patty, Portobello mushrooms, eggplant, spinach & a little shaved cheese
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, took out large garbage bag from kitchen
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.).  Used curling iron for 5 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used gas heat to cook dinner for 15-20 min. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Used lap top for an hour to watch Colbert & the Daily Show.  Unplugged lap top when not in use.

November 20th
Food:
Half an English muffin with almond butter & strawberry jam
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Vegetarian chili & rice (at event)
Three slices vegetarian pizza (burrata  cheese, red chilies, red sauce & black olives), eggplant parmesan (eggplant, mozzarella & red sauce) from Beretta
Waste/garbage:
Threw away paper plates from the chili at event (no recycling), took out compost & recycling for collection.
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 21st
Food:
Half gluten free English muffin with almond butter & apricot jam
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Kombutcha from gym
Veggie burger with tomato, onion, avocado, hummus, lettuce & curry yogurt sauce with French fries (at work where we use all organic seasonal produce)
Waste/garbage:
Recycled to go box from veggie burger, composted food scraps, recycled Kombutcha bottle from gym
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 22nd
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Three slices veggie pizza (from work)
Apple with almond butter
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, took out small bag of trash from restroom
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 23rd
Food:
Strauss yogurt with quinoa, walnuts & dried cranberries with agave syrup
Yerba Mate iced tea
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Half a gluten-free English muffin with tomato, onion, avocado, mustard & mayo
Pink lady apple with walnuts, almond, butter, cheese & dried cranberries
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, recycled Yerba Mate bottle
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 24th
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Brussel sprouts with cinnamon, apples & almonds cooked in butter
Sauteed butternut squash, sweet potato & red onions with quinoa
Apple with peanut butter
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.).  Used curling iron for 5 min.(total). Used iPhone for about an hour to play music while I cooked & washed dishes. Used gas heat to cook dinner for 15-20 min. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Udsedlap top for an hour to do homework. Unplugged lap top when not in use.

November 25th
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, recycled junk mail, extra envelopes
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 26th
Food:
Half gluten-free English muffin with almond butter & jam (all organic from Rainbow)
Brussel sprouts with cinnamon, apples & almonds cooked in butter
Brown rice spaghetti with “meat sauce”:  red sauce with my veggie patty, Portobello mushrooms, eggplant, spinach & a little shaved cheese
Apple with almond butter
Kombutcha from gym
Waste/garbage:
Composyed food scraps, recycled Kombutcha bottle
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and afternoon to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total).Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged.

November 27th
Food:
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Half gluten-free English muffin with almond butter & jam (all organic from Rainbow)
Grilled plantains, 2 free range egg, black beans, red onion, tomato & avocado
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, took out recycling, composting & large bag of garbage for the household for pick up. Put out large cardboard boxes from furniture for pick up (roommate's new furniture purchase for household)
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 28th
Food:
English muffin with almond butter & apricot jam
Salvadorian rice pilaf, cucumbers, Salvadorian slaw, tofu patty, Salvadorian tomato based sauce (for turkey) in lettuce cups
Pumpkin pie from trader Joes (not organic)
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total).Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 29th
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
My veggie patty with avocado, tomato, red onion & mustard & mayo
Delivery sushi: miso soup, seaweed salad, cucumber salad
Waste/garbage:
Recycled sushi delivery packaging, composted food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Used lap top for 1 & 1/2 hours to do homework. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

November 30th
Food:
Protein bar my friend bought me for our hike, banana
Walnuts, cheese, dried cranberries, almond butter & apple
Reheated veggie burger with avocado, baked sweet potato fries, almond milk hot chocolate
(All organic & purchased at Rainbow)
Piece of roommate's leftover pumpkin pie with whipped cream
(not sure if organic ingredients)
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, recycled lots of bottles (beer & wine)from roommate's Thanksgiving dinner
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.
Made a Christmas book tree with LED lights had it on for an hour, used lap top for an hour & a half to do homework

December 1st
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
Veggie burger with tomato, onion, avocado, hummus, lettuce & curry yogurt sauce with French fries (at work where we use all organic seasonal produce)
Piece of roommate's leftover pumpkin pie with whipped cream (not sure if organic ingredients)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, took out small bag of garbage from room
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.) Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

December 2nd
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts, banana & agave syrup
Piece of roommate's leftover pumpkin pie with whipped cream (not sure if organic ingredients) Brown rice spaghetti with "meat sauce":  portobello mushroom, eggplant, spinach, veggie patty pieces
Apple with peanut butter
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, recycled junk mail and extra envelopes
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Used lap top for 2 hours to do homework & had the book Christmas tree lit for 2 hours. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

December 3rd
Food:
Half gluten-free English muffin with almond butter & jam (all organic from Rainbow)
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Luke’s Local Midnight burrito (organic, sustainable ingredients)
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts & banana (all organic & from Rainbow)
Apple with peanut butter
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used lap top for 1 hour for homework. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Lit book Christmas tree for 2 hours. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

December 4th
Food:
Strauss yogurt, ginger granola, walnuts, dried cranberries & agave syrup (all organic)
Veggie burger at work: pea flour party, lettuce, tomato, onion, hummus, yogurt curry sauce in challah bun with French fries
(Not sure of all sources, but my place of employment uses organic, local & seasonal sources for produce & goods)
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps, took out large bag of trash from household, compost and recycling for pick up
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used stationary bike at gym for 65 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used heat lamp for 1 hour while at home. Used lap top for 1 hour to watch Colbert & Daily Show. Lit book Christmas tree for 2 hours. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

December 5th
Food:
Half gluten free English muffin with almond butter & apricot jam
Green smoothie: half a banana, half an orange, handful of spinach, 3 dino kale leaves, third cucumber, 1 celery stalk, inch piece ginger, juice if two lemons (all ingredients organic purchased from Rainbow)
Piece of roommate's leftover pumpkin pie with whipped cream (not sure if organic ingredients)
White bean casserole, sautéed broccoli & whole grain fresh bread at Nopa
Sopaiplillas (kind of like a beignette) with caramel sauce
Waste/garbage:
Composted food scraps
Energy:
Used bathroom light to brush teeth, wash face in the am, later to shower and again at night to brush teeth and face for bed.  (25 min). Used kitchen light in am and pm to prepare meals and eat (~20-30 min.). Used treadmill at gym for 50 min. Used iPhone to listen to music while at gym. Used blow dryer and curling iron for 20 min.(total). Used BlendTec for 5 min. to make green smoothie. Used iPhone to listen to music in car while driving ~20-30 min. Plugged in iPhone to charge to 100%, then unplugged. Unplugged lap top & heater when not in use.

 

Results of Lifestyle Changes and Assesment for Each Category

I chose Food as a category because I wanted to see if I could comfortably be a vegetarian and I have to say, I was. I made a vicious effort to go grocery shopping only at Rainbow Grocery where I know their produce and dry goods are organic, sustainable &/or free trade, they also don't sell meat, poultry or fish, so their shelves are stocked with vegan and vegetarian friendly options. They also have a large selection of international and ethnic food items. I also made sure to go grocery shopping at least once a week to make sure I was fully stocked and wouldn't be tempted to eat or purchase food on the go, which if I had to,  I wouldn't be to sure of the sources they came from and may have limited vegetarian options. The incredible thing was that I started cooking more, which I always enjoyed but found it was too much effort just for myself. But I cooked larger portions so that I would be able to make meals for the rest of the week. It not only saved me money, but also it made me more aware of what I consumed. I think that not only did this experiment make me focus on my consumerism where food is concerned, but it also highlighted the importance of eating well, you are what you eat after all. In my teens I had become a vegetarian and I recall reading labels and making sure of the ingredients in all the foods I ate. A funny thing happened, that time, and this time. I lost weight without even trying and it was just a side effect of being more conscious of what I put in my body. I will confess that I didn't eat much meat at the start of this experiment, but the option to was always there, so knowing that I couldn't eat meat made me have to plan out my meals, hence I cooked and ate in more. Because I do work at a restaurant there were days where I ate my meals there. I recall one day there was a mistake made for an order of fish tacos and I said I would eat them, but I had forgotten about my lifestyle change and I took one bite and remembered. Haha, then I spit out that bite and composted it (yes, a little wasteful, but I was on a mission) and I gave the other taco to someone else. I found myself eating at work, because I either didn't have enough time between classes or other activities, but for the most part I ate at home, which I thought was a great feat as I have two evening classes and work anywhere from 2-4 nights per week. It definitely helped to prepare meals ahead of time, both economically and health wise. I did mention earlier that I'm not positive I would be able to give up seafood for a lifetime, but I think I will swear off meat. I feel lighter and cleaner, and yes physically, but also environmentally. After watching some of the slaughter videos on line, it was difficult to think of eating another animal. I saw Food Inc. a couple years ago and I remember being off of chicken for some time after that. To be honest at this point it would probably make me sick to even eat any pork or red meat. And coincidentally enough during this lifestyle change I saw a few articles on the environmental effects of our meat consuming culture that is actually spreading internationally.

http://www.salon.com/2013/12/05/americas_meat_addiction_is_slaughtering_the_planet/

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4377206 

I am continuing to eat dairy, eggs and cheese but I'm making sure they are all from organic, grass fed & sustainable sources. I'm not sure if I will keep eating dairy in the future, but I do know at this point, I really enjoy it and it's a quick and convenient source of protein. I do exercise a lot, so I also have to consider that I'm taking in enough calories, which might be hard for me if I were a vegan. the great news is I reduced my ecological foot print from 4.8 to 3.3 planets. I'm sure it could be better, but the diet alone is what brought my numbers lower.  

 

My ecological foot print at the beginning of the month

My ecological footprint at the end of the month

 

When I retook the Lifestyle survey, my Eco-score went down to 38, which got me the "Tree Hugger" stat. Yay! Just as a reminder, I started off at 67, so I dropped a whopping 29 points! I think the change that brought my number down was learning how wasteful of our resources raising livestock is, for example that the biggest use of water in the US is farming. I know that now! Hence the good idea that I went veg. I feel better, physically and consciously.

And then there is also this list: 

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/02/the-worlds-greatest-geniuses-are-vegetarians/

Looks like I'm in good company --they knew a good thing when they saw it & we only have history as proof. Cheers to geniuses & vegetarians (sometimes one in the same ;))! 

I chose Garbage and Waste as a category because I felt it would do me some good to be more conscious of what I use and consume. I recycled my plastic containers (from yogurt and such) and glass bottles from bottled iced tea and kombutcha like a mad woman. The plastic containers I used to store the large portions of food I had prepared for the upcoming weeks, and the glass bottles I used to transport green smoothies. As I stated earlier, whenever I finished a household item, I recycled the container and would purchase one that I knew to be from good sources from Rainbow.  I even bought a recycled plastic razor, which to be honest wasn't the best quality, but at least I could feel good about what I purchased. Speaking of purchasing, I did notice that a lot of these recycled items were more expensive than the regular items. 100% recycled paper was $12 which was about twice as much as non recycled paper at Office Depot. That's nuts and also probably why we haven't seen a major shift in consumers buying only recycled items. It can be rather frustrating, especially when you're trying to do your part. I also found that the sustainable items at Rainbow were pricier, but the better ingredients and policies in making them typically cost more as well. I'm reminded of The Story of Stuff and how cheaper products aren't necessarily cheaper to produce and also don't take into account external and overall costs. In the beginning of this lifestyle challenge my roommates and I were not composting, because of a fruit fly problem but I washed off the bin and brought it inside. Truth be told I felt guilty not composting for the couple weeks we didn't have the bin indoors. I also had told myself that I wouldn't purchase anything I didn't need this month, which honestly should be a general rule for life. Often times when you want to buy something new, like lets say for instance a winter sweater, you already have a couple in your closet that you've forgotten about. I was also inspired when shopping for a Halloween costume for a party the month before, to start shopping at thrift stores more often. There is so much to be found there at a really good price (well maybe not at the "trendy" second hand stores), though not brand new, it's still new to you. Whenever I want to get something new I usually have a rule that I have to get rid of (aka donate) three similar items. It's very helpful with spring cleaning. During this time my roommates and I had talked about getting rid of our old couch and getting a new one. Our old one, which was pretty beat up and ugly and had been in the apartment even before I moved in years ago, was perfectly fine and actually pretty comfortable. But just before Thanksgiving one of my roommates went a little spend thrift crazy and ended up buying a new one along with some other furniture items. She was hosting dinner at our place for her parents and a whole slew of coworkers, so it was important to her that the place look presentable. I made sure that we put the old couch out in the street instead of calling the garbage company to pick it up. It was gone over night. See, one person's trash is another person's treasure. And I do have to say the apartment looks lovely and the furnishings are an investment we'll have for some time. It's difficult to walk that balance of being really green and environmentally responsible yet still living in a consumer based culture. If I had it my way, we would have made sure that all the items were from green sources, but I wasn't the one purchasing them and realistically could probably not afford a green source for furniture considering how much the recycled paper was. On the carbon foot print for goods an services, I was far below the national average by about 82%, and I do believe it was because I hardly ever buy anything new these days. I hate shopping for anything other than groceries and it not only saves me a lot of money, but also time. And apparently this minimalistic way of life is far better for the environment. The slight changes I made are definitely things I can keep up, and will keep up, in the future.

My last category was Energy. I chose this to work on because a lot of the material we covered in class really surprised me about energy use and the effects it has on the environment. I thought I could be more conscious of how and why I used energy on a daily basis. I found myself turning off lights in other rooms that my roommates had left on (that's actually always been a pet peeve of mine, even as a kid I went around turning off light that weren't being used). I also wore layers around the house, so as not to have to use my space heater too often, but some days, especially toward the end of November and early December it just got too cold. I tried not to blow dry my hair on a daily basis, but unfortunately if I leave it to air dry and go out in the cold I get sick pretty easily. But I do only wash it a few times a week, meaning, as gross as it may sound, I usually just blow dry my hair right after a work out. I find that the less washings is not only a major time saver (and water saver!) but also much better for my hair. I was in the habit of leaving my iPhone, lap top & space heater on overnight, but didn't realize it was a waste of energy, so I began unplugging them. That's a pretty simple change to make. Also I've heard if you leave your smart phone pugged in it actually ruins the battery life overall. It is that time of year & I did end up puttying a tree up, but one made of books from my library. I've always wanted to do that and the light I used were LED lights. I found that though I thought I didn't use much energy, I totally do. I work out quite a bit and do cardio at the gym on machines for long lengths of time. I've thought of biking outdoors, but I'm a novice and hear it can be pretty dangerous if you're not accustomed to riding in the streets of SF. Drivers can be pretty aggressive. Recently a cyclist was killed on the route to my
gym. My roommate rides that way all the time  -scary stuff. Also running outdoors would be great for me and believe me I've tried, but I've had an ongoing problem with shin splints. So all my miles logged on the treadmill or stationary bike is where my thought of having an eco friendly gym. I know I exert a lot of energy on those machines, as do my fellow gym goers, and although there would be a loss of energy through the transfer, it's still something and much better than nothing. I was really stoked on that idea, so someday I gotta make it happen here in San Francisco (I looked into it and yes they are doing it in Oregon already, but not as good as I imagine it ;) ). I at least have to write a thesis paper on it. It would also combine my love for fitness, health and the environment. The changes I made are definitely applicable even after this project. Just being more aware of the energy I'm consuming is the first step. And realizing the energy and resources it takes for my actions in everyday life, producing, shipping and packaging of the foods I eat; the gasoline for my car*; the energy we use in our household, etc. Energy is a limited resource and it must be treated as such.

*Side note, I've considered trading in my car for an electric one, but I have to see what the overall cost of that would be. And I also recall your statement that nothing is without costs and consequences, but it's wise to see if the benefit outweighs the costs. If my Eco-score at this point dropped by 29 points, I can only imagine how much lower it would be!

My book Christmas tree with LED lights