CCT434W01


 * Week 1: 09/08/11

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 * CCT434 In Class Tutorial #1: ‘No Impact Man’ Documentary Questions **
 * 1. List the ways in which “No Impact Man” changes his family’s lifestyle. **

= = 1. Limiting food sources to 250 km radius. By eating locally, the Beavan family is forced to eat products that are available seasonally. Their diet is constricted to root vegetables, all meat is avoided as well as coffee as it is grown in various parts of the world at a considerable distance from their home in NYC. This sacrifice allows the Beavan family to avoid the carbon emissions associated with the 1,500 km distance most food products travel to reach the consumer. = =

= = 2. Switching to a vegetarian diet. By cutting beef out of your diet, Colin claims that you will reduce your CO ₂  emissions by 2,400 pounds annually ([|www.noimpactdoc.com]). *Michele’s pre-diabetes condition was also reversed by the Beavan family’s changes in eating patterns. = =

= = 3. Avoiding Trash, specifically in the form of disposable products. By abiding by the outline of minimum consumption, the family is also extending this to products which many would assume to be a necessity. No toilet paper, disposable diapers, disposable razors, etc. = =

= = 4. The Beavan family also used an active compost consisting of live worms to defer waste from landfills. = =

= = 5. When it comes to consumption, the Beavans must borrow, rent, or use what they have available to them; it is crucial that they do not purchase them new. *Buying used items was also an option. = =

= = 6. Avoiding the purchase/use of harmful cleaning products. The Beavans must make use of more natural products such as baking soda and vinegar to clean their home. Cosmetics were also removed from the Beavan’s household for the harmful ingredients these products contain. = =

= = 7. Avoiding CO ₂  producing transportation including personal vehicles, taxis, buses, subways, airplanes, etc. = =

= = 8. Reduce energy and going “off the grid”. The first item to go was the television; the family also removes all incandescent lights (presumably replaced with fluorescent). Elevators are also avoided as they are an unnecessary use of energy. = =

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 * 2. Describe which of the family’s actions made the most significant impact in achieving Bevan’s goals. **

= = One of the most dramatic changes for the viewer to witness would be the family’s personal reduction of waste in the course of the experiment. Their entire lifestyle was impacted by this action as it required an overall consciousness of what waste their family was creating. The scene where Colin shows the viewer the waste basket with two weeks’ worth of garbage was very effective in proving the success of this objective. = =

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">3. Beavan traces much of our wasteful culture back to consumerism and the “hedonic treadmill,” the notion that there is always something better out there than what was just purchased. Can you identify purchases or habits in your own life that fit this psychological profile? What consumer products truly improve your life? What are the true necessities? What could you do without altogether? To learn more about the relationship between consuming responsibly and enhancing overall quality of life, visit the Center for a New American Dream ([|http://newdream.org]) and take a look at Buy Nothing Day (www.buynothingday.org) and the Alternative Gift Registry **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">([|www.alternativegiftregistry.org]). **

= = <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">I am learning a lot about my consumption habits from my recent move from my hometown of Sarnia to Mississauga for my third year of school. What I have noticed is that my consumption reflects somewhat of a hoarding tendency in which I have noticed I possess many products for the mere sake of convenience. Amongst many items stored in the garage for the fall were an electric pencil sharpener, a plastic lamp/pencil organizer combination, a regular plastic pencil organizer, and an ever growing supply of lined paper. The surplus of school supplies I have at my disposal serve as a sense of security, feeling well-prepared, yet few if any of these items employ sustainable practices and maintain a regard for the earth’s resources. This summer I had attempted to consume more consciously yet discovering all of these unnecessary items was quite discouraging. A couple of consumer products that truly improve my life would be my collection of musical instruments for leisure and entertainment use, as well as my computer for various academic, entertainment, social, and artistic uses. Consumer items which maintain an essential purpose in today’s society would be basic clothing, food, and hygiene items. I personally could do without many of the products I predominately use for school including white and lined paper, inkjet printer, agenda, and textbooks. I could also do without cosmetic and beauty objects such as my make-up, hair dryer and flat iron. = =

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">4. Beavan runs into many situations in //No Impact Man// regarding the profusion of **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">packaging waste: paper or plastic at the grocery store, paper plates at the pizza joint, delivery in Styrofoam clamshells. How much packaging waste do you accumulate? How does your community manage landfills and recycling programs? Should it be up to individuals, businesses, or governments to reduce waste? One way to help is to take the Pledge to Break the Bottled Water Habit, organized by the Center for a New American Dream ([|http://water.newdream.org]). **

= = <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">I share a townhouse with 3 other students and we actively recycle and compost using both the blue box and the green bin every week. That being said, the ‘On-The-Go’ student lifestyle has resulted in my personal accumulation of packaging waste from fast-food and individually wrapped snack food. I try to avoid the use of Styrofoam in any form with the knowledge that it does not decompose. I think the mandate to reduce waste should be a group effort of individuals, businesses and governments. It is important to uphold the principle that the individual can have a positive influence while also demanding that businesses abide by reasonable regulations as it is unfair for a specific few to profit from the resources created by earth. = =

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">5. Beavan’s experiment took green living to an extreme. If you were to choose just **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">a few of his actions to implement in your own life, what would they be? Which **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">conveniences or behaviors should society change in order to reduce our collective **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">environmental impact? **

= = <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">A few actions from No Impact Man that I intend to adapt to my own life include partaking in conscious consumption, lessening waste, and buying food locally (weekly trips to the Mississauga farmer’s market at Square One). *As a student, alternate transportation is a given via bicycle, foot, or transit. In order to reduce our collective environmental impact, society’s expectations of personal appearance should be rethought. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reflect in one’s appearance more so than superficial beauty products and brand name clothing manufactured by inequitable means, not to mention the harmful chemicals which hygiene products release into our public water system. Another societal change could be extended to the fast paced lifestyle that is presented to North American culture as a selling point. By moderating this trend, fast-food restaurants, elevator/escalators, wireless devices, personal vehicles, and an assortment of disposable products could be avoided to lessen our collective environmental impact. = =

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">6. Happiness forms a theme in //No Impact Man//. Would you be happier if you **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">slowed down, dispensed with the instant conveniences, and did more things the old fashioned way? What are your options for slowing down? What holds you back? **

= = <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">From my perspective, it would be difficult to adjust to the “old fashioned” way of living with a fixed budget (no income) and a restricted amount of time with the majority being focused on schooling. I think I would be happier by slowing down, but I feel that both time and money are important variables that would keep me from adapting to the lifestyle which No Impact Man enjoys. It is astonishing to think that Colin, Michele, and their daughter were able to make time to purchase and prepare local/seasonal food, clean an extensive amount of material that they successfully diverted from landfills, all while maintaining personal friendships and full-time careers. At this time in my life, I feel the ability to slow down and meet the aspects of that lifestyle is limited by my need to pursue my education wholeheartedly. = =

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">7. Colin Beavan’s experiment is similar to Henry David Thoreau’s sojourn to **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Walden Pond in the mid-nineteenth century. Is it human nature to want a simpler **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">life (Thoreau craved it before the Industrial Revolution), or is it natural to want to be a consumer? What difference did it make when Thoreau decided to remove himself from society, while Beavan consciously remained an active part of his community? How would the No Impact experiment look in a rural location? What were the challenges and benefits of performing the experiment in New York City, or Toronto? **

= = <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">I would assume that the interest in consumption has been socially constructed as for hundreds of years our species engaged in a nomadic lifestyle. Human nature definitely reacts to the metanarrative that is presented to them, which is currently that of consumption. By withdrawing one’s self from society, pressure and criticism would be less apparent; however, the ‘socially-connected’ fabric of society would be difficult to detach from. The Beavan’s experiment was the subject of some harsh scrutiny (specifically his decision to publically broadcast his lifestyle). However, his dedication to remain active in the community and to enjoy the company of people instead of the television seemed to negate the abstract criticism of his peers. The No Impact experiment would look quite different in a rural location. Although locally grown food would be more accessible, transportation via foot and bicycle would be more demanding as rural fabrics are very spread-out. I would assume that there are some rural communities that indulge in the No Impact lifestyle without directly realizing it and would receive little to no recognition from peers. A large urban city such as Toronto would provide many challenges to those wishing to engage in an eco-friendly lifestyle as the effects of your actions could be easily swamped with the negative impact of the masses. Distractions from the consumer culture would be omnipresent and it would be difficult to focus on the objectives of the experiment. The benefits of having a dense urban landscape would include the inspiration and necessity to use alternate transportation as well as having a local community available at your doorstep. = =

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 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">8. For most people, giving up a car would be a complicated life change. Impact Man aspires to give up all fossil-fuel transportation. What would be your biggest adjustments if you sold your car, gave up taxis, buses, trains, and planes, and commuted entirely by bike or on foot? What would spur you to do this? What would the drawbacks be? The Alliance for Biking and Walking (www. peoplepoweredmovement.org) has great tips for making this change, including how **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">to create communities that are practical and safe for bicyclists and pedestrians. Is it possible to do this in the Mississauga/Oakville area? **

= = <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">The answer to this question is two-fold. During the school year (September to April) I have no option but to bus, walk, or bike. UTM, friends’ houses, and a selection of grocery stores are within walking distance to the school. For the most part, I could apply the ‘people powered movement’ to my lifestyle as a student. However, I would find attending class in Oakville to be quite a challenge as I am not an avid cyclist and at present I do not feel secure cycling alongside vehicles on the road. Other destinations (Toronto, Sarnia) would be difficult if not impossible to achieve without the use of fossil fuels. In the summer I have unfortunately learned to depend on my car to transport me between jobs, errands, and social events. Drawbacks could be in the time lost by cycling as opposed to driving as well as the physical use of energy required to commute when already filling a day with activity. Yet, I think that with dedication, practice, and time management, this movement could be applied (at least to some degree) to commuters in both Oakville and Mississauga as traffic is generally uncongested and safe. = = ||