Design

After reading about West Village and Village Homes, I was mostly surprised by all the seemingly cheap, efficient, sustainable, easy solutions that exist. Especially when reading the chapter on Village Homes, it seemed that the hardest part was convincing the local government that it would work, and adding a few feet to the streets. The creators of Village Homes seemed to have answers to any issue, and they all worked! I would be interested in learning more about the setbacks and severe problems they faced (if any), or their reasoning for why ALL OF AMERICA doesn't live this way. The water collection and movement systems, the orientation of the neighborhood, the plants and vegetables growing everywhere, the building materials...it all seems perfect.

I do wonder, however, how many people would live there who weren't already interested in being sustainable. How applicable and attractive is this type of living to the greater community? Of California? Of the country? Of the world?

In regards to West Village, I wonder how much of their plan they are taking directly from Village Homes. What went wrong (or didn't work as well as planned) with Village homes that they are hoping to improve upon with West Village? I like that in West Village they are having different kinds of housing options, like for students, small families, single people, etc. In the chapter on Village Homes it said that because everyone wants to live there it has gotten really expensive, too much for the lower income families it often attracts.

Transportation

Walking: Walking is pretty sustainable. You are only using your own energy (so you get exercise), and depending on what you use to get your energy (ie local, organic, vegetarian food), it can be very eco-friendly. It's free too! You can walk anywhere (especially on campus) because people can fit through much smaller spaces than cars or even bikes.

The other thing I like about walking places is that it is slow...you can look around at the nature (squirrels!) or people you pass (or are passed by), you can listen to your music, think about your day, or just think about the walk. The thing I don't like about walking is that it takes forever! Walking to class takes 10 to 15 minutes, depending on where it is. If you're already the type of person who runs late, walking makes it that much worse. When I walked to class earlier this week, I noticed very few people walking. Most people on campus bike wherever they go (myself included). However, I have a few friends who strongly dislike biking and try to walk everywhere.

Biking: I like to bike places when they are close but I want to get there quickly. As long as you take into account the environmental cost of the bike and it's production, it is a pretty sustainable mode of transportation. You use your own energy (see the above point) and don't buy gas! Parking for bikes is very prevalent (part of Davis culture), so you don't need to worry about that.

When biking, I usually try to focus on not running into people. It seems that everyone in Davis owns a bike and uses it, especially during passing period in centrally located bike circles. It is great that Davis has such a culture of biking...where I'm from (San Diego) everyone drives EVERYWHERE. My brothers used to walk to school (about a mile) and were often referred to as "those European kids who walk everywhere." When I knew I was coming to Davis, one of the first things I thought about was "where am I going to get a bike?" Luckily, my grandma had one she never used, so I was able to refrain from buying a new one, which was better for the environment and my bank account. I was excited to be part of such a progressive culture where everyone biked.

Bus: I don't like taking the bus. I've only taken the one up here a few times, to and from the airport, and I was carrying a lot of bags so maybe that's why (I need lots of stuff, okay!?) but it seems crowded and slightly dirty and depressing. Nobody is friendly, and although you aren't driving there aren't many interesting things to look at or do. Also, the bus seems to put out a lot of exhaust. It is free however, and if I lived far off campus I would probably use it more. It is better to share a large car with a bunch of other people than take a bunch of cars that each have one person in them.

Car: I don't own a car, but one of my friends does so my friends and I sometimes use it, either to visit home or go to neighboring cities. We feel bad when we use it, especially when filling it up, but it is the only way to get home! We usually have it pretty full though (carpool!), so that's good. And it is used pretty infrequently.

I think the "best" mode of transportation to use depends on people's personal needs (and proximity to their destination) but it is important to be informed of your choices.

Sustain your space

According to http://www.coolcalifornia.org/calculator,

My "TOTAL carbon footprint is 74% of comparable households, and 362% of the global average.

These emissions are the equivalent of burning 50 barrels of oil,
or driving 4 typical 25 mpg cars 10,000 miles per year."

I had the best score in transportation, somewhat unsurprisingly as I do not own a car, and rarely go anywhere that is farther than my bike can take me. I do fly a lot, perhaps more than the average person, because of my travel to and from my home. In terms of food and electricity consumed, I really don't have any idea what I use (or eat) so I left that as the average Californian. Living in the dorms is probably pretty sustainable because we share a lot of the resources, like heating (walls) and bathrooms. Also, our personal spaces are pretty small.

It is shocking to find that a mostly average Californian is 362% of the global average. We consume so much more than is really fair! I don't know how the other nations haven't held an uprising!

I think eating less meat (although I don't really eat that much!) would be a good way for me to cut down on my carbon. The food at the DC is usually pretty locally sourced, so that's good.

Also, my roommate and I are kind of addicted to the thermostat. It only changes by like 4 degrees, but it makes a huge difference to us, since we are from San Diego and not used to this whole weather thing! Probably not the most eco-friendly as we stay in shorts and t-shirts inside when it is overcoat/hat/scarves/gloves/2 pairs of pants time outside. Using the thermostat less would be a good (but hard) way for us to cut down on our footprint.

In terms of the entire state/country/world? I think the best thing to do is to change our transportation methods. Biking is best! Not driving would save so much unsustainable carbon emissions from going into the atmosphere.

In terms of toxicity, I already know that all of the products I use on a daily basis (some of the party makeup or perfume I have gotten as gifts doesn't apply) are 1's or 2's on the scale. I had a full on freak out session earlier this year (at the end of senior year) when I read an article in Newsweek or Time about how bad our makeup and other toiletries were. I immediately stopped wearing makeup (which was hard!), lotion (I switched to olive oil) and using my aluminum-filled deodorant (luckily I had a crystal one that was safe). For my birthday in August, my mom bought me all new (and safe) makeup, deodorant, lotion, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, shaving cream, soap, etc. I know I haven't cut out all toxic products, because of the few occasions I use something not as "safe," like hair dye or nail polish, as well as in my food or plastics or clothing or whatever, but I feel that the cosmetics I was putting on my skin, in my mouth, or in my eyes were one of the biggest ways I was encountering toxicity.