James Sadler

The items I most frequently use are plastic cups (the cold ones), straws, and plastic bags. All of these items could be substituted or gone without, especially in the case of plastic bags or straws. As a part of this challenge, I have found that grocery shopping has changed dramatically as I am now placing produce directly in my cart as opposed to using plastic bags the grocery store provides. In addition, I have always brought my own bags, but in the event that not all of my items fit into the bag, I have used paper bags to fill whatever was left. The other day, I decided to say no to any bags, and walked home with my hands full of whatever didn't fit into my bags. For the coffee cup dilemma, I know that I need to be more cognizant of my reusable cup and remember to bring it everywhere with me.

People in wealthier countries eat more meat than those in other locations because the process for raising livestock is much more expensive. As opposed to growing fruits, vegetables, and grains, whose growth requires the land and a few other components, livestock raising requires the production of a crop for the animal to eat before the meat can be sold, resulting in a waste of the calorie potential of that parcel of land. If there were no demand for meat production, there would be enough available land to produce enough food for everyone on the planet. Therefore, the production of meat for the consumption of the wealthy results in both an environmental and social problem.

While I do concede that a large portion of my transportation is motor powered, 90+% of that is public transportation, which is largely powered through alternative energy. Even so, the benefits to muscle-powered transportation are both personal and large-scale: through this mode of getting around, we are physically improving our bodies while also making strides toward the protection of our environment. Unfortunately, my bike was stolen about a year ago, so in the mean time I could utilize Divvy bikes to get around. Or, in the short time we have left before it becomes uncomfortable, I can walk around more. If I have the leisure of spare time, I usually try and walk as much as possible. Since the start of this challenge, I have been trying to walk home from work more, which has been a good opportunity to avoid motor-powered transportation and also invest more time in listening to podcasts and music.

While systemic racism is an issue that is far too large for an individual to tackle on their own, the best way that I can help to mitigate racial inequality is to empower existing businesses owned/operated by people of color. Just last week, I found a minority-owned coffee shop down the road from me and have been visiting back to do homework weekly. Supporting a business like this as opposed to a corporate chain feels so much better not only for the quality of product but also the social impact of my decision to support them. On the subject of increasing the number of MBEs, I could contact local government through the mayor's office or aldermen in an attempt to lobby them in favor of minorities seeking entrepreneurship. Or, devote my resources (either time or money) to existing nonprofit organizations that seek to empower minorities and their businesses. On the national scale, I could do the same thing, but more immediately I can vote for candidates that have explicit policies that plan to tackle racial inequality on their platforms.

The main thing that stands in my way from using a reusable mug is my memory. As I'm shuffling around in the morning, it is a strong possibility that I will forget my mug before running out the door, or even worse, forget to wash out my mug over the weekend only to be greeted with a gross mug on Monday. Since the start of this challenge, I have been washing my mug every night and making coffee first thing in the morning, which has made it much easier to remember to grab and refill throughout the day. The small shift of my routine has made me better at saving money and helping to eliminate single-use cups as I fuel my caffeine addiction, guilt-free.