Starting to make my footprint

This week started off rough. We had to go on a three-day retreat that claimed to be in the woods but was adorned with paved roads and air-conditioned cabins (to the point of making me catch a cold). The first day was extremely long, and we weren't given a moment to breathe until 9pm. Before dinner we had just 10 minutes to sit down and finally relax before they forced us to play yet another group-game as the food was being prepared. I participated for a decent amount of time, and then I left the circle and started fiddling with my guitar on a neighboring deck. Some people joined me and we chatted and were bonding, and just as we started having a real conversation someone came over and told us to rejoin the group for the next activity. I couldn't refrain from expressing my frustration, but put down my guitar nonetheless. The activity, not surprisingly, didn't end up being important at all. In fact, it was the least organized we had yet experienced: we divided up into three groups and each group had to come up with its own game to play and then present to the entire group. I wanted to scream. To make things even worse, at 10 pm we were forced to go to bed. At 15, at art camp, we did not have a bedtime, but here, as an adult, I am forced to go to bed earlier than most go to bed regularly.
But it is over now, and today, our first day back, was wonderful. The morning was very productive as we brainstormed with our groups on possible projects and community resources.
OH! I forgot to tell you what team I'm on! I'm part of the program called Whole School Whole Child, where I will be acting as a teacher's aid during the day and producing after school programs, as well as developing community projects in and around the school. I'm very very excited. I have a wonderful team and team-leader, all very laid back yet motivated. I can hardly wait to get started for real!
Back to why today was good: In the afternoon we met with the board of directors for this region of City Year. I mentioned that I was disappointed with the lack of environmental consciousness and was wondering why there were no policies already in place. The response came that I could change the policies here in Louisiana, and maybe by next year they will be policy in all of City Year. After the meeting the manager of the Young Heroes program approached me to say that he and another corps member applied for and received a hefty grant last year for Baton Rouge to improve the environmental practices of the organization, and I should make a list of ideas I have as to how we could improve.
I came home oozing with ideas and sat for about 2 hours brainstorming. I got so excited that I wrote a mission statement too. City Year tells us that it is important that we leave a legacy both as an organization and as individuals. I have a hunch that this will be mine. I'll keep you posted on further developments.
Hope all is well on your sides of the world, peace and love,
Katerina

Here is a copy of the letter I sent the manager this evening:

Why Should City Year Adopt Eco-Friendly Policies:
It is imperative that City Year, as a socially conscious, idealist organization, adopt the following policies. The excessive consumption of Western society, especially of the USA, is the primary contributing factor to the global-warming crisis that has lead to disasters such as Katrina. Yet, the main reason for this over-consumption is simply ignorance of alternative practices.
If City Year makes it its policy to be as environmentally-friendly as possible in everyday practices, it will not only make a difference as an organization, but many corps members and staff will adopt such practices in their own lives. In addition, through an active policy, City Year can help spread awareness to the schools, children, and communities that we serve.
If City Year claims to be as socially responsible as possible, it is necessary to also be environmentally responsible and spread awareness. People need to recognize it is not only the responsibility of the government to prevent environmental disaster, but also of vital importance that individual citizens change their habits. It seems to me that this is exactly what City Year is all about.


Environmentally Conscious Actions to Implement at City Year:
• An anti-paper-towel policy/ a supply of rags and dishcloths

• No more Styrofoam!!! (or disposable plastic for that matter)
• The use of reusable/washable, rather than disposable, cups, plates, and silverware. Everyone could be given a dish and cup to use. In addition, corps members and staff should be encouraged to supply their own to reduce consumption further.
Another possibility would be to have a supply permanently at City Year, to reduce the possibility of forgetfulness of Corps members. In the event of a retreat or similar event, there could be a rotation of a clean-up crew to wash dishes in a water-conserving manner (one sink filled with water to wash, a second sink filled with water to rinse, thereby minimizing water-consumption via running tap-water or inefficient washing machines.) Having members participate in this would be a good way to help them learn to practice environmentally friendly habits kinesthetically.
• Reusable water bottles for all corps members, as a required part of the uniform, to reduce plastic-bottle consumption
• Brita or other water filters always available to fill said water bottles
• Re-usable water bottles for the children City-Year serves
• Use of eco-friendly detergent products, such as Seventh Generation.

• Minimized air-conditioning. It is understandable that there should be some, but it is entirely unnecessary to have it turned up so high that one has to bring a sweatshirt to spend the day inside when one would be sweating outside in summer-clothes.
• Signs or stickers by all light-switches reminding people to extinguish them when not in use.
→The eventual use of motion-sensitive lights that turn off when room is empty.
• Signs or stickers at all water faucets to remind people to turn them off while washing hands.
→The eventual use of motion-sensor faucets.
• Warm-air hand dryers in bathrooms

• Recycling bins next to all garbage cans to make recycling convenient
• Compost buckets at City-Year offices and in schools
• Encouraging City Year members to bring in their recyclable goods and compost if they are unable to implement such practices in their private homes due to cost.

• Education for all corps members about awareness of consumption and the benefits of environmentally-friendly practices, (especially as we are in Louisiana, people should be made aware that it is vital to adopt more modest forms of consumption if we are to slow-down global-warming and avoid more hurricanes)

• A commitment to, and regular use of the motto: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” and an explanation as to its meaning.

• Portable dry-erase boards to replace the large post-it paper pads
• Boxes to put re-usable wastepaper (where one side is still blank), and the use of this paper whenever possible, (for example: in getting-to-know-you games, brainstorming lists, hand-outs that are not already printed double-sided).
• The use of as much recycled paper as possible
• The practice of printing all materials double-sided
• A reduction of unnecessary handouts-for example, the schedule. Instead of printing more than enough, print less so people who live together can share. Another, even preferable possibility (still using the schedule as an example,) would be to write it on a large and accessible dry-erase board, and if someone wants to copy it down for themselves they can do so.
• Re-use of all cardboard -from goldfish or any other boxes- for any signs needed etc.

• An annual Earth-Day (Earth Week!? Earth Month!!?) event

• A supply of cloth shopping bags at offices and in all vehicles. This would make the practice of not consuming plastic-bags visible to the public.

• The goal to use only bio-diesel or other forms of environmentally friendly vehicles when purchasing them in the future. Information on this can be found at: http://www.biodiesel.org/

• More thought behind where food is coming from.
In-organic food may be less expensive, but the pesticides that are used are extremely harmful to the environment. Furthermore, purchasing locally-grown food supports local farmers and discourages mass-production (which tends to lead to environmentally un-friendly farming practices.) Purchasing non-local food also reduces its nutritional value, and leads to more fuel-waste and CO2 emissions emitted during transportation.

• Every City Year corps member should plant at least 10 trees in order to graduate