Ecological Footprint UPDATE

Ecological Footprint UPDATE:

Things that I wanted to improve:

1. Unplugging electronics when not in use (turning off power strip)
2. Turning off my computer when not in use
3. Buying more products with less packaging to decrease waste
4. Take public transportation more frequently (at least 2-3 times a week)
5. Buy more local food (go to Bellingham Farmer's Market)
6. -Only have one bag of trash every 2 weeks

 EDIT:
(New goals for this week 04/8-4/14)
*Only buy ONE plastic bottle beverage a week
- Eat meat only once a week (on-going this week)
*Take water bottle to class every day (no drink purchases at school) 

Changes I have made (so far):

-Every time I'm done using my curling iron/straightener I make sure to unplug it and I have turned off my power strips every time I leave the house and unplug all appliances (except my fridge for obvious reasons and my clock)

-I made leaving my computer on a habit, but now instead of having it hibernate/sleep, I simply shut it down

-I still have a hard time not buying products with a lot of packaging, but I have gotten a LOT better. I now only buy a bottled/plastic or glass container beverage once a week (this includes iced lattes, bottled soda, glass bottled beverages). I struggled with this the week I had the flu (I bought a few plastic Gatorade bottles to help me recover, sadly...)

-I have been to the Farmer's Market twice since it opened and have bought some local food, but there is definitely room for improvement in this area.

-My meat consumption has been cut in half and I want to cut it down to once a week. This one has been the hardest to improve.

New Goals:

Bring reusable bags to grocery stores (cut down plastic bags to 2-3, this being the case if I accidentally forget to bring my bag) 

Take the bus when going to the grocery store (I walk to class and to the farmer's market, but I never take the bus to go to other places)

Try eating completely vegetarian (not vegan) for at LEAST one week

Things I've eaten so far this week to help me eat vegetarian:

• Eggs
• Grilled cheese
• Pasta with alfredo (no chicken)
• Salad 
• Snacks (fruit snacks, granola, Chex Mix)
• Rice
• Thai food (with fried tofu substituted)
• PB&J
• Cereal

It surprisingly hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be so far. COMPLETED!

Take advantage of natural lighting or study outside