I'm not proud of it, but I haven't always been the most active conservationist. I recycle when I can, and I don't litter, but I also drive a car daily when I'm at home, and don't think twice about it. There are surely things that I can do better, but I've been impressed with UNCW's (my home university) continuing efforts to be more "green"-- the recent addition of the Teaching Lab building was built using sustainable local materials, and the construction company diverted 84% of the debris from the project from ending up in landfills. The University is also pursuing LEED (Leadership in Engineering and & Environmental Design) certification for their efforts, including an on-site recycling program. Further, more that 15% of food that is served in UNCW dining halls is grown and purchased locally, cutting back on transportation costs, reducing the carbon footprint of said transportation, and also supporting the local farms and agricultural businesses of eastern NC.
If you've visited UNCW, then you know that many students choose to ride bikes to classes, and that nearby Wrightsville Beach has been noted as one of the most "fit communities" in the U.S. based on the amount of individuals who walk, bike, and run regularly outdoors. The area provides safe areas for these activities, which I truly believe directly correlates with the number of people getting out of their houses and being active, and using more eco-friendly methods of transportation, like biking, to get around. I believe that one of the main problems in many U.S. cities is a lack of pedestrian and bike-friendly roadways. I'd personally be much more likely to ride my bike as a mode of transportation in cities like my larger hometown of Winston-Salem if it were safe, and if the city weren't so spread out. Regardless, we can all do our part, even if it is just a small change, like recycling instead of throwing out cans.
With all of this bike talk, I wanted to share a program that James Cook (the uni where I'm studying abroad) uses, in order to get more students to use bikes instead of cars. The town of Townsville is much too large for me to consider biking on a large scale, but this program certainly makes me more inclined to take a bike to class, rather than driving across campus (not that I really have a choice, since I don't have a car here, but stay with me).
The Eco Bike Share program makes it easy for students like me, who don't want to buy a bike for just half a year, but might occasionally want or need to use one. You just run into the office at your residence hall, pay a $20 fee (that covers your future bike rides too, as long as you return them each time), and the bike is yours for 24 hours. How awesome is that? The only downside to bike-riding at JCU that I've found so far is that they require you to wear helmets (I like my hair...), which we don't have to do in Wilmington, but I haven't actually seen everyone following this rule. Either way, I think its a convenient and eco-friendly way to provide quick transportation, without having to shell out a few hundred bucks for a bike & then figure out what to do with it when you move home. Also, it provides a fun, green alternative to traditional JCU students with cars, who might decide to take a bike ride for the day instead of driving. Every little bit helps the environment. I think it's a great initiative all-around, and one that UNCW should look into with the number of bike riders that frequent campus.
Another major way that I'm cutting back on my carbon footprint is by being forced to use public transportation everywhere that I go in the city. If you've read my previous post, you know that I've had a struggle or two with the bus system, but I'm finally starting to get the hang of it. I'll be a professional soon, but I'm glad that I'm learning this life skill that I probably wouldn't have had to learn otherwise. What's cool (and eco friendly) about Townsville is that a lot of people use public transportation as their main method of getting to the main local spots. At night time, it's SO much cheaper than the taxi rides I'm used to at home ($3.00 max... although I make up for it cost-wise because alcohol is so much more expensive here), but it's refreshing still, to see locals making a choice to reduce their carbon footprint by sharing a bus with others, rather than just jumping in their cars.
Taking the bus with some of my amazing new friends
I'm attempting to make this blog more about topics and experiences that I find interesting, rather than just doing the typical study-abroad blog where I drone on and on about what I did each day-- so even if the environment isn't your thing, I hope you'll find some part of this at least mildly interesting. I'll work on a more entertaining post to come.
Friday, we're visiting the Billabong koala sanctuary (as I'm typing this, I feel like I'm turning into an environmental granola...if you know me, I know you're laughing). Anyway, there should be some great photos and some interesting stories from that trip--
xoxo-- missing many of you terribly already,
-A
