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ENGLISH 23

(A.K.A. CLIMATE CRISIS 101)


Deep Dive

Drawing down greenhouse gas emissions by being the change

In 2 years, he was able to lower his carbon emissions by 80%, which is a very impressive feat.


A similarity I saw between Ken’s lectures and from this chapter is reducing flying because of its huge impact. In addition, Kalmus provides good reasons of why he prefers slow travel that I think are underappreciated in our lifestyles now; he says slow travel allows him to connect with the local communities more while having more of an adventure. He also notes that flying can spread diseases in a pandemic- like we have witnessed with the coronavirus.

[Kalmus: “modern air travel is the ideal way for a local outbreak to spread into a pandemic”]


I think what really stuck out to me in this reading was the author appealing to the audience as a human and not a scientist. I think people can feel discouraged or reluctant to listen to someone so knowledgeable who uses advanced vocabulary they don’t understand. I like how he wrote things simply and listed things that the everyday person could do to make a difference. I just hope that by us citizens demanding changes our nation as a whole will evolve and with collective action, we will be able to fight this crisis.


This reading (and the film) shows how every day people can change their habits and practices in order to help the planet. I thought it was interesting to see how to calculate my footprint, although I am terrible at math and have not been keeping track of how many miles I drive, how many times my family does laundry in a month, etc. Websites that show your carbon footprint are really helpful in that regard…


When Kalmus admitted that one person’s reduction of greenhouse gas emissions may feel like a small drop of change in a vast sea, I didn’t really understand why it was so important to him to make these personal changes. Some people may ask, why make an effort when it won’t make a difference? But, I found that Kalmus explained it perfectly. One, he finds joy and a deeper connection with people and the environment when producing less greenhouse gas emissions. Two, it aligns with his personal principles. Finally, he believes this really does help indirectly. I think Kalmus is right, showing others how much you care for the environment, will probably inspire them to change. Reading Kalmus’ experiences, makes a sustainable lifestyle seem approachable and rewarding. He states that he spends $4,000 per year on goods and even on the stuff he buys at target, which is something I relate to. He shows us that we can still buy the things we need and live sustainably. I also loved how Kalmus mentioned that his main food source comes from trading surpluses, freeganism, and growing his own food. As Kalmus states, a lot of the emissions of food comes from growing, processing, packaging, and distributing it, so I would love to expand my small garden one day to produce a lot of my own food. If myself and others were to do this, we would not only appreciate the source more, but we would help reduce the 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions produced from food.


I want to focus on one particular subject you have mentioned, which is Peter Kalmus’ proposal of a carbon fee. Personally, I believe it’s a great measure, but by no means perfect. For example, people may still choose to buy the taxed products if the corporations advertise them as being a necessity to people, and to cut the cost imposed by the taxes, corporations might choose to cut costs in other ways, such as choosing cheaper labor and resources, which is usually not a good thing. It is obvious that for the carbon fee to work most efficiently, corporation behaviors need to be strictly regulated, and the public needs to be more clearly informed about the environmental costs of each products. But even if the carbon fee plan has problems, it’s still the best plan for now. As Kalmus has said in the book, he is walking the middle path, and a carbon fee would only be the first step. It has been proved effective in smaller scales, such as the example of British Columbia mentioned in the book. But clearly, to impose it on a larger scale, on the entire United States, there is still more work to be done, from the individual level all the way up to the government. Ultimately, what is required is that every person can voluntarily make the right choice, and a carbon fee points at the right direction down this path. This will be hard, but Kalmus’ book has already explained a lot that is required for people to move down this path, allowing them to evaluate their own personal carbon footprints and make individualized plans to reduce them. But for now, during this crucial transition period, everything that can help should be considered, and acted upon immediately. However, at the meantime, we must also keep track of all the problems it might bring. This would be the only way to deal with the climate crisis, or any other issue most effectively.


I find Peter Kalmus’s attention to detail remarkable. His actions to reduce his energy consumption are mainly achieved at the micro-level. So, when Ken asks, “What changes that Kalmus made intrigue you the most?” Immediately, I thought of his approach of questioning different actions in his day-to-day life and figuring out the carbon emissions that each produce. I feel motivated to do the same…


While I was reading the chapters from Being the Change, I read something so pertinent that I stopped reading and put it in my journal. Kalmus writes: “If you choose flying, go forth and fly. But please don’t pretend your life is sustainable”. Ever since learning about the extreme climate impact of air travel, it’s felt like forbidden information. If I didn’t know how much GHG emissions I was directly responsible for when I travel via plane, then I wouldn’t have to feel so incredibly guilty about it. One of my number one goals in life is to travel. In my dream life I’d never be sedentary; I’d be constantly nomadic, jetting off to a new place every month. Kalmus highlights the importance of personal action, and for my entire adult life I’ve agreed and tried to live as sustainably as I can. But then he really punches me in the gut. He tells me if I fly then I can’t consider my life environmentally sustainable. He’s right, and Ken is right and flying frequently isn’t a goal I should aspire to. Maybe it’s time to rethink my life goals. Maybe instead of visiting a new far-off place every month, my dream life consists of living smack dab in the middle of every continent for 5 years at a time. Then I only take a plane once every 5 years, and I can just train everywhere. That sounds really cool. This is the major theme I take away from the reading: in the future I can make choices that challenge cultural aspirations, but still lead to a fulfilling life (perhaps even more so than the status-quo). I want to live like Kalmus, he seems happier than most and he’s actually making a difference in the world. I don’t want to become somebody that says they care about the planet, but then knowingly takes selfish actions that harm it. I want to be the change.


I always try to be as environmentally conscious as possible, and reading these excerpts made me realize that there are always more ways that I can cut down on my carbon emissions. One of the things that I’ve always enjoyed doing is talking and driving around town with my sister and mom. However, this is obviously a very wasteful way of spending time with family and sadly produces unnecessary CO2. Since the pandemic, however, my mom, sister, and I have started walking in the mornings. Sometimes we drive to different locations, so in that sense we still emit CO2, but we spend time walking and enjoying being outside where we would instead have increased our carbon footprints. These readings have inspired me to continue making changes in my lifestyle; I’m already vegan and rarely fly, but I enjoy finding new ways that can cut down on my CO2 emissions. Cutting out unhealthy aspects of my routine actually make me happier, especially since I know that I’m helping the planet!


Reading chapters from Peter Kalmus’ book, “Being The Change”, was an interesting medium to hear more of Kalmus’ ideas on tackling one’s climate footprint just a week after watching a documentary on his personal impacts. I was critical of the film. I felt as if it was filled with self aggrandizing segments that had more to do with Peter’s ideas of himself than the greater climate movement. These chapters were the opposite. They were critical of anyone who even slightly justified their reasons for emitting carbon. My favorite was the nurse who makes trip to Africa to assist under resourced women during child births. She felt guilty about flying to do what just about anyone would see as a noble profession. He essentially told her that she should feel guilty. If she cared so much she should just move there; otherwise, find ways to help your own community. I loved the ferocity and brevity that Kalmus used in guiding people on how to act. People always talk about the urgency of the climate crisis, but even some of the greatest defenders of our planet make concessions for certain actions, Kalmus did not, and it made everything feel so much more pressing than other orators of the movement.


I also thought it was interesting that the average American’s largest climate impact is car use. This is probably the case for me as well since I come from Palo Alto, a suburban city where everyone basically drives everywhere. When living in Palo Alto, it was really hard for me to give up driving (hence I never really succeeded in doing so) because everything is somewhat spaced out and the bike lanes are tiny. However, I just moved to IV in January and find that I almost never need to use a car. Because IV is relatively small and there is a massive biking culture, biking places just makes sense. I think this further proves how important it is for changes to be made that discourage driving and encourage modes of transportation like biking because a change in culture and infrastructure is extremely impactful.


This weeks reading stressed me out, made me feel guilty, but also enlightened me and will prevent me from making some of my daily decisions that contribute to climate change. I am from Montclair, New Jersey- a nice suburb about 30 mins from New York City. I live in a medium size house with my mom and my sister. I like to think of us as environmentally conscious, as my mom has worked on climate change her whole life and has raised my sister and I to not leave the lights on when they don’t need to be and other little things like that. However after reading all the facts in this weeks reading I realized we are not doing anywhere near a perfect job. There are mannyyy ways we could adjust our lifestyle to reduce our emissions significantly (even just by having the washer and dryer on!) I do not think many people realize how big of an impact just living in your house has on the environment. Now in Isla Vista, I notice I am using way less electricity and heat because the natural climate and light is more than enough for my apartment. I think that if people want to help save our planet but are not able to take drastic steps such as stop flying or ditching their car, starting with small actions inside the comfort of their own home is a great way to start.


After reading “Being the Change” by Peter Kalmus I was able to reflect on my actions and starting to make the effort to at least change some of my ways that are damaging to the environment. As Peter stated, personal action can begin to shift culture by other people witnessing change. This statement is something that I heavily agreed with and made me realize that although I may have some “uncle petes” living in my home, communication and seeing my change in actions is something that will make them change their minds on the whole environmental crisis and hopefully they will soon start to change their daily lifestyles in order to accommodate our earth. The unfortunate thing about making a cultural change is that it is not something that will occur in just less than a year, it takes time, especially if it will be actions people will be reluctant to do, such as human composting. Although I’m not very optimistic on the idea that we will all change our everyday lives in order to reduce our carbon footprint, I will continue to do my part by changing my actions and continue to inform and encourage those around me to do the same.


Just the idea mentioned in the reading that an American’s trash emissions alone are more than a Bangladeshi’s entire emissions in a year was so shocking to me. Although we have compared American emissions to Bangladesh several times throughout the quarter, this fact was the most eye-catching to me. That is because this made me realize just how much trash I alone throw out in my house every day. There’s so much plastic and other wrappers on every little item I use or consume every day. I’m assuming a lot of the plastic and wrapping on food items is to meet federal standards. That amazes me just because we in the United States set such high standards for how our food must be wrapped, stored, and transported that creates so many emissions. Meanwhile, if you ever visit India or Bangladesh, you will notice how a lot of products are wrapped in recycled materials. If you go to a street vendor, you will notice they don’t wear gloves. The amount of plastic and rubber used to make the gloves that are used in the American food industry is the basis for such a high amount of emissions. A lot of Americans I know are always disgusted by how street vendors in India or Bangladesh don’t wear gloves because they think it’s so unsanitary and overreact to it. Oh, if only half of those people knew how many hands touch the food they are served in the United States behind the closed kitchen doors in restaurants when they aren’t looking. Another thing you would notice in India is that often, street vendors will wrap your food in recyclables, a lot of times in newspapers. Again, so many Americans I know are so disgusted by that and think they’ll get sick. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve eaten food from Indian street vendors and I am completely fine. In fact, I would say that I have a very strong immune system and rarely get sick. (Don’t worry, I knocked on wood.) Thus, I think we in the United States need to stop taking everything for granted and take action first on our emissions, as many people around the globe don’t have the resources to do so. Just the fact that our trash alone creates more emissions than another person’s entire annual emission in a developing country should be enough to nudge Americans to identify this as a severe issue that we need to address and fix right away.


These two chapters by Peter Kalmus really changed my perspective on how big personal actions can help the climate crisis. The readings were very different from the film and they definitely gave him more credibility in my eyes. I think an important thing he mentioned is how personal change can be seen by other people and that would cause some cultural changes. This happened to me this year. My roommate is a vegetarian and she never tried to make me become a vegetarian with her, but as I lived with her more, I became more interested. I think this also relates to what Ken mentioned earlier in his videos on how people are more likely to ask questions and change if they do it by their own free will. My roommate was very understanding of the fact that I did not know much about how to eat like a vegetarian and find foods, especially in restaurants. By being the one to ask her, I feel like it was more my decision to follow in her footsteps in being a vegetarian and I was not forced or pressured to follow her. I think its simple things like this that can make a big difference if it reaches enough people. Now that I have become a vegetarian, my mom and four of my friends have also asked about being a vegetarian and changed. My roommate’s choices have now caused some cultural changes within my inner social group. I know that most people will not want to change their diets, but I believe that if we make eating a plant-based diet more normal in society then people will be far more open to change. By seeing some positive changes, other people will also make positive changes to their diets and to their lives. Additionally, Kalmus also talked about how a large number of emissions is caused by waste like leaving lights on and food waste. These are such simple changes that can be made in our lives and if everyone does it then we can reduce emissions by a lot. Overall I liked reading Kalmus because it really provided a good real world perspective on what personal changes we can make in our lives to help the planet.


Back in my hometown, my family and I had a compost bin and chickens that would eat our food waste. Anytime we had leftovers that weren’t good anymore, or meat scraps that we wouldn’t want to eat, we would feed it to our chickens and they would eat all of it. The rest of our food waste that we couldn’t feed to our chickens we composted it, and garbage trucks would come and pick it up. Now, however, I live in Isla Vista, and the garbage trucks don’t pick up compost in a separate bin. The entire time I’ve been living here I’ve been throwing my food waste away in the trash. Now understanding the numbers and the amount of CO2 that composting can prevent from going into the atmosphere, I’m going to start delivering my food waste to the nearby compost plant. Furthermore, I’m going to ask my neighbors on my block if they want to take turns driving our compost.


While reading “Be The Change” I realized that there are so many simple things that the average person can do to reduce their carbon footprint. Before reading this I felt that all of the main things I could do to reduce my footprint are all life-altering decisions. Giving up flying, driving, and becoming vegan are all reasonable but they would require a lot of changes in my life. I feel like Peter Kalmus offers up things that you can do to make that transition less drastic right away. For example, instead of completely giving up my car I could start to make a point in my life to bike or ride the bus when I want to go places that aren’t necessary to use a car. Another part of my life that I can easily alter in order to reduce my emissions is laundry. I do so many loads of laundry each week but I could work to air dry most of my clothes and wash them less. Overall there are so many small changes we can make in our lives to make to ease into the big changes that are necessary to largely reduce our carbon footprint.


Moreover, in the chapter, “Collective Action”, I like how realistic and critical Kalmus is, specifically about the topics of cap-and-trade and carbon offsets. He explains how cap-and-trade can be easily manipulated and not effective. He also talks about how these practices reinforce people’s consumerists and materialistic behaviors. These “solutions” will not do much when the inherent behavior still exists. I like how he addresses this behavior, which is different from Project Drawdown. He does go on to list collective action, including lobbying for carbon taxes, using less energy and expanding the carbon-free electrical capabilities, ending fossil fuel subsidies, redistributing wealth, campaign finance reform, rethinking global trade that focuses on local economies, reducing the global population, and working together as a planet. All of these collective action items are extremely difficult to achieve, and probably require a “tipping point”. However, one can hope that the world hops on the climate crisis mitigation train because they are all necessary reforms for a better planet. All in all, I really enjoyed these two readings and it is vital to combine both personal and collective action in order to inspire and be the change in the world.


The major thing that i found interesting from the video was the pilot light in th furnace. This was very interesting to me becasue the pilot light is almost always lit and running every single day which takes up lots of C02 and emitts 3,5000 pounds of C02 per year. This is an important thing to know since not everybody needs to use their furnace every day but the pilot light is always on and putting out C02 emissions into the environment. The pilot light stood out to me because it is something that most people do not even think about or maybe even acknowledge within their daily lifestyle. I think it is important for people to acknowledge this because it is not something that people think about on the daily. The pilot light is not as obvious as an issue to the environment as driving gas powered vehicles are which is why it can play a major part in affecting the environment since it is constantly lit and running off C02 emissions that are sometimes unnecessary.