Welcome to the Discussion Blog for Empire State College students studying sustainability in Panama, Dominican Republic, Lebanon and New York City. This is a great opportunity to share and learn from one another.
What will your personal sustainability promise be?
What will your personal sustainability promise be? Please read about the project developed between Adam Werbach and Wal Mart. Will each of you commit to making a change in your behavior?
My Personal Sustainability Practice way to Happiness... I encourage everyone reading this to take this survey and see what you score... www.thehappinesscenter.com/survey/survey.php
I wasn’t surprised when I saw my survey results. I was actually somewhat disappointed in myself. I should be very happy; I have everything I’ve ever wanted. I have a great, loving, supportive boyfriend. We have a beautiful, funny, precocious, healthy 2 year old. I currently work at my dream job where there is a great work-life balance. We are financially stable. Yet my score says my life is not going in a direction I would like it to go. Why is that? I need guidance in learning how to find happiness? I thought happiness was a state of mind. I didn’t know I had to be taught how to be happy. I must be missing something. .. It took me a couple of days to reflect on the question, “identify a single area you feel both enhances your life and is in some way connected to our world and nature”. There is a single area I feel would enhance my life, my family’s lives, and is connected to the world and nature and that is by growing our own crops. What better way to spend time together, give back to the environment, and eat healthier than living off the land. We can’t grow everything but it’s a start. It would be relatively easy for us to plant fruits which are abundant and produce very well with Panama’s weather such as bananas, mangos, lemons, soursop, tomatoes, etc. This would be a personal sustainability practice (PSP). It would improve my life and the lives of my family in a small but significant way. This is something that can be done on a weekly basis. My family and I can go to our land which is about an hour and a half away from where we reside in the city to tend to the crops and during the week we can pay the men who take care of the property to keep an eye on it. I believe this would create a sense of satisfaction because we would eat what we harvest and we would be doing it together which would instill these traits into our son’s character. I will post updates on the progress along with some pictures. What is your PSP?
My Personal Sustainability Promise is: Plant trees and use less water.
7) I am aware and enjoy living in the moment (I don't dwell on future or past events). I scored this question with a 2 (which means sometimes), because I’m not really enjoying life as I should. Unfortunately our past affects our present life, therefore we aim to work to avoid that our future be equal to our past. When I look back, I see a lot of things that I could avoid, but sometimes I tried to live life at the moment and I forgot that the consequences could be irreversible. Today I’ve the opportunity to improve my lifestyle not by erasing the past, but by acting intelligently, with sense of responsibility. Today we face big challenges, the global warming, the drought, the hunger, the environmental problem; they all affect the world in which we live and all is somehow due to the lifestyle we lived or are living. I am sure that we do not see things eye to eye, but one thing is certain if each of us puts of his part, our world can be better. If we take that today’s opportunity we could amend our past. I decide to enhance my life by acting today for the benefit of everyone. Remembering that every action, for simple that is, could give a positive and beneficial result for all. My first action will be, to start planting trees and using less water of which I normally use. Our actions can contribute to obtain a sustainable environment and a better life. What will be the step you’ll take?
After taking the Life satisfaction survey, you can follow the link to take it yourself, www.thehappinesscenter.com/survey/survey.php , I have discovered that a few of my answers are ways that I feel only sometimes. Upon further examination of these questions and answers, it seems that the majority of them are directly related to my personal life and the joy, or lack of, that I have. The reason being is that most of my time is occupied by work, studying and developing my own business. So, it makes sense that when it comes to taking time for myself, laughing, playing and taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer, I am usually too busy to even notice. As a matter of fact, I am supposed to be enjoying a day at the beach with my family, yet I am sitting here updating my blog, which BTW, is an assignment for one of my university classes. So I am going to get straight to the point, because my daughter is calling me to play with her in the cool blue water and enticing surf.
I have decided that as a result of taking the above survey, I am going to make time for me, for the things that make me happy and start a bi-monthly tradition of going to the beach with my family. There are a few things that we are going to do there. First, I want to take walks in the morning and clean up the beach and then, we as a family are going to meet with a local organization that protects sea turtles and ensure their safe release. My daughter, husband and I have always wanted to do this, so I am going to take the initiative to organize these trips that will not only be an enjoyable family get away, but we will be helping to save a vanishing species.
My personal sustainability promise will be to plant trees. For every tree that is destroyed due to a construction they will have to plant 2 more, not in the same site but somewhere near. Trees can provide us fresh air. Without them we wouldn`t be here.
My personal sustainability promise for helping the society becoming a better place will be to start changing my consumption habits in terms of my gasoline consumption. I will see the possibility of buying a hybrid car and selling the one that I currently own in order to control the polluting practice and also to save my money in gasoline. If this is done and the car is efficient it might be even cheaper than to own a gasoline car that spends too much.
In my opinion and mixing things a little I will say that in order to have a happier and prosper life you should engage in activities that fulfill you as a person that likes to give more than what expects. Combining that to being aware of your carbon footprint is valuable to help the environment, your community and yourself, leads me to the personal promise that is to reduce mi carbon foot print by: • Considering this a lifetime engagement • Recycling as much as I can • Saving water • Enjoying more outdoor activities • And the most important thing try to help other be aware and encourage them to have a personal promise too.
Those of you who will plant trees where will you plant them? Do you think you can get others to join you? Maybe you could create a tree planting event at your work or school?
My name is Gloria Vargas, and I am a student at the ESC Metro Center, located in New York City. I am a returning student and grateful to be back again and hoping to complete my Bachelors in Community and Human Services. I am starting this semester as a full time student with "Ecology and the Environment" as one of my classes, with Kevin as my Professor.
Although we are only a few weeks into this semester, I am learning and seeing things in a different way concerning my environment. I am now aware on how much we can effected the natural resources in our big city.
In my neighborhood of Glendale, Queens we are very big on recycling. We must abide by certain rules and regulations concerning sorting and separating our garbage. I can now appreciate and understand this need of our community for its ecology sustainability.
I have three children and you could imagine how many dishes in a day they use! My personal sustainability promise is to use paper plates and cups that are environmentally safe, andto also educate my children on the importance of recycling. I also will inquire about other ways I can contribute to environmental solutions within my neighborhood.
I look forward to learning more about where you all live, particularly in the Dominican Republic where I have family currently residing.
Ok, here’s what I’ll try to do to live more sustainably: 1. Unplug the computer and other electrical appliances at night so I don’t waste electricity 2. Recycle everything that I can, even if it’s small (for example, the pull tabs on milk containers) 3. Use less gas by combining trips and only driving as far as I have to (such as using a local store instead of driving all the way to one that’s on the other side of town) 4. Use “green” methods of exercise, such as hiking and biking places that are nearby instead of driving someplace to hike or bike It’s not much, but it’s a start, and if we all do stuff like this, the earth will be a greener place.
My Personal Sustainability Practice way to Happiness...
ReplyDeleteI encourage everyone reading this to take this survey and see what you score...
www.thehappinesscenter.com/survey/survey.php
I wasn’t surprised when I saw my survey results. I was actually somewhat disappointed in myself. I should be very happy; I have everything I’ve ever wanted. I have a great, loving, supportive boyfriend. We have a beautiful, funny, precocious, healthy 2 year old. I currently work at my dream job where there is a great work-life balance. We are financially stable. Yet my score says my life is not going in a direction I would like it to go. Why is that? I need guidance in learning how to find happiness? I thought happiness was a state of mind. I didn’t know I had to be taught how to be happy. I must be missing something. ..
It took me a couple of days to reflect on the question, “identify a single area you feel both enhances your life and is in some way connected to our world and nature”. There is a single area I feel would enhance my life, my family’s lives, and is connected to the world and nature and that is by growing our own crops. What better way to spend time together, give back to the environment, and eat healthier than living off the land. We can’t grow everything but it’s a start. It would be relatively easy for us to plant fruits which are abundant and produce very well with Panama’s weather such as bananas, mangos, lemons, soursop, tomatoes, etc. This would be a personal sustainability practice (PSP). It would improve my life and the lives of my family in a small but significant way. This is something that can be done on a weekly basis. My family and I can go to our land which is about an hour and a half away from where we reside in the city to tend to the crops and during the week we can pay the men who take care of the property to keep an eye on it. I believe this would create a sense of satisfaction because we would eat what we harvest and we would be doing it together which would instill these traits into our son’s character. I will post updates on the progress along with some pictures. What is your PSP?
My personal sustainability promise will be to start to throw my trash away in the correct places and to start to recycle within my own home.
ReplyDeleteMy Personal Sustainability Promise is: Plant trees and use less water.
ReplyDelete7) I am aware and enjoy living in the moment (I don't dwell on future or past events).
I scored this question with a 2 (which means sometimes), because I’m not really enjoying life as I should. Unfortunately our past affects our present life, therefore we aim to work to avoid that our future be equal to our past.
When I look back, I see a lot of things that I could avoid, but sometimes I tried to live life at the moment and I forgot that the consequences could be irreversible. Today I’ve the opportunity to improve my lifestyle not by erasing the past, but by acting intelligently, with sense of responsibility.
Today we face big challenges, the global warming, the drought, the hunger, the environmental problem; they all affect the world in which we live and all is somehow due to the lifestyle we lived or are living. I am sure that we do not see things eye to eye, but one thing is certain if each of us puts of his part, our world can be better. If we take that today’s opportunity we could amend our past. I decide to enhance my life by acting today for the benefit of everyone.
Remembering that every action, for simple that is, could give a positive and beneficial result for all.
My first action will be, to start planting trees and using less water of which I normally use. Our actions can contribute to obtain a sustainable environment and a better life.
What will be the step you’ll take?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfter taking the Life satisfaction survey, you can follow the link to take it yourself, www.thehappinesscenter.com/survey/survey.php , I have discovered that a few of my answers are ways that I feel only sometimes. Upon further examination of these questions and answers, it seems that the majority of them are directly related to my personal life and the joy, or lack of, that I have. The reason being is that most of my time is occupied by work, studying and developing my own business. So, it makes sense that when it comes to taking time for myself, laughing, playing and taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer, I am usually too busy to even notice. As a matter of fact, I am supposed to be enjoying a day at the beach with my family, yet I am sitting here updating my blog, which BTW, is an assignment for one of my university classes. So I am going to get straight to the point, because my daughter is calling me to play with her in the cool blue water and enticing surf.
ReplyDeleteI have decided that as a result of taking the above survey, I am going to make time for me, for the things that make me happy and start a bi-monthly tradition of going to the beach with my family. There are a few things that we are going to do there. First, I want to take walks in the morning and clean up the beach and then, we as a family are going to meet with a local organization that protects sea turtles and ensure their safe release. My daughter, husband and I have always wanted to do this, so I am going to take the initiative to organize these trips that will not only be an enjoyable family get away, but we will be helping to save a vanishing species.
My personal sustainability promise will be to plant trees. For every tree that is destroyed due to a construction they will have to plant 2 more, not in the same site but somewhere near. Trees can provide us fresh air. Without them we wouldn`t be here.
ReplyDeleteMy personal sustainability promise for helping the society becoming a better place will be to start changing my consumption habits in terms of my gasoline consumption. I will see the possibility of buying a hybrid car and selling the one that I currently own in order to control the polluting practice and also to save my money in gasoline. If this is done and the car is efficient it might be even cheaper than to own a gasoline car that spends too much.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion and mixing things a little I will say that in order to have a happier and prosper life you should engage in activities that fulfill you as a person that likes to give more than what expects. Combining that to being aware of your carbon footprint is valuable to help the environment, your community and yourself, leads me to the personal promise that is to reduce mi carbon foot print by:
ReplyDelete• Considering this a lifetime engagement
• Recycling as much as I can
• Saving water
• Enjoying more outdoor activities
• And the most important thing try to help other be aware and encourage them to have a personal promise too.
Those of you who will plant trees where will you plant them? Do you think you can get others to join you? Maybe you could create a tree planting event at your work or school?
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of Gloria Vargas:
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone:
My name is Gloria Vargas, and I am a student at the ESC Metro Center, located in New York City.
I am a returning student and grateful to be back again and hoping to complete my Bachelors in Community and Human Services.
I am starting this semester as a full time student with "Ecology and the Environment" as one of my classes, with Kevin as my Professor.
Although we are only a few weeks into this semester, I am learning and seeing things in a different way concerning my environment. I am now aware on how much we can effected the natural resources in our big city.
In my neighborhood of Glendale, Queens we are very big on recycling. We must abide by certain rules and regulations concerning sorting and separating our garbage. I can now appreciate and understand this need of our community for its ecology sustainability.
I have three children and you could imagine how many dishes in a day they use! My personal sustainability promise is to use paper plates and cups that are environmentally safe, andto also educate my children on the importance of recycling. I also will inquire about other ways I can contribute to environmental solutions within my neighborhood.
I look forward to learning more about where you all live, particularly in the Dominican Republic where I have family currently residing.
Ok, here’s what I’ll try to do to live more sustainably:
ReplyDelete1. Unplug the computer and other electrical appliances at night so I don’t waste electricity
2. Recycle everything that I can, even if it’s small (for example, the pull tabs on milk containers)
3. Use less gas by combining trips and only driving as far as I have to (such as using a local store instead of driving all the way to one that’s on the other side of town)
4. Use “green” methods of exercise, such as hiking and biking places that are nearby instead of driving someplace to hike or bike
It’s not much, but it’s a start, and if we all do stuff like this, the earth will be a greener place.