Footprint Evaluation

My first three goals for reducing my Ecological Footprint were to:

1. Unplug everything in my room and kitchen when they're not in use.
2. Buy local at the Food Coop
3. Eat meat only 3 days a week

So far, my goals are going fairly well. Ghosting my electronics has been very easy - there were a number of things that I had plugged in that I rarely actually used. I've tried to get my roommates to participate, but I always find the kitchen appliances left plugged in. In unplug them whenever I can. My second goal is also going relatively well. The Coop is a lot more expensive, but this encourages me to spend less on junk I don't really need and in turn I've been eating significantly healthier. I also shop occasionally at Trader Joes and sometimes Fred Meyer, but I try to stick to the organic section where many of the same brands can be found at the Coop. Eating meet three times a week has probably been the most difficult goal to maintain so far. I don't eat a ton of meat, but I did like to come home from school and eat a turkey sandwich most days. I've switched to veggie sandwiches, however, and this has helped a lot.

My new goal for reducing my Ecological Footprint is to limit my shower time to under 8 minutes. I already take the shortest showers in the house (typically 10-12 minutes), but I'm going to try to make it even shorter. I have also been encouraging my roommates to turn the sink water off when they're scrubbing dishes, brushing their teeth, or washing their face. These are all easy ways to reduce water use.