Hello again! This week I have been participating in Colin Beavan’s No Impact Project and UW-La Crosse’s No Impact Week. The theme for Tuesday was transportation and today’s topic is food. Yesterday I woke up early and finished my Alternative Transportation poster to put in Cartwright Center. I started researching the benefits of alternative transportation when I realized that sometimes people are merely nervous or uneducated about how to be a part of the green transportation movement. Sometimes riding your bike on a busy street can be intimidating and driving seems like an easier alternative. I decided to address this issue by putting a bicycler’s code of conduct on my poster, as well as some quick maintenance tips on how to keep your bike up and running. The benefits of alternative transportation, such as biking and mass transit, are immense! According to the American Public Transportation Association, “the average household spends 18 cents of every dollar on transportation, and 94% of this goes into buying, maintaining, and operating cars, the largest expenditure after housing.” Imagine the dollars you would be able to save by adjusting your car usage to a need only basis or eliminating this expense all together! We are lucky that in La Crosse we have access to the MTU, and as a student this service is FREE*! This service does not only venture within the city of La Crosse but extends to French Island, portions of Onalaska, and La Crescent, Minnesota. So next time you are running a quick errand or need to head to the mall, take the MTU or hop on your bike and do the environment and yourself a favor!
As for today’s topic of food, where do I begin?!? Obviously, food is the thing that keeps us alive and gives us our daily sustenance but it can be so much more than that. It is time we start taking the time to find out where our food comes from and its nutritional content. Many times we are tricked into thinking something is healthy because a label says “Low Fat”, “Zero Calories” or even “Natural” but this can be misleading. Having knowledge about how food works in your body and how it affects the environment around you is very important. Learning what those confusing ingredients on the back of a package are may save you from serious health ailments in the future. Even better, pick up a piece of fruit or some fresh veggies! Fresh produce is amazing for your body and gives you many vital nutrients that packaged food just cannot give you. Throughout the summer and early fall months La Crosse has multiple Farmer’s Markets where you can get amazing local produce. Why not give your money straight to the person who put time and care into their food production instead of massive farms that spray their fields with herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers (not to mention GMOs)? I take pride in supporting local famers, as well as walking out of my back door and picking herbs, leafy greens, peppers, carrots and more! Putting love into the food you create is, in my opinion, one of the most satisfying feelings you can have. You get to literally eat the fruits of your labor and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment with every bite and, I swear, it tastes better. I know growing your own food can seem daunting for those living in the dorms or in small apartments, I’ve been there, but there are other options. You could join a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, volunteer at one of the community gardens, grow some herbs or greens in a pot, or make a friend that is a farmer! Nevertheless, get involved with your food because you really are what you eat.
*This service is a part of your tuition.
