Linda Seals

Today I participated in a routine monthly meeting for extension educators who work in sustainability. The chair of the committee is a sustainability professor at Utah State. She gave us a 30 presentation on how she implements sustainability in her personal life. She started with her house, which her and her husband built. Straw bale construction, gray water collection, a community that is bicycle or pedestrian only (not. one. automobile!)., solar energy grid that generates more energy than the HOA can use. She bikes to work daily via bike path that never crosses a major road. And the list goes on. As I watched and listened, I thought about how difficult it is to implement these concepts in Florida. Some because of our current infrastructure, some because of climate (think hurricanes), some because of development. It's a little discouraging. 

I've been spending way too much time at a local hospital (not for me, but the cantankerous parental unit. She will survive). and I have observed the amount of waste generated. They use polystyrene for drinking cups, straws galore, and pre-packeged condiments. The food waste is obscene. My mother's lunch was more than even I would eat in one sitting, and of course she refused most of the food and partially ate the rest. Imagine that multiplied by how many patients and staff multiplied daily. Oh my. Not to mention the bio and hazardous waste, the medical waste...it's overwhelming. 

Looking forward to participating in the challenge! Learning about sustainability and putting that knowledge to work--yay us!