The experiment has shown me that it is difficult to consume more sustainably, even in a green city such as Freiburg. It certainly costs more to purchase organic food. This is quite an impediment for students wanting to follow the strict rules of the experiment. It also takes a lot more time to organize yourself - to make sure you go shopping when the local markets are on, to produce your own organic soap, to make your own lunch every morning so you don’t have to go to the Mensa, etc. If you get caught out, the temptation to duck into Pennymarkt is very strong. I guess this is one area where students have an advantage, as they generally have more spare time than working people. In addition, and this is something I didn’t really think about before doing the experiment, it is quite a challenge to make sure that you are getting proper nutrition when you are eating only local vegetarian food. I may be being overly pessimistic, but I really think it isn’t possible to have a completely local diet in Freiburg and remain healthy.
Anyone reading my previous posts would realize that I didn’t follow the rules all the time – in fact hardly ever! However looking back, I don’t think my experiences during the experiment were a complete failure. Even though I didn’t follow the rules, I was always thinking about them. I hope this consciousness will stay with me going forward. Also, I now realize that I am buying a lot more food from local farmers. I make going to the local produce stalls in my home village of Gottenheim a priority now, whereas previously I would do it only when I was passing by. I only buy fruit and veggies from the supermarket that I can’t get from these stalls. In addition, I am really conscious of the amount of packaging used in supermarkets and try to minimize this, and strive to buy organic and local produce as much as possible – certainly more than before the experiment. I’m also still doing my submarine showers (albeit with hot water). This makes me feel a bit better about my poor showing during the experiment.
My experiences in Freiburg have made me think about whether sustainable consumption is feasible back in Australia. Although I think it is, it would certainly be much harder than in Germany. For starters, there is no recognized labeling system for organic foods, and it is often difficult to find out where foods come from. In addition, in a big city like Sydney there aren’t any farms close by, unlike in the smaller German cities (like Freiburg) where you can find agricultural areas within 10km of the city centre. In Sydney, the residential areas spread for about 100km in every direction before you hit any real agricultural land. Furthermore, there is a different attitude towards what is considered local produce. In Australia, a mango that is grown 2000km away from Sydney in Queensland (and transported by truck) is considered local produce. Whereas, in Germany, people seem to have a stronger concept of regional identity, and some would be horrified by the prospect of buying an orange from Spain (only about 1500km from Freiburg). I will be interested to check out the sustainable consumption options when I return to Sydney next month.
I would definitely recommend that people become more conscious about their consumption habits. Although the rules of the experiment were perhaps too difficult for most people to follow, it was a good way to start thinking about the way in which you live your life. I think that the strict rules of the experiment are not sustainable, however I think people can certainly make changes, even if they are just small ones, which can make their lives more ecologically sustainable. If they can stick to these small changes, then gradually they can make bigger ones, and the process will build. I doubt we’ll all be having cold showers any time soon though!
Monday, August 22, 2011
13 July to 20 July 2011 - Week 4: Facing the music…
By this stage I had pretty much given up on the rules of the experiment. Ever since the hot showers and meat started creeping back into my daily routine, there was no way I was going to get back on track. In any case, I had to concentrate on preparing the Asia-Pacific dinner for the rest of the class (as part of a series of international dinners that my class has prepared for each other over the last 2 semesters). As one of the cooks, I realized that I would soon be consuming massive amounts of meat, chocolate, coconut and kiwi fruit at this event, and my motivation to continue the experiment was close to zero.
I must admit that I did feel a bit guilty relating my many failures to the cameras during the filming for the documentary - at least I was honest. I guess it just goes to show that it is pretty difficult to change your habits – even just for a month.
I must admit that I did feel a bit guilty relating my many failures to the cameras during the filming for the documentary - at least I was honest. I guess it just goes to show that it is pretty difficult to change your habits – even just for a month.
6 July to 12 July 2011 – Week 3: The wheels are totally gone!
Ok, this week has definitely been the worst so far. I never realized how much these changes to my diet would affect my mood (not to mention the cold showers). I was getting depressed, in my view from not having chocolate for 3 weeks. So I relented and ate a whole package of the stuff by myself – at least it was Rittersport, a relatively local producer (Stuttgart), which makes organic chocolate and uses renewable power in their manufacturing. Unfortunately, the mood-enhancing benefits of the chocolate were destroyed by the bitter taste of guilt that arose as a result of breaking the experiment rules.
I am also having fewer showers than before, because I really can’t stand any more cold showers. I do have hot showers now, but maybe only 3 times a week, at the expense of my personal hygiene. The trade-off is well worth it!
Things really went bad when a friend from Australia visited for a few days this week. I felt that it would have been remiss of me not to treat him to the finest of German cuisine whilst he was in town – the Schweinhaxn. For those not in the know, this dish is probably one of the most anti-vegetarian things on the menu. It consists of about half a pig, roasted with lots of crispy crackling. It’s probably best not to eat one without someone trained in CPR nearby, in case your heart stops halfway through. Of course, I couldn’t let him eat one alone. So I ate my first piece of meat since the Brazilian/Thai fish in week 1! I would be lying if I said it wasn’t sinfully delicious. Ah well, at least the beer was local.
I am also having fewer showers than before, because I really can’t stand any more cold showers. I do have hot showers now, but maybe only 3 times a week, at the expense of my personal hygiene. The trade-off is well worth it!
Things really went bad when a friend from Australia visited for a few days this week. I felt that it would have been remiss of me not to treat him to the finest of German cuisine whilst he was in town – the Schweinhaxn. For those not in the know, this dish is probably one of the most anti-vegetarian things on the menu. It consists of about half a pig, roasted with lots of crispy crackling. It’s probably best not to eat one without someone trained in CPR nearby, in case your heart stops halfway through. Of course, I couldn’t let him eat one alone. So I ate my first piece of meat since the Brazilian/Thai fish in week 1! I would be lying if I said it wasn’t sinfully delicious. Ah well, at least the beer was local.
29 June to 5 June 2011 - Week 2: The wheels are beginning to fall off…
Things are getting pretty bad in the second week. I really can’t stand the cold showers any more. One day this week I came home from swimming laps at the outdoor (ie freezing) pool in Freiburg and was very cold – I really wanted a hot shower and turned on the hot tap. However, some cosmic force must have realized that I was breaking the rules, as there was no hot water left! My conscience was saved for another day.
I never thought this would be possible, but I am also getting sick of eating berries every day - berries being the only locally grown fruit available. I really miss being able to crunch down on an apple. I tried substituting apples with tomatoes, but it’s just not the same.
This might just be my imagination, but I’m starting to feel weak from lack of meat. I haven’t really been eating any protein, with lentils and beans off the menu! I feel that I can’t do as much exercise as I was doing, and have noticed that some of the other guys doing the experiment are getting sick – coughing and spluttering all day in class. I can’t prove it, but I suspect it is because of the privation caused by the experiment!
The other day someone in class told me that shipping apples from New Zealand to Freiburg causes fewer GHG emissions than transporting apples from Lake Constance by truck. I haven’t bothered to check the accuracy of this seemingly dodgy carbon accounting, but I am using it to justify eating beans and lentils again – not to mention rice. I figure they are either dried or come in cans, and therefore are probably shipped in to Germany with minimal emissions (I hope!) – anyways I’m eating them again.
I’m still using Luis’ soap, although it is not so great as a shampoo. Many people have asked me why my (shoulder length) hair is always wet, only to be horrified when I tell them that it just looks wet because there is so much grease in it – in fact it can pretty much stand up by itself now!
I never thought this would be possible, but I am also getting sick of eating berries every day - berries being the only locally grown fruit available. I really miss being able to crunch down on an apple. I tried substituting apples with tomatoes, but it’s just not the same.
This might just be my imagination, but I’m starting to feel weak from lack of meat. I haven’t really been eating any protein, with lentils and beans off the menu! I feel that I can’t do as much exercise as I was doing, and have noticed that some of the other guys doing the experiment are getting sick – coughing and spluttering all day in class. I can’t prove it, but I suspect it is because of the privation caused by the experiment!
The other day someone in class told me that shipping apples from New Zealand to Freiburg causes fewer GHG emissions than transporting apples from Lake Constance by truck. I haven’t bothered to check the accuracy of this seemingly dodgy carbon accounting, but I am using it to justify eating beans and lentils again – not to mention rice. I figure they are either dried or come in cans, and therefore are probably shipped in to Germany with minimal emissions (I hope!) – anyways I’m eating them again.
I’m still using Luis’ soap, although it is not so great as a shampoo. Many people have asked me why my (shoulder length) hair is always wet, only to be horrified when I tell them that it just looks wet because there is so much grease in it – in fact it can pretty much stand up by itself now!
22 June to 28 June 2011 - Week 1: The excuses begin…
The realities of the experiment hit me on the first day around lunchtime. As usual, I had been too lazy to make my lunch at home before coming to uni. Instead of just going to the Mensa (student cafeteria) for lunch, or popping in for a dodgy kebab, I realized I would have to go and purchase some local produce from the Munster Markt. Of my fellow experimenteers, only Luis agreed to come with me – the others sneaking off to Mensa when we weren’t looking. I was feeling good about this decision as we manfully strode through the rainy streets of Freiburg to get to the market. Unfortunately, this feeling evaporated as the sweet smell of frying sausage hit my nostrils. The Munster Markt is renowned for its excellent wurst, and the thought of not having these tasty German morsels for a month made me quite sad. In fact, the prospect of eating only expensive locally grown organic vegetables for a month also made me quite sad. I tried to hide my disappointment from Luis by buying an organic bread-roll with seeds on top – he said he thought it looked good, but all I could think about was the curry-wurst I was missing out on!
My experiment took a further turn for the worst only 2 days in. I had forgotten that I had been invited to dinner at a Brazilian friend’s house – she was cooking a Brazilian fish speciality. Not only was the dish flavoured with coconut, but the fish came from Thailand. Of course, I had no intention of being rude to my host by saying I could not eat it because of the rules of the experiment. So I happily and deliciously broke the rules – although I thought to myself that I had not made a very good start.
Back home I was quite proud that I had managed to have cold showers all week. I used a method known as “submarine showering” in which you wet your body for only a very short time – soap up – then wash off the suds. Not only does it make the cold water more bearable, but you use a lot less water than normal showering. I was finding the food rules quite difficult to follow though. My partner was not participating in the experiment, and so it was particularly difficult to sit back and watch her eat all manner of chocolate and other exotic delicacies whilst I had broccoli and potatoes. However, proving that my five years at law school were not a total waste, I exploited a loophole in the experiment rules that said you could eat food from outside the region that was purchased before the experiment began – after all, it would be a waste to let it go bad, right!?
I also got around the no washing machine/detergent rule by getting my partner to do all my washing for me. Not exactly in the spirit of the experiment I know, but she was doing a load anyway. On the plus side, I have found that Luis’ organic wonder soap is great and works just like normal soap – although it leaves you smelling a bit like a peanut butter sandwich.
My experiment took a further turn for the worst only 2 days in. I had forgotten that I had been invited to dinner at a Brazilian friend’s house – she was cooking a Brazilian fish speciality. Not only was the dish flavoured with coconut, but the fish came from Thailand. Of course, I had no intention of being rude to my host by saying I could not eat it because of the rules of the experiment. So I happily and deliciously broke the rules – although I thought to myself that I had not made a very good start.
Back home I was quite proud that I had managed to have cold showers all week. I used a method known as “submarine showering” in which you wet your body for only a very short time – soap up – then wash off the suds. Not only does it make the cold water more bearable, but you use a lot less water than normal showering. I was finding the food rules quite difficult to follow though. My partner was not participating in the experiment, and so it was particularly difficult to sit back and watch her eat all manner of chocolate and other exotic delicacies whilst I had broccoli and potatoes. However, proving that my five years at law school were not a total waste, I exploited a loophole in the experiment rules that said you could eat food from outside the region that was purchased before the experiment began – after all, it would be a waste to let it go bad, right!?
I also got around the no washing machine/detergent rule by getting my partner to do all my washing for me. Not exactly in the spirit of the experiment I know, but she was doing a load anyway. On the plus side, I have found that Luis’ organic wonder soap is great and works just like normal soap – although it leaves you smelling a bit like a peanut butter sandwich.
22 June 2011 - Starting the experiment: before the pain begins!
Hi everyone! I’m Brenno from Australia.
I’m part of a group of environmental governance students from Freiburg uni doing a 4-week sustainable living experiment. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of the experiment – to see just how hard (or easy – unlikely!) it is to live more sustainably in Freiburg. We often hear about the importance of changing our consumption patterns in our environmental governance classes, however no-one ever tells you what that really means in a day-to-day sense.
Going into the experiment I would have to admit that I probably think I am a more sustainable consumer than I really am. I don’t really ever check the origin of the food I buy, and most of the time I just go for the cheapest and most convenient stuff. I guess I am more conscious about energy use. I try to minimize energy wastage as much as possible by switching off appliances and lights that I’m not using and that kind of thing (doesn’t seem like much when I type it down though!).
I hope this experience will give me a better idea about the practicalities of sustainable consumption, and force me to learn ways to consume more sustainably in the future.
I’m part of a group of environmental governance students from Freiburg uni doing a 4-week sustainable living experiment. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of the experiment – to see just how hard (or easy – unlikely!) it is to live more sustainably in Freiburg. We often hear about the importance of changing our consumption patterns in our environmental governance classes, however no-one ever tells you what that really means in a day-to-day sense.
Going into the experiment I would have to admit that I probably think I am a more sustainable consumer than I really am. I don’t really ever check the origin of the food I buy, and most of the time I just go for the cheapest and most convenient stuff. I guess I am more conscious about energy use. I try to minimize energy wastage as much as possible by switching off appliances and lights that I’m not using and that kind of thing (doesn’t seem like much when I type it down though!).
I hope this experience will give me a better idea about the practicalities of sustainable consumption, and force me to learn ways to consume more sustainably in the future.
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