Yianni Contoravdis

TSUD 222

10/24/21

Essay 2 Write Up

What I have discovered in mapping out my behavior over the last three days has shown

me opportunities for change that can lead to better sustainability and less negative

contribution to climate change. I believe the three days I chose (Thursday, Friday, and

Saturday) were a good representation of how an average week for me is carried out. The

benefits of mapping have allowed me to identify where my biggest negative contributions

come from. However, because I can identify my consumption, I can address these issues in a

long-term fashion. I discovered that most of my movements are caused by family or work

obligations, which tells me that some of my movements are obligatory. Due to this I believe

that the best solution for me is to find more efficient ways to move about.

Consumption is inevitable, our only opportunity in guiding its trajectory is in choosing

how and what we consume. For example, on Thursday I traveled an extra 10 miles to get a

haircut in Auburn even though I spent the majority of Friday in Auburn working. If I had

better forethought and planning, I could have scheduled my hair cut after work on Friday

rather than traveling the extra distance on Thursday saving me financially while doing less

harm to the Earth. However, this example is not completely negative. My family’s restaurant

is currently under reconstruction after a fire, but with the help and support of the Auburn

Mayor and other local restaurants (Trotters Family Restaurant & Zolas Cafe) we are able to
use their facilities to prepare, store, and sell food to support our family and employees. I

believe this is a strong example of local sustainability. There is a mutual understanding

between all parties that there is an interdependence on each other to support and facilitate

growth. We are able to survive due to their help while they also gain respect, publicity, and

increased traffic due to our promotion and appreciation of their help.

The biggest surprise to me was the lack of benign time I experience. Writing out my data

and producing my maps showed me that I have almost no time where I am not consuming.

No mater where I am, I am taking from the Earth and giving back negative emissions. The

largest negative contribution is easily my gas consumption. I travel to Seattle from Tacoma

roughly 4-5 times a week with a less than eco friendly car. If I travel to Seattle from

Northeast Tacoma 4 days a week for a year, that is 208 trips at 4,160 miles that is about the

same distance from Seattle to Tokyo. I do not have a very fuel-efficient car at 20.8 MPG

(calculated over the last 7k miles) which further contributes to my output.

After reflecting on my results, I am dismayed at the lack of awareness I had to my

outputs. The simple yet impactful action of remaining conscious of our consumption patterns

in our daily lives can lead to long-term sustainability. Prior to this assignment, I did not view

my day-to-day movements as negative environmental impacts. Transforming this lack of

mindfulness into sustainable behaviors is critical to community and individual longevity.

Local (White Key) and Global (Black Key) Movement Maps

ACTIVITY TIME MAIN SOURCE OF

RESOURCES RESOURCES
 USED
Driving in a car alone 5hrs Gasoline USA

1.5hrs Gasoline USA

Driving in a car with others

 Electricity,
Ammunition, Paper,
Target Shooting 1.5hrs USA/China 
Ink, Disposable Ear
Plugs.

Electricity,
Skin/Hair Product,
Barber Shop (Haircut) 1.5hrs USA/China/Mexico
Paper, Disposable
Blade, Beer, Tacos

Consumption (eating out, shopping, Electricity, Water,

4.5hrs Regional
etc.) Paper products,

 
Electricity, Water,
Working at work 6hrs Paper/Plastic/Vinyl/ Washington State
Food Waste
 

Residing at home 46hrs Electricity, Water, Regional

Food and beverage,
cleaning products,
  Eating 3.25hrs water for washing Italy, USA, Mexico,
tablecloths, paper
products
Electricity, water,
  Cleaning 10 min China/USA
products
Electricity, water, Regional, national,
  Personal care 1hr
products international