The Final Blog

1. Explain how the trayless dining campaign followed or deviated from the steps in a social marketing plan as outlined below.
a. campaign purpose
b. campaign focus
c. target audience
d. competition
e. objectives
f. marketing mix
g. implementation plan
h. evaluation plan

On a whole, I think that we stayed fairly in line with the social marketing scheme. We definitely managed to define our focuses, the audience, the competition (or rather, they made themselves very visible...thanks Tyler Cooper,) and the objectives. Of course, we haven't technically finished our campaign, so a number of ends were left untied. Our marketing mix, while brainstormed, never really came to fruition. Additionally, while we compiled a comprehensive implementation plan, the closest we have come was to deliver it, rather than carry it out. And since plan has not created quantitative results, it is impossible to have implemented an evaluation plan. The main impediments to the final 3 tenets are that Patti has heard us out and I think, besides further lobbying next semester, the fate is the trayless initiative is mostly in her hands. I think the biggest tangent from the plan is that ultimately, our attempt to get the administration to remove trays is not so much creating a sustainable behavior change in the student body and an effective environmental campaign that encourages students and administrators to support environmental initiatives.

2. Create an evaluation plan to evaluate the success of the trayless dining campaign. How will you determine during and after the campaign that it is going according to plan and has succeeded or met with limited or no success?

First step to evaluating the success is to see that the initial proposal is accepted and acted upon by Dining Services. Because our goal is to fully remove trays from the dining hall, I think that the best way to evaluate the success would be to guage students' reactions to trayless dining. To be able to have running data showing the student body's acceptance over the weeks of the trial period and or the actual program are crucial to seeing if it is a worthwhile endeavor (if majority of students resent it, then it might be more useful to put our energies towards something else.) However, the opinions on those working behind the scenes in the dining halls should also be surveyed to see how they like the new setup - removing trays will inevitably change their jobs a bit and a successful initiative would be one that not only looks to create positive change for students, but also for workers. Additional measures can be taken in measuring the increase in broken dishes, reductions in food waste, water use and energy use. I think that, although success could be established if the trial period goes according to plan and is well received by the students and TUDS, that it would only be tentative until the whole campus has been trayless for at least a semester and both the benefits outweigh the costs and students appear to have accepted the behavior change thrust upon them.

3. How has learning about your own behavior choices enabled you to better understand creating change? How has learning about behavior and psychology affected your conversations about environmental issues with others (friends, family, peers, etc)? Consider the effect of cognitive dissonance, the behavioral challenges, group discussions, and learning of why behavior happens.

I think that the action of learning about our own behaviors is a very important tool for anyone looking to seek self-improvement and a lifestyle that reflects their own beliefs and personal standards. For those seeking to affect change in others, understanding on one's own thought-process is also invaluable. For example, the idea that different people respond better or worse to different reasoning is important to recognize - if a person seeking to spread an idea only ever approaches from one angle, they are severely limiting the reception of their message. I like to think that I was somewhat cognizant of this before this class, but now when I have conversations about the environment (or even other diving issues like politics) I am much more acutely aware of what sorts of reasons my peers give and try to adjust my arguments to align with their interests. For example, I usually find that scolding people for their enviro-infractions from my tall green tower is rarely effective at sending a constructive message that might affect changed behavior. I also know, more so now than before, that people don't always act how they say they will, leading to uncomfortable situations for themselves (cognitive dissonance.) CD is a powerful motivator and (although this sounds a little underhanded,) if you can create/recognize that dissonance and then appeal to it in a way that doesn't put them on the offense, it becomes much easier convince someone of something.

4. Has your knowledge of environmental issues increased? How? What are you more aware of now than you were at the beginning of the class?

Of all the things that we covered in class, the one which I felt most uninformed about and, thus, learned the most from was what kinds of things Tufts and other schools are doing to promote sustainability on their campuses. I knew that Tufts had ranked highly with the Sierra Club ratings in years past, but I wasn't really sure of the specifics. One of the examples that stuck with me most was that Tufts tries to utilize their buildings fully before building something new (rather than just building a bunch of new LEED certified buildings for the green visibility.) In all our research through class and the symposium, it was fascinating to see what other schools are doing and how they go about creating those aspects of sustainability.

5. What do you think are the most reliable sources of information? In what ways do you assess the accuracy and bias of information sources?

One of my high school teachers didn't accept any website sources except for those from .gov and .edu websites. I find now, that perhaps even those aren't always reliable. The best bits of information appear to be directly from where the research, investigation or study was conducted and then an analysis of what groups sponsored that information (because that can taint the results in a very dramatic way.) I think rather than look for that one "reliable" source, a survey of a number of sources is useful. To see opposing ideas as well as additional studies that are congruent with the facts you are citing allows for the knowledge that you are actually presenting some of the most truthful information available.

6. Do you feel that having a community of like-minded people to talk to motivates you to work towards creating a change? Where do you seek out these communities? How useful was the class in creating a community for you?

I love having a community of like-minded individuals - in such situations, the creative ability to generate ideas and motivate group-members to pursue their similar goals is incredible. That being said, I think it is important also to participate in groups that are not completely like-minded. They allow you to view the issues you are passionate about through a different lens, and find even more ways in which to support, augment or generate ideas surrounding your own goals. That was one reason I liked our class was that it was a neat balance of people who, although were all generally interested in the environment, often had different values, interests, and backgrounds, which allowed for one of the most diverse groups of environment-minded students I have been a part of. At Tufts, in the realm of environmentalism, there are so many student with passions for sustainability, but the only major environmental organization on campus, ECO, is large and disorganized. Members of TMC are often passionate, too. The most I didn before this class was talk with friends about things and work with Hillel Moral Voices last year when Environmental Justice was their theme. However, it it hard to seek out organized communities focused on generating ideas about supporting sustainability. That's why this class was so novel, because it was a think tank, a group working together to create huge ripples in the Tufts community. On top of that, despite the lack of greater Facebook group created, I feel like the connections we made at the Eco Reps Symposium are a very unique and excitingly large network of people that I could always contact with questions and ideas about environmental initiatives.

7. Do you think you will continue to shift from saying to doing? If yes, explain how you think you will maintain your enthusiasm.

Of course! It won't be easy at times, and will definitely require some reminders and reassessments at times; however, I know that I can do it. I am more set than ever on pursuing my Environmental Studies major and am also looking into internships for the summer that revolve around environmental issues. This coming summer/fall I am living off campus on my own, where I am excited to implement an eco-fascist regime - so much so that I am already planning things out! On a more personal level, I don't know specifically what I can do other than try to stay honest with myself. I am already excited about environmental issues and am optimistic about continuing to spread to message, but I think the best way for me to do that is twofold. First, I need to keep learning - reading the news, reading about revelations in sustainability initiatives, keep attuned to what Tufts is doing and how I can lower my impact on the earth as much as possible. Secondly, I need to keep myself honest, and I can do that by responding to the dissonance I feel. It won't be easy, but if I recruit friends to keep me on track and verbalize aloud when I am feeling disosnant, I think that it will work at keeping me in line.

Scarlet Statistics

A week has passed and by some miracle I managed to wear my tag a majority of the week, and the reactions to its presence were interesting.

First, a person either very quickly inquired about the tag on my chest or tried to slyly see what it said without broaching the topic. Next, I would tell them that I was wearing this for my class and that we inventoried our clothing for their implicit impacts that we usually don't think about. Then the response was usually some variation of "Ok." I wore my tag to classes, to meetings, to practices and to a big dinner at Hillel. I eventually forgot that it was on until someone brought up the idea. Most people seemed uninterested or maybe even gave an eye roll to what may have appeared like eco-crusading. A number of people responded by inquiring if I was connected to the Trayless Campaign, and one girl commented on how great it was that although the task of constantly describing it to people was difficult, that it was really useful for spreading a message.

Overall description of my experience? Well, it was sort of embarrassing...1.5% from second-hand stores is not such a good showing on my part. I would keep telling myself that I had other stuff, I just didn't include it in the inventory or that it wasn't my fault, because free t-shirts are thrown at us left and right. No level or rationalizing, though, could really remedy the dissonance. Interestingly, this endeavor highlighted how different people put different emphasis on different behaviors, especially in the environmental world. I take a lot of time and care when evaluating what foods I want to eat and what production modes I want to support, other people haven't bought a newly made pair of pants in years or are authoritarian about keeping heating bills down. There is a lot that can and needs to be done, and it can be overwhelming at times, but I think this goes to show that it is good to reevaluate from time to time what you are not putting as much effort into, because it may unearth some skeletons that you'd forgotten about.

Thanksgiving Environmentalism

So, since this is supposed to be the ACTUAL blog entry, let me talk a little but about by environmental escapades over break:

My family is fairly open to the idea of environmentalism, but mostly as long as it is not an inconvenience. As Rachael mentioned in class, my mom especially is an adherent to the idea that she has worked her way up to be able to support a certain quality of lifestyle and that she shouldn't need to inconvenience herself to change to something else. When I am home, I am typically the environmental conscience, so when I arrived home, I was a little disappointed to see that there was little regard for turning of lights or the TV when rooms were vacant. Additionally, the accumulation of kitschy Christmas decorations is reaching maximum capacity for me. That we spend so much money on items that are on display for only a month a year is just too artificial for me.

Nevertheless, we did have a lot of good conversations about various environmental topics. For example, how I am still sort of a vegetarian, but with caveat (ex: would eat sustainable, local beef over conventionally raised pork.) We also discussed Copenhagen and our trayless campaign. Most of the conversations, though, seemed like they were humoring me. Alas, I'll keep chipping away at them. What are family members for if not influencing each other with ideas and behaviors?

Clothing Inventory

One of the things that we most take for granted is clothing. We are beyond being thankful that we have any. We are beyond being thankful that we have a lot. And in many case, we are beyond being thankful for quality craftsmanship and production methods. I would love to say that I, once president of United Students Against Sweatshops in high school, and beyond the consumerism that makes up the clothing industry....but I am not. It is a constant struggle to avoid buying one more sweater, which I never have occasion to wear anyways or yet another t-shirt that won't fit in my dresser.
So, to get a scope of where and how my clothing got to be in my dresser, I will inventory the pants, shorts and t-shirts that I have. (To include everything would be difficult and perhaps embarassingly too much.)

Pants (jeans):
- (3) Mexico --> Levi's
- (1) Sri Lanka --> Levi's
- (1) Bangladesh --> Levi's
- (1) Madagascar --> Levi's
- (1) Guatemala --> Gap

Shorts:
- (5) China --> JCrew, Martin & Osa
- (3) Sri Lanka --> Banana Republic, Lucky Brand
- (1) Colombia --> Patagonia
- (2) Macau --> Prana, Quicksilver
- (1) Bangladesh --> Banana Republic
- (3) India --> Banana Republic, REI
- (1) Vietnam --> Canyon River Blues

T-Shirts:
- (14) USA --> American Apparel, Screen Stars (Goodwill), Green Label Organic, Obey
- (5) Bangladesh --> Anvil, Threadless
- (2) Haiti --> Gildan, Hanes
- (2) Singapore --> Banana Republic
- (4) Mexico --> Forum, Augusta, Volcom
- (5) Honduras --> Ouray, Gildan, Anvil, Champion
- (5) El Salvador --> Eastern Mountain Sport (of US fabric), Hanes, Gildan, Russell
- (1) Lesotho --> Edun Live
- (1) Vietnam --> Mountain Hard Wear
- (1) Dominican Republic --> Russell
- (3) Unkown

After doing this inventory, I realize that I have a LOT of stuff. And this didn't include my socks, underwear, outerwear, dress clothes, shoes and accessories like scarves and gloves. On top of being a lot of stuff, from an environmental vantage point, these clothes have a LOT of carbon miles attached to them. The idea is constantly brought up regarding food, but never other products that affect our daily lives, especially as fundamentally as clothing. It's interesting to think about.

Zero Waste...well, sort of

First of all, it's been a while - hello blogsphere, I'm back!

This last week's behavioral challenge was the live with as minimal waste as possible (presumably avoiding overflowing a gallon-sized plastic bag. And, I am proud to say that I didn't fill the bag - I wasn't even close. I keep telling myself that my lifestyle is relatively low waste and that this wasn't much of a challenge...but that's not true.

Before the challenge, I hadn't emptied my waste bin and it was definitely full. Additionally, I found my self composting more than ever before (and by "more" I mean that I found myself composting. period.) Additionally, I cheated in tiny ways to try and avoid throwing things out that didn't need to be thrown out this week. (E.g. the box of Life cereal with one handful of cereal left...it went uneaten for a majority of the week so that I wouldn't need to put the plastic cereal bag in my waste bag. Eventually, I was just too hungry and did it anyways, but I didn't want to.)

Speaking of cheating...I didn't keep my bag on the outside of my packpack. It was too difficult to attach and I was also a little self-conscious about showing everyone my waste. Does the average joe need to know about my daily q-tip use? I don't think so. To make up for it, I kept the pin on my bag and was OVERLY eager to tell people what it meant, or even show them my bag if they inquired about it.

Even though there were times where I felt like I might have been cheating a little, I was still very conscious of the reduced waste I made and surprised at the places I didn't expect to be seeing waste - the twice daily routine of using a q-tip and an acne pad on my face, using tissues, unwrapping the candy I received for a psych study, and removing the stapes and string from teabags. The system by which our lives revolve is so deeply embedded with the idea of one-time-use and then disposal, or even no-time use (e.g. packaging.)

So, overall, though this was a bit of a challenge, I don't think it was an unreasonable task, and I certainly know that I will be more conscious of the waste I create. I just hope that, as with most things, this won't be another trend which is great for a week before I slowly revert to a previous behavior.

Symposium Success

One of the most exciting things for me is to feel connected - to people, to ideas, to influential and knowledgeable groups - I think that's something most people gain pleasure out of. This past weekend, students from over 15 schools joined together in the discussion and planning of Eco Reps programs at their respective schools. These were students and faculty, passionate about environmental issues and intent on creating positive change, who have been or plan on being integrally entwined in the environmental movements on thier campuses.

It was really exciting to interact with these people - peers and adults alike - on issues that I feel strongly about. Even though I didn't meet many people on a highly personal level, I think the symposium acted to helped create a superordinate identity (just learned about those in PSY 32) around with everyone there could unify. I look forward to the Facebook group that was proposed throughout the evening. On top of that, I met and exchanged info with a girl from Northeastern about their efforts to go trayless; she was really excited about our project and is happy to exchange any and all info that she has used thus far (primarily an informative PPT presentation used to appeal to adminstrators.) I look forward to seeing how this relationship grows in the near future!
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"If civilization has risen from the Stone Age, it can rise again from the Wastepaper Age."
~Jacques Barzun, The House of Intellect, 1959

The Trials and Tribulations of Organization

So, we have officially embarked upon our proposed mission; it is at first very exciting, but at the same time also sort of daunting. The Facebook group is up and running (almost 1000 members, a roiling conversation thread, and some first-rate pictures make it look very promising) in order to show interest. The problem, however, is that my first job, to contact and schedule a meeting with Dining Services director Patti Klos has become more drawn out than expected. The most current status after e-mails and a phone call are that she will get back to me when she returns to office; I tried to make it sound as pressing as possible without being overbearing, so we will see...

In a stroke of interesting coincidence (did we talk about this in class?) I discovered that a freshman senator is strongly promoting tray-free proposals in student government with the goal of instituting "Trayless Tuesdays" and a tray-free campus when students return from Winter Break. This seems to either present us with a safety net and support group - we may have the backing of the Senate and if our effort doesn't come to fruition in time, theirs might help finish off our goal.

The process of beginning to mobilize people has got me thinking about a number of issues regading instituting policies. The Facebook event has shown a lot of verbal support, but a fair amount of the vocalized opinions are questioning or contrary to our plan. I know that this doesn't reflect the general public sentiment, but is a problem for most plans - the most averse are often the most vocal, creating the misconstrued idea that more people are in opposition than really are. I guess the question is how do we address dissenters that enjoy rabble rousing? Do we just ignore them? or try to counter their arguments with counterarguments?

Also, psychologically people tend to be more in favor of things that they perceive to have chosen; this bears the question that if there is an action which is potentially controversial to start, does forcing it on people "for their own good" violate norms of democracy and free will, even if it is beneficial? This is just food for thought - perhaps more relevant on a larger scale - that our project has provoked for me.

All in all, I am excited, because I am now beginning to see how tangible our goal is - it is becoming something that I can easily imagine and I become emboldened when I hear students voicing support - I know that we are not preaching to deaf ears.
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"A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history." - Mohandas Gandhi