Earth Camp Commitment

My commitment for 2011 Earth Camp is to ride my bike as my main way of transportation, to conserve energy, and reduce my carbon foot print. When using a car for transportation, it is releasing carbon dioxide into the air which leads to a greater amount of greenhouse gases. Using a bike instead of a car also helps you economically since the cost of cycling is… nothing! So it is great for your wallet, great for the environment, and gets you in shape! Now what could be better than that? The experience that inspired my Earth Camp commitment was bike day. On bike day, we toured all around Tucson, visiting shops such as Bicas, a place where they reuse bikes and repair them, the farmers market, and Brad Lancaster’s house.  Keeping our Earth clean is so important, and to do so we need to reduce our carbon footprint and minimize the amount of greenhouse gasses so we can keep a clean environment to live in.

I think that bikes are inherently better than cars.  I honestly believe that if more people used bikes instead of cars, the world would be a better place. My journey to ride my bike as my main transportation starts right now.  When I start this bike thing, I know it won’t be just a phase and more people will join with me.  Who wouldn’t like to be introduced to all of the benefits that the bike has to offer? Benefits such as less carbon dioxide which equals less greenhouse gases into the air, a deeper connection to earth itself,  being more physically fit, mentally healthier, both happier and more relaxed. But the main reason that bikes are better than cars is because they support the planet to get better, not worse.  I plan to stick with my Earth Camp commitment and make our precious plant once again beautiful and green.

Having a bike will give me more freedom and it will also give my mom more freedom, too.  Instead of asking my mom to take me to friends', I can just hop on my bike! There is some connection to me and a bike. Cars insulate people from nature. Bikes allow people to experience it. I don't want to be a passive observer of the weather. I like feeling the rain and wind on my face -- it makes me know I'm alive! When I ride as the snow falls, I can't help but smile. Riding in a strong headwind is extra work, but it's extra work for a car too. People driving cars are simply unaware that they're consuming extra fuel. They're insulated from nature. I'll wear the right clothing to keep me comfortable for the weather, but I want to experience it, not just sit inside a metal and glass cage on a cushy seat where the weather might as well be something on television. It's a real world out there! I want to be in it!

In cities across the globe, having your own personal car is the single greatest polluter.  Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and CFS are being polluted into the air all the time. These gases act like the glass covering a greenhouse, letting sunlight in but blocking some of the infrared radiation from the earth’s surface that carries heat back into space. Over all the years, the total amount of greenhouse gases accumulates and the average temperature of the whole planet is increasing. Using automobiles means using gasoline produces and emitting carbon dioxide into the air. It may not be as efficient but its more eco-friendly is using a bike which produces no gases into the air.

Questions & Answers

What did you think camp would be like and did it turn out that way or differently?

Camp has actually been a great experience since I have been here.  It have given me the opportunity to learn new information that I would not have known otherwise. I guess I probably thought that Earth Camp was going to be easy and fun. Relaxing time and looking at animals. But I thought wrong. Earth Camp is hard work. It hustle, hustle, hustle. But through all of that hustling I have met a lot of interesting, smart, kind people at camp. The leaders are so funny and fabulous, and I am really enjoying my Earth Camp experience so far.  

What was your favorite activity and why?

My favorite activity we went to during Earth Camp is the Kitt Peak Observatory.  Going there was a real eye-opener to me. I could not grasp the idea that the Earth, that seems so big to me, is actually so small when you compare it to other planets out in space. For me, it is hard to understand just how big the universe really is. I have a knew appreciated for people like Laurel Clark, who made it their mission in life to learn and understand the place that we live in and what is happening in the universe around us. Going to the telescopes today was so amazing. When I saw Saturn through the telescope I was awe struck. It seemed like merely a picture that I was looking off. Something that was printed off the internet. It was an amazing sight to take part in and see.

What did we do at camp that impressed you the most and why?

what impressed me the most was the information about how much water is in the world: 71% of the Earth is covered with water.  97% of the water is contained in oceans.  3% is fresh water, and 80% of the fresh water is frozen.  That leads to the percentage of water on the planet available for human consumption is 0.003%... one drop in a bucket.  This impressed and surprised me because I had no clue that we as humans only have  a very small amount of available water!

Who inspired you the most during camp?

The person that inspired me the most during Earth Camp has been Brad Lancaster. He is dedicating his life to the good of the world. It amazes me how much time he took to build objects that are for the good of his house and his community. It really made me open my eyes to the things that I do and the impact that I have, and also what I can do to be more like Brad!

Tell me about a time at camp when you saw someone else demonstrate great leadership qualities. What did they do?

I saw Sabina demonstrating great leadership qualities yesterday! It was an amazing sight to see. I was walking in the desert when we were picking the fruit off the saguaro cacti.  Sabina showed great leadership by taking me into her group and sharing her flash light.  It made me feel like I was part of something and it showed me that Sabina cares about me and the good of people.

What did you do during camp that demonstrated your own leadership qualities?

It was only the second day of Earth Camp but I feel as if I had learned so much. I was not very worried about making friends here because everyone is so friendly and it's all around a great group of people that I am happy to be apart of.  I had come to 2011 Earth Camp with my best friend, and for the first day we pretty much stuck together. I demonstrated my leadership qualities by including everyone. But I soon realized that I had to be a leader and expand my friend circle which includes everyone so no one feels left out. This was actually a great experience for me because I was able to talk and hang out with a group of people who I may not have at other events such as school.

In what ways did Earth Camp help you think about your future, e.g. careers or higher education?

I have a knew look on all of the different types of plants that our desert has to offer. Before camp, I used to be like "I wish there were more palm trees and lawns of grass".  But now I realize that our non-native plants are not productive or eco-friendly They take way more effort and water when we could use the beautiful, native plants thats are all ready well adapated to the desert environment. Listening to our guest speaker at the University of Arizona, I could see me going into a career with plants so I can fully understand them more.

Now that you have experienced Earth camp, how do you view water in Tucson and how will that affect your future actions and choices?

I view water in a whole new way. Did you know that we only have .003% avaibable fresh water on earth? That truly amazes me. Earth Camp has taught me many ways to conserve water such as using the four bucket system, grey water washing, and using less water in the shower. I want to teach people around me to conserve the water that we so preciously have.