Earth Camp Commitment

My Earth Camp commitment is to reduce the amount of gasoline I use and by doing so reduce the amount of CO2 that I create each year. I plan on doing this by carpooling to school each day instead of driving just myself. This is not only environmentally friendly but also economically attractive since carpooling would reduce the amount of money I would have to spend on gas.

The experience that motivated me to make this commitment was seeing the layer of smog that hung over the area that we both drove and hiked through. These beautiful vistas of what was suppose to be an untouched and preserved natural landscape were instead obscured by a layer of smog. I realized that I could do my part to help prevent this and preserve the innate natural beauty of these places for future generations by doing something as simple as getting a ride with a friend.

My plan is to get a ride from my neighbor instead of driving myself. I have a friend who I usually carpool to lacrosse practice with and if I woke up an hour or so earlier then i could get a ride with him to school. Assuming that he is ok with this idea we could cut the amount of gas that we use in half and split the remaining gas bill which would save us both money and help the environment at the same time.

The world may not change immediately due to my actions. One person carpooling will not immediately save the environment, but I hope that it will at the very least draw the attention of my friends to this important cause and lead by example. The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step and I hope to be the catalyst that causes more people to realize the value of the environment and for them to do their part as well.

Questions & Answers

What was your favorite activity and why?

My favorite activity was the no waste dinner challenge that we did in Moab. It was a lot of fun and it turned out far different than I thought.  Our goal was to simply eat a meal without producing any waste at all including leftovers or trash of any sort. In the end most teams ended up with only paper napkins that were accidentally given to them.  But more than just being fun we also learned how hard it is to produce no trash.

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

I was most impressed by an activity that represented the amount of water that flowed in the Colorado River and how much was left when it reached Mexico. I was amazed that such a huge river could be reduced to a mere trickle by our water demands. It impacted me to reduce the amount of water that i use and do my part in saving the river.

Who inspired you the most during camp?

The person who inspired me the most during this camp was Sade. No matter how stressful or chaotic the environment, she always kept a cool head and was never snappy. She was extremely patient with everyone and always had an effervescent attitude. When ever there was a problem she always took a level headed approach and found the logical solution. 

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

Our guides demonstrated amazing leadership qualities on our trip. Specifically our guide, Brad. He was always responsible and prepared for every situation and was extremely patient with everyone in our group. He was also not afraid to lead by example and he worked just as hard and even harder than anyone else. He was also a nice guy who was easy to listen to and never abused his position or used it to slip work.  

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

I tried to demonstrate my own leadership by working hard at leading by example. I tried to work as hard as I could and always be the first one to jump on any work that needed to be done. I hoped that by being the first one to start and the last one to finish work that I could motivate others to do the same.

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

Though I have always wanted to be an engineer, Earth Camp has motivated me to move into the field of alternative energy, because clean energy and preserving the environment will be a huge field in the future and I want to preserve the world and its beauty for future generations.

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

My perspective on water was completely changed when I saw exactly how much water we use, where it goes, and where it comes from. Seeing how much the river was reduced when it reached Mexico made me decided to use less water. In the future I will use less water by taking shorter showers, not watering the lawn during the summer and hand washing dishes.