Thinking green in frogs-legs-a-gogo land

So last week, I had to order my Portuguese book because they didn't have any copies of it at the bookstore. I went with my friend, and we both ordered the book at the same time. Apparantly, she received a text message last Tuesday (they do EVERYTHING via text messages here...it's insane) saying that her book was in and she went in and picked it up and tra la la life was good. I figured, maybe there was a mistake with my phone number or something and I just didn't get the text, so today I went to the bookstore to ask about it, which was cool cuz I had to buy a birthday present for Mathias there anyway. Turns out, there was no mistake...they got one copy of the book from...somewhere, but mine they had to order from somewhere else that is farther away (apparantly REALLY far away, because I probably wont get it until November. Good, just in time for the class to be over). Ok, maybe I'm a little bit bitter.

Oh well, I will survive.

More importantly, today is Blog Action Day, and I pledged to write about the environment. While the environment is kind of my issue in general, I've been sitting here wondering what to write about that would fit with my blog, and that wouldn't just be a rant about global warming or politics or whatever. So I started to think about the differences in the way environmental issues are addressed here compared to in the U.S.

--I almost feel like the environment is less of a talking point here than I am used to. Maybe that's because I go to the University of Oregon, and therefore am often surrounded by people who are really invested in protecting the environment, and because, for the most part, my friends and family are mostly all environmentalists in some form or another. But here, I hardly ever find myself in a discussion about environmental problems or how to address them. I don't say this because I think it's a bad thing that everyone doesn't talk about these issues...it's just an observation. I'm not sure what it implies, really. In some ways, I think a certain amount of consideration toward the environment is just part of people's lives in a defferent way here than it is in the states...

--For example, the open-air markets, one of my favorite things about being here. I love walking to the market and being surrounded by different vendors, many of whom are selling things that they produce. So many people buy their food in this way...where you communicate with the producers and you get a sense of what's in season and what isn't because, well, you can't buy the things that aren't in season. Also, when you are buying things fresh from producers, you get a lot less packaging, which I am totally down with.

--Decent public transportation. I love it. I think part of it is that I live in a big city, but really it's actually smaller in population than Albuquerque, and in Albuquerque it is almost essential that you have a car. Here, it's infinitely more of a pain to have a car than to take public transport. And you really can go pretty much anywhere you need to go. Also, there is the Velo'v system, which is awesome, and you see so many people riding bikes. I don't think that most people think of it as an environmental thing, though. You take the metro becuase it's there andbecause it's faster and cheaper than driving. You get a bike from Velo'v because it's fun and easy and cheap (and you can ride your bike home at 3 in the morning after you drink too much and have been dancing all night and the metro isn't running).

--A number of stores don't just give people plastic bags anymore. You have to buy them. At Decitre, the bookstore, you have to buy your bag for 10 cents if you want one. At this organic grocery store that I go to a lot, they are 3 cents. Before coming here, I usually took bags with my when I went grocery shopping, but now I really have to think about it because it would really suck to get there, get my stuff, and then have to pay for bags that I don't need because I have them at home. Also, so many people have these little carts that they use when they go shopping. It's kind of like a backpack on wheels. That way, you don't use any bags, AND it's much more practical if you are walking home or taking public transportation than if you have a bunch or plastic bags that are heavy and awkward (I saw this woman on the tram the other day with like six bags of groceries that she ended up just kind of plopping on the floor and hoped that no one stepped on them...)

--I've noticed a lot of lights with motion sensors and timers. At the university, in the hallways that don't get used much, all the lights are off until someone walks through. Also, in my apartment building (and I've noticed this in other places, too), the light for the stairwell is normally off, unless you turn it on, and then it is on a timer and goes off after a few minutes...long enough for you to get where you are going. A lot of times I forget to turn it on...whereas in the states people are always forgetting to turn lights OFF.

--Artificial heating and cooling are very rare here, especially air conditioning. People always seem shocked when I say that most people in New Mexico have some kind of A/C. Pretty much no one has it here, at least in living spaces. Granted, it's rarely 100 degrees here, but still...plus, a lot of people in the states use A/C when it's only like 80 (ie my roommate last year...drove me NUTS). Granted, this has more to do with the cost of energy and the fact that there are so many old buildings that are expensive to retrofit with good heating and cooling systems use than protecting the environment, but like I said, I think that a lot of things that are considered in the states to be pro-environment are just part of daily life here...

--Lastly, on my street, there is both an organic market and a little store that sells only free trade items. It's really cool. I think this is a relatively new thing, but I've noticed a lot of little organic stores, and even in the big grocery stores, you can generally find organic products. I can also get free trade coffee in the coffee machines at the university...and it costs the same as normal coffee. I like that (although I don't like that you have to get a tiny plastic cup from those machines and I'm pretty sure TONS of those cups get thrown away daily...)

And there are my thoughts/observations. Just in time for Blog Action Day to be over here (oops).

Good night!!