A Reflection on my Return from Cali

Me and Berkeley <3

For those who did not know, I spent this past weekend at UC Berkeley, in Oakland, California. I had a fantastic time, and was very humbled by the intelligence and high caliber of people I met throughout the experience. So I apologize for the delay between posts, but don't worry; I was still paying close attention to how Oakland treated sustainability, and I was not disappointed.

One thing I noticed in Oakland, and have noticed before in Seattle, is the number of compost cans in public spaces. The system works exactly like the garbage and recycling systems from a user standpoint. You simply collect your compostable items in a separate bin, and waste management comes to pick it up from your house. The compostable waste is then transferred to a facility where it begins to degrade, and finally the compost soil is given to local farms.

Compost Collection Can at the Oakland Airport

If you are interested, there is an independent organization within Atlanta that performs the same service, called Compostwheels. I have my own compost at home, but Compostwheels is a great option for those who want to compost, but do not want to deal with any maintenance. What I also love about Compostwheels is that they pick up on bicycles in most neighborhoods. An average garbage truck gets a measly 2-3 miles per gallon, so the bicycle initiative is saving a huge amount of carbon dioxide emissions.

Another thing I noticed in Oakland is the amount of signage that pointed out climate change issues our world is facing. I took photos of two such signs in the airport. One is a photograph showing the effect of global warming on evaporating our freshwater, and another is an infograph about clean water. I have always found it interesting how much more involved the west coast states are in sustainability issues than the east coast states. Then again, the population density, severe weather droughts, and nearness to major fault lines does force people to pay attention to the power of climate change over our daily lives.

"Epic Fail" Freshwater Sign (from WWF)

Clean Water Infograph