November/December 1984 RAIN Page 23 ~ Ecology of Everyday Life by F. Lansing Scott Last issue it was art in everyday life, now it's the ecology of everyday life-what's this preoccupation we Rainfolks seem to have with everyday life, anyway? Well, it's where we live, where we make most of our choices, where we have at least some control over the way of thing~. If we are going to change the world, perhaps a good place. to start i~ in our own ~ommunities and in our mun lives. What we say and'what we think are not as important as what we do and how we live. Or so it seems to us. · · . The folloiuing questions are based on a class I co-taught at Fairhaven College (an alternative college in Bellingham, Washington) before coming to Rain. -FLS Most questions can be answered in a superficial manner or in great detail-decide how much detail is important to yo'u and why. And at each step of the way, ask yourself, "What are my choices?" and "So what difference does it make, anyway?"- WATER Where does your water come from? Describe what happens to it from the time it falls'out of the sky until it reaches your dwelling. Describe what happens to it after it leaves your dwelling. FOOD Choose five foods that are essential to your diet. What is involved in producing each food and bringing it to you·r table? What considerations are relevant to you? Wh~re does the money go that you spend on'food? How much of it stays in your community? For each dollar you spend, which people in what parts of the process get what portion of it? SHELTER What materials were used on the construction of.your dwelling? Where did they come from? What was the land like before your dwelling was built on it? What was it like 300 years ago? - Who o.wns your dwelling? Describe in detail what happens to the money you pay toward your dwelling. CLOTHING What materials are your clothes made out of? Where do these materials come fr01~? Choose an article of clothing and describe how it is manufactured, where it is manufactured, who does'the work, and under what conditions. TRANSPORTATION What modes of transportation do you commonly use? What materials and production process~s are used in the vehicles you travel in or on? What.types and amounts of energy do these vehicles use? What kinds of emissions (if any) do these vehicles put into the environment? How does the operation of each mode of transportation affect the design of your community? Where does the money go that you pay toward transportation? ENERGY USE Identify your major uses of energy (transportation, lighting, and so on). What proportion of your total energy use does each of these uses make up? What are the sources of energy used? How much of each source is used? For each source, specify if it is renewable or nonrenewable, and describe where it comes from. WASTE Where does your sewage go, and what happens to it? How much garbage do you generate in a month? What is it composed of? Are any of the materials recyclable? What materials do you, in fact, recycle? MONEY Where does your money come from? How much money do you 'spend on each of the item5 above? Do you put money into a checking account? A savings account? What does the bank do with your money? Do you put money into investments? What kinds? How is your invested money used? WORK . What paid work do you do? What function does your job serve in regard to meeting human and social needs? In regard to your own personal fulfillment? What unpaid work do you do? What functions does this work serve? 0 0
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