Collectively, one the best things about this boot camp was being a part of an international program with such important subject matter- the intermingling of our working world and the ongoing health of the natural world. As human beings, we are very fortunate to have the comprehension of our surroundings and realize we are more than capable of making the choices we need to, the changes and revisions we know are correct and right to pursue, when challenges and troubles arise. In order to take the first step forward, we must forgone with the negativity we sometimes associate with new beginnings under the idea our proclaimed enhancements to our world are merely "temporarily adjustments," and instead understand there are both positive and negative impacts when we change our ways. Similarly, when it comes to advancing our cities and livelihood in the ever developing world we live in, it is truly in our benefit to consider the consequences of our pending actions while also reminding ourselves why these alternatives are both approachable and possible to bring to life.
Attached below is a copy of the program highlights, in addition to a redacted copy of my letter of motivation submitted for the program.
In preparation for the boot camp, I personally took additional measure to help amplify the theme of public transportation. Over the course of March through early June, I spent numerous hours planning my route to leave eastern Iowa and arrive in Lyon for the program, with the mindset of economical traveling. Unfortunately, Iowa is not the most affordable state to leave for an international flight. One must make connections to either the east or west cost on a domestic flight, then find a suitable outbound flight to the destination. I found the best route for me to take was to use Greyhound (a bus service that runs throughout the US) to enter eastern Canada, then from there take a flight to France. My cost of transit to Lyon and back was $976.86- noticeably below the predicted $1,500 estimated transportation cost for this program.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Montreal, Ontario consisted of eight busses... over the course of 57+ hours. I departed Iowa on the morning of 14 June (09h30) and (finally) arrived in Montreal on the evening of 16 June (18h20). From there, I flew directly to Lyon; arrival time was in the morning of 17 June. The final segment consisted of using the Rhônexpress to leave the airport (LYS) and finally say "Bonjour" at Part-Dieu. Much to my surprise, I thought I would be among the last souls to arrive at Part-Dieu due to my rather drawn out travel plan, however, I was actually the first person to show up! The return trip is the above in reverse.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Montreal, Ontario consisted of eight busses... over the course of 57+ hours. I departed Iowa on the morning of 14 June (09h30) and (finally) arrived in Montreal on the evening of 16 June (18h20). From there, I flew directly to Lyon; arrival time was in the morning of 17 June. The final segment consisted of using the Rhônexpress to leave the airport (LYS) and finally say "Bonjour" at Part-Dieu. Much to my surprise, I thought I would be among the last souls to arrive at Part-Dieu due to my rather drawn out travel plan, however, I was actually the first person to show up! The return trip is the above in reverse.
The following are summarised components I learned about and was introduced to during my time in Lyon. When it comes to the environment and making changes both for ourselves and in our communities, there are various topics that need to be discussed and acted upon accordingly. Many times when it comes to these open-ended topics, I have found it is easier to talk about them and leave them as a theory than actually implement them. Ideally, some of the best actions we can take in life are those that we act upon first through ourselves.
- You can "Go Green," without going nuts. You don't have to take dramatic steps forward for radical redesign, as it is often in the present when changes are being made, that we find ways to revise these new actions to become better as they're polished.
- Recycling is beneficial in principle, however, the "recyclable materials" must actually be recycled and processed- it doesn't do much good to collect materials and then don't do anything with them. Likewise, many products we use today could ideally been made from higher percentage of post-consumer waste/recyclables, and less from virgin materials.
- Plastic has a time and place to be used. Our nations have developed such an attachment to plastic items, and consequently these petroleum based products are ultimately worthless after a period of time, yet remain around nearly forever. Future "plastics" must take into account real-world biodegradability with less reliance on virgin materials from foreign lands.
- The productivity of a city may easily be seen via its public transportation. The U.S. may be recognised as an incredibly wealthy nation, however, we are in serious poverty when it comes to moving the masses around the country via transportation forms not involving aviation. There must be internal development to expand, revise, develop, and implement effective mass transit instead of relying on larger multi-lane highways and cross-continental flights. While Amtrak (train) and Greyhound (bus) are two existing methods available to the public, they both need astronomical attention and funding to revive their effectiveness.
- Personal transportation is an individual luxury, however, conventional vehicles (internal combustion engine) don't promote progress. In terms of CO2 production in response to private transit, driving gasoline or any variant of fossil fuels is not solving any problems- it's contributing to it. Yes, driving an actually efficient hybrid is a step forward as these vehicles prolong their fossil fuel consumption- within limitation. Alternative fuel vehicles remain an excellent choice in the long-run. All changes need time, however, one must actively be pushing for it instead of joining "the wagon of accomplishments" of those who made things happen- you can't jump into a Tesla and deem yourself an environmental savior when you didn't act upon other green options in previous moments in life.
- Remain mindful of not only what you eat, but who you eat. Wealthy nations are able to import food from nearly anywhere in the world, and while the native consumer enjoys this ability, there are tolls taken in order to grow and transport these items year round for the demanding shopper. You can save the fish in attempt by not using a plastic straw, although you can also keep the fish alive by not eating it. Similarly, food waste is a such silly problem.