Sustainability Class

Grocery Store Observation

There were a lot of beverages, with coke products being the most prominent brand. In the picture it’s hard to see even any other brands. The same can be said for Gatorade as well. It looks like all of them use some type of plastic or aluminum. 

The next store was Walmart, it was about half a mile away on Mason Montgomery Rd. There wasn’t a sidewalk the whole way but there were parts accessible by sidewalk. You go through a parking lot to get to the store from Kroger. It would take fifteen minutes to walk with crossing one street.

      5/11/23

What Makes a Home? 

A home is a literal or figurative space in which an individual may dwell. A home has a sense of acceptance and warmth in my mind, kind of like a safe haven. It can be a house, a family, a group of friends, or any location really that sustains an individual's sense of being, and protection. From a positive psychology perspective, a home would be one of the things necessary to obtain a good life and reach an inherent positive self-regard.                          

  5/14/23

17 May 2023 - Nottingham Excursion

We traveled from Grantham on Wednesday into Nottingham by train with some specific goals to observe throughout the city. Our specific goals were to observe the general plastic use and reusability of single - use hot coffee cups. and plastic bottles. We also needed to assess the mobility and accessibility of the city through buses and trams. Finally we were tasked to go to the meadows and observe the housing.

We first went to a coffee shop to check out the reusable cups and options available. After getting a hot drink, we found the cups were 100% compostable. The snack options were all packaged in plastic. We then went to two different gas stations and observed many similarities to the stations in the States. Most bottled drinks were in plastic with varying levels of recyclable materials. The fruits available were mostly sealed in plastic as well.

As we walked towards the Meadows, we took note of the varying transportation options. Almost all of the roads had specific lanes for bikes. There were signs nearly on every street pointing towards the bus stops near by. The train station was also pointed out every so often within the Meadows. The bus ran in a loop and at each bus stop there was a map of the route. The buses ran every five to ten minutes. Overall, the accessibility was much better than that in Grantham. Between the buses and trams, it was very easy to get from varying locations.

Finally. we walked through the meadows, and noted the relative mid-class atmosphere and relatively nice upkeep of the area. The houses that were farther away from the city were much nicer, some with front porches, trees, etc. The cars were parked on the streets and there we just a few alleys that held some trash/recycling bins. Otherwise, the houses were back-to-back.

        5/17/23

London Parks Quest

Our group (Jessie, Deja, Chai, and I) were assigned to go out to Victoria Park. We first went to Kings Cross Station to find our train line. It was overwhelming at first because Kings Cross is so busy, but because of all the signs overhead, we were able to navigate to our line fairly easily. We had to then take the overground out to Hackney Wick. I prefer the underground to the overground, but both were very easy to navigate. It was nice to have everything within walking distance. At one point we had to cross over the highway to get to the park and it was very scary. Once we got to the park we noticed all of the old trees making us think this park or at least the land has gone untouched for quite some time. There were people everywhere, walking their dogs, working out, or playing different sports (we saw lacrosse and football) The park was huge and had a variety of spaces for whatever recreational purposes you could think of. The walk back was tiring since Victoria park was far but still very manageable. We did exit Kings Cross from a different exit and got temporarily lost.

              5/22/23

London Docklands Museum

It was very interesting to see the embankment after learning about it in class. Knowing now how large the Thames is and the city of London altogether, I can't imagine the intensity of The Great Stink and the problems caused from the lack of a sewage system. Seeing old pictures of London and the Thames River as compared to now is astounding how much change has occurred. I can imagine the area we visited would not have been a place to visit in the middle of the 19th century, but now the Thames is a place of easy accessibility and beauty.

Nowadays, it appears the relationship between the Thames River and London has greatly improved. It appears the city uses the Thames for many things, such as transport of good, people and aesthetics. Back in Harlaxton we learned about the development of a relationship between the city and the Thames River. With better sewage systems it seems the river has more of a positive association with London. Rather than being a unhygienic downside of London, the Thames river now seems to be a useful and beautiful landmark that enhances the city.

After visiting the museum, it is obvious transportation has greatly improved for the city of London over many years. The museum showed what life looked like on the Thames, transporting goods and services. The conditions for sailors were very poor and there was a high mortality rate as according to some of the exhibits on the second floor of the museum. The sinking of the SS Princess Alice, and the multiple riots that occured in association with the methods of transportation on the Thames were especially sobering to me. The history of transportation in general serves as a stark contrast to the relationship the Thames has with the city of London today and is something that should not be forgotten.

Olympic Park

Exploring Olympic Park was very enjoyable and educational. Not only was it cool to observe where a very important Olympics took place, but it was a very useful application to our discussion of everyday sustainability. I never thought about how parks and open green spaces could play such an important role in maintaining a healthy, balanced environment. I think a lot of this course has focused on transit and urban living, in which there is not an extensive amount of open green space for people to spend time in. The development of Olympic Park I believe was a big step towards a more sustainable environment, especially since its construction was centered around the people that live in the city. This was made clear after walking around and seeing the student housing, the multiple walking trails, public swimming pool, and wide-open pavements. The student housing was one of the last places we explored. The housing was different from anything I have seen in the United States. It was very compact and conscientious of space. I think incorporating affordable student housing on a park space is smart as it encourages more people to get out and experience the area they live in. The park and student housing overall enforced a better wellbeing for all city-dwellers.

5/30/23

Herrmansdorfer Farm

Visiting Herrmansdorfer Farm, we were able to get a tour of the daily workings of the pig farm. It was a very enjoyable experience to see all the animals and feed the sheep. We also made pretzels and learned about the development process of their meat products. The farm strives to provide a safe, stress-free life for their pigs before they are butchered. To get to the farm we took a forty-five-minute bus ride through the Bavarian hinterlands. This added to the experience as it reminded me of the stark contrast between urban and rural living. From an urban sustainability perspective, I believe these farms play a very key role in upholding a homeostatic environment. So many concepts can be pulled from the farm that enforce a healthy urban environment. Locally sourced food, homemade pretzels and the vast amount of green space are some of the main factors that make this farm so environmentally friendly. Visiting the farm helped finalize our group project and give insight as to what a healthy environment needs to thrive. We were able to form our final project around the concepts we pulled from the farm and how to incorporate those into an urban environment. The farm was one of my favorite excursions while also being very benefical.

5/31/23

Isar, Schlacthof & English Garden Bike Tour

Towards the end of our trip, we took a bike tour throughout the city of Munich. The bikes were very comfortable and easy to maneuver. The city itself is very bike-friendly, which made the ride much different from biking in a city like Cincinnati. Munich has designated spaces on most of the sidewalks specifically for bikers which was helpful to avoid traffic. Biking in the city of Munich is a very adaptable and encouraged form of public transportation. Our guides spoke on this topic and referenced velenomy, which is the concept of human anatomy as it intertwines with biking. This concept was something I had never heard of and was a very interesting perspective. Our tour guides also spoke about the three main reasons for biking within the city. Those being for leisure, sport, and utility. The bike tour allowed us to experience velenomy and consider the varying factors that impact biking in a city. The biggest issue was the traffic when crossing the streets. Every block was start and stop which made it fairly difficult to ride at a consistent pace for an extended amount of time. Our guides did speak on this and explained the Munich is looking to develop more bike highways which would resolve this issue. I believe solving the traffic issue would make biking one of the most sustainable forms of transportation, especially for city living. I can't imagine using a bike as my form of transportation in Cincinnati, but maybe living in a city like Munich or even London would change my opinion.

6/2/23

Final Reflection

What are the top five most valuable lessons learned from study abroad?

How does it feel to be back? List as many words in 2 minutes

Relief, Sad, Emotional, Happy, Exhausted, Excited, Encouraged, Bittersweet, Sad, Grief, Appreciation, Nostalgia, Gratitude, Fondness, Travel Bug, Inspired, Motivated, Crying, Love for my family, Love for the friends I've made. Sad

Name 3 things you miss most about England/Germany


How did the excursions in London and Munich connect to or expand on our core class work from Harlaxton?

We discussed the evolution of the city of London and how it's relationship with public transit and the Thames river has changed. Visiting the museums that discussed the varying forms of public transit and the relationship London has with the Thames river was the perfect application to what we had previously learned in class. I also believe going to London and living there for a week was very beneficial after learning about the city's history. It allowed me to appreciate and understand the city better than I would have had I not explored its extensive history. Exploring all the public transit and how it varied between the two major cities gave me a better understanding of urban sustainability and how to thibk critically about the topic.