Sustainable Behavior Challenge Tasks

Step 1. Begin reflecting on your personal consumption and select a behavior to change.

Estimate both your ecological footprint and your carbon footprint using the links under “Sustainable Behavior Resources” on our course blog/website as a starting point for thinking about your own patterns of consumption and environmental behavior.

In your reflection, choose an existing behavior you want to change during the sustainable behavior challenge and identify a specific, more sustainable behavior you want to change it to. For example: Why have you chosen to change this behavior?  Do you anticipate challenges in changing this behavior? What are your thoughts and concerns looking forward over the next weeks?

Requirements for your Step 1 Post:

• Write a 300-400 word blog entry reflecting on this process.
• Insert an image to accompany your first post.
• Assign your post to the “Step 1” category.
• Publish this entry by Tuesday, March 25th by 5:00 pm.

 

Step 2. Breaking (your) Bad: Observe & Reflect on your Current Behavior

Spend this week observing yourself doing the behavior you want to change. Being mindful and aware of the conditions and reasons you engage in a specific behavior may give you insight into ways to successfully change that behavior.

This post is all about self-awareness and saying goodbye to your old (bad) habits. Reflect upon the context under which you engage in the behavior you want to change and think about devising strategies for successful behavior change (this will come in  handy down the road. Do you do this behavior more when you are in a hurry? Stressed out? Tired? With friends? Alone? Because everyone else is? Because it tastes wonderful?

Next, learn from those who have gone before you. Do a little outside research into what behavioral scientists find to be driving the behaviors you want to change. Go to the Library Website (http://library.lafayette.edu/), hit up a search engine/database (Web of Science is my favorite), and find one article that studies the behavior you are changing to bring into and discuss in your blog post.  You will find diverse studies, but some might, for example, 1) Examine things that determine your less-than-sustainable behavior (e.g. What are factors that influence high water usage?) or 2) Identify barriers to changing your behavior (e.g. People don’t drive less because they don’t perceive that it impacts the problem of climate change).

So: Eat your last piece of bacon. Take a long, hot, luxurious shower. And then say goodbye.

Requirements for your Step 2 Post (10 points):

• Write a 400-500 word blog entry reflecting on this process.
• Insert an image to accompany your post.
• Address and discuss one scientific article that examines the behavior you want to change. Make sure to cite the article in your text (Author, year) and include a full reference at the bottom of your blog post.
• Assign your post to the “Step 2” category.
• Publish this entry by Tuesday, April 1st by 5:00 pm.