Blake Underwood, SLS Blogger
Weekly Update 01 Sept 2019
Hello, again! Get ready for an action-packed update because this has been a busy week for the SLS program.
In our three visits to Metz, we (Dr. Kozhanova, my classmates, and I) learned more about composting, we met with Gilles Friderich, who works for the City of Metz, and explored the Saturday markets, as well as some stores that would interest anyone trying to produce less waste.
First, we visited another location of the community garden and composting initiative in Metz, one closer to the center of the city, and met a lively professor named Jean-Jacques Gaumet (or JJ) who tends the garden and composting bins there. Among many other things, he spoke with the group about Metz’s composting initiative, about the process of composting, showing us to each of the composting bins (all in different phases of the process), about the garden and its yield, and about other events of interest to green minds, like the ecology festival (in two weeks). At one point, he demonstrated the heat of fermentation by sticking a thermometer into each of the compost bins. The highest temperature (in the compost bin with the greatest amount of bacteria present) was around 52°C; when he started to sift through the compost, stirring it, there was steam that would come out of the pockets that he opened in the soil. The other students and I (including Dr. Kozhanova) thoroughly enjoyed it, each taking a turn to stir the compost in the same way as I had last Saturday and each smiling and presenting the other to Dr. Kozhanova for a picture. JJ and his wife were nice enough to let me borrow a composting bin, too, so I’ll be better prepared for our next composting session.
The following morning, we walked to the European Institute of Ecology building in Metz and spoke to Gilles Friderich (whom I mentioned earlier), who is responsible for sustainable development in the City of Metz. Gilles took us through a presentation in which he began with an explanation of the three pillars of sustainable development laid out in the Agenda 21 (an environmental plan/initiative constructed by governmental and nongovernmental organizations): social development, environmental development, and economic development. Once he had covered the basics, he moved on to initiatives in the city of Metz that were made in accordance with the goals set forth in Agenda 21. There is a greater sense of urgency and focus on making transportation in the city more bike friendly, and they’re continuing to improve and promote public transportation (like trains and buses, which I would highly recommend). They hand out “family care packages” that contain an installation for a shower head to use less water (and a device of the same concept for a sink) and a more energy efficient LED lightbulb, among other things, for free; they’re providing the citizens of Metz and surrounding villages the tools that they need to live more sustainably (an idea I can get behind!). They produce cups for the community that are biodegradable and have grocery tote bags made (with other little gifts, too, like a cigarette butt container made of recycled aluminum). These things, in particular, stuck out to me because they’re educating and providing the people with the things that they need to be sustainable and responsible. I’d like to explore some of the same notions in Atlanta, at Georgia Tech. He gave us some important facts about the current state of the world’s environment, our consumption rate, and the social complexity of these issues. After taking a short quiz, he was able to demonstrate the amount of resources and energy it takes to live our certain lifestyles. I’m really sad to say that it would take 2.5 planets to maintain my lifestyle. That’s crazy!
On the next beautiful morning in Metz (I know, two in a row), I met with Dr. Kozhanova and Jean-Jacque to explore the Saturday market, get the inside scoop, and then go see how some stores were managing to sell all of their goods without packaging. At the market, we walked through the aisles of the many stalls, sometimes stopping for JJ to purchase his fruits and vegetables. At one point, we stopped to converse with one of the merchants who immediately picked me out as an American. I was so surprised, and especially because I hadn’t even spoken a word to him. The price of local produce was mind boggling because the same caliber and quality market in the United States seems to be considered luxury, like the healthy aspect of the fruits and vegetables comes with its own price tag. It was refreshing to see affordable, high-quality produce in abundance for people to come and buy.
The store without packaging was something I found to be refreshing as well. There were a lot of glass containers, essentially reusable containers, for sale on the shelves next to the pastas, legumes, rice, candy, you name it. Further down, there were soaps and laundry detergents next to recycled, reusable plastic containers. Everything in the store worked in harmony to facilitate a completely packaging free experience. I wish that this concept was more widely adopted because I believe that it causes people to really engage with what they’re buying (and potentially avoid excess), and it also reduces the amount of waste that you generate as a whole.
Overall, I had an amazing week. I think that my French is beginning to come more naturally in conversation because of the amount of it that I’ve been able to hear and speak through these activities. I also feel my heart growing full of passion and love for the city of Metz and its initiatives to develop a more sustainable society, environment, and economy. These three days alone have sparked a fire in me that I will carry home to Georgia Tech and spread to my friends and community there. I’d like to look into composting at Georgia Tech’s community garden and potentially having a mini market there during the harvesting season.
Au revoir, mes amis! I’ll see you all again next week.