Thank you to everyone who read my columns and followed me throughout this process. I have learned quite a bit throughout this and I hope you have too! Today, the scope of my column will focus on the overall definition of sustainability and how we, as humans, can strive toward creating a zero net energy planet .

Sustainability is generally defined as the bountiful diversity and productivity of biological systems. These systems should produce waste below a non-harmful level. The core notions of sustainability can be viewed as a spectrum that ranges from extremely vast changes to minor changes in our current system.

While analyzing this spectrum, it is evident that moderate changes are useful, but not optimistic enough, and subsequently don’t conceptualize a greener future well. Contrastingly, the extreme definitions propose highly optimistic changes in our current framework but somewhat neglect the necessity for immediate action. My personal definition balances both the extreme and moderate definitions of green engineering, thus finding a middle ground between immediate action and optimistic conceptual design.

There are 4 major points I would like to stress in my definition, which are as follows:

1.      Designing with a top-down approach, but considering the importance and necessity   of bottom-up design.
2.      Designing with nature as an initial blueprint.
3.      Optimizing the life cycles of all products, systems and processes.
4.      Becoming one with planet Earth once again.

So, which theory is better, top-down or bottom-up?  A top-down approach is defined as making revisions to our current engineered system to increase their sustainable measures. Bottom-up is the notion of creating/engineering an entire new system, with the ultimate goal of being a self-sufficient system. They both have their advantages, and the best position regarding the two is to take advantages of both. My definition leads more toward a top-down approach, due to the fact that we are designing for the future, and challenging our current framework is the best way to do so. However, I still recognize the potential benefits of the bottom-up theory. Bottom-up strives toward the concept of wasting less, which is a great step in the direction towards full sustainability. Nevertheless, we still need to understand that top-down is a stronger theory because it takes into consideration long term effects, which will eventually lead toward a richer and more environmentally friendly future.

Supporting this environmentally non-threatening future requires we follow a very delicate philosophy. This philosophy can be loosely stated as “design as nature would.” This is an important concept as it reduces waste and optimizes all viable energy systems. Natural systems (such as trees and ants) are literally 100 percent optimal; all of their system’s byproducts are used elsewhere. This shows that it is very possible and extremely feasible to transform our current systems, products and designs to produce no waste. Also, just like natural systems, byproducts will feed other systems, thus supporting the concept of a cyclical energy system. Developing and supporting this cyclical energy system will once again land humans in their natural role within the ecosystem.

It wasn’t until recently – the past 150 years – that humans have grown and destroyed the environment at exponential rates, thus becoming an enemy to most ecosystems. Pre-industrial humans did not produce such environmentally detrimental effects as we do today. The ultimate goal would be to return to such a state where we would have the same lack of impact on the environment without altering our current society. Via years (maybe decades or centuries) of applying green engineering, humans will be able to claim that they are causing no destructive effects to the planet. They will be able to make the claim that they are native to planet Earth once more.

Brent Lund can be reached at brlund@ucdavis.edu.

Graphic by CA Aggie Graphic Design Team

Photo by CA Aggie Photo Team

Week 10 is here and we are all stuck in a panicked relief, as the dreaded winter quarter comes to an end with more papers, finals, and yes, “midterms.” It’s incredible what one can get done in a day at the end of the quarter. For example, in preparation for the five essays I have due before finals week, I have watched two comedy specials on Netflix and reread a Judy Blume book from my childhood. Hold your applause, please, I know I’m a star student.

Speaking of distractions from my responsibilities, I have completed a lot during this quarter in regards to this column. I do it all for the fans. I have demonstrated the delicate processes that involve watching a movie. The act of sitting down for a few hours of thrills, chills and minor plot spills must be approached with delicacy. As we have covered in the last 10 weeks, where you are, who you are with and on what device you may watch a movie determines how a viewer will receive it.

All I hope is that you, the reader, have learned how to spend the small amount of free time you have on this distinguished campus wisely. That has been my goal since the very beginning. I would hate to know that someone out there is watching a sequel to an already horrible movie, on a blind date, in a friend-of-a-friend’s dorm room sitting on the floor against the bedpost, so that the pain in that particular part of their back will be a reminder in the morning of the heartbreak and boredom that they had to endure just to have a “night out.” That seems like actual hell to me, and my heart goes out to those fallen heroes. With all said and done, I hope I have aided in your assessment of worthwhile movie-watching opportunities, and that you have learned to take care of yourself in this process.

The best way to learn about yourself is to prioritize your comfort in the most casual of settings. Spend your movie time wisely, it’s not often enough that we are able to enjoy two to three hours without breaking into crying hysterics over a midterm grade. Go out for a fun night to see the latest rom-com at the Holiday Theater, see the critically acclaimed film (that none of your friends want to see with you) in between classes at the Varsity, and after your last final, spend the night binge watching all the Austin Powers movies. Take care of the one thing that will hopefully stay with you for long after your college years are over: your well-being and imagination of a world outside the classroom.

My experiences watching films have been learning experiences, humbling journeys or really good stories to tell on “Flick Chick.” Out of all the stories I’ve shared in this column, I have to say that my favorite was going to the movies by myself. I now do it as often as possible, and hope to do so as soon as I’m done writing this final article. I have had my share of experiences, and nothing is better than taking time out for yourself to indulge in the things that matter to you.

The end of the quarter is a daunting and anxious time, so thanks to all of you who have kept up with my columns. What’s most amazing is that I’ve actually been able to complete a well-rounded opinion column about how we can spend our time wisely, when we aren’t studying in our time here at the University of California, Davis, in regards to the films we watch. My time at the Aggie has legitimately helped me, and hopefully you as well, procrastinate even harder.

Have any last minute questions, comments, or desperations for movie recommendations? contact me on twitter (@emdefaz10) or via email (endefazio@ucdavis.edu)

Graphic by CA Aggie Graphic Design Team

Photo by CA Aggie Photo Team

“If you’re going to the kitchen can you get me water?”

“Yea, OK, ya. Wait, nightmare. The Brita is bone dry.”

“Damn, can you fill it.”

“The sink is filled with dishes, I can’t even put the filter in there.”

“Can you just do a couple so it fits.”

“I did them last time.”

“Well I cleaned the living room.”

“Well I vacuumed.”

“Well I’m sorry I had three midterms last week.”

Sound familiar? That’s because you’re a human being living without adult supervision. Mom isn’t there to clean for you, or in my case, make me clean for myself. If you’re reading this, Mom, I appreciate all of those times you did clean after me and especially all of those times you didn’t, because I think if you didn’t make me clean up, my Davis house would be a different place. I’ve seen some houses that look like that was the childhood dynamic, and those places are not the best.

That’s not to say my house doesn’t get a little dirty from time to time. The above conversation happens much more often than it probably should. We don’t have a dishwasher in my house, or a machine to wash them either. (Get it? It’s a little joke about how we don’t wash the dishes.)

No matter your current roommate situation, it’s important to know your options. If you haven’t already done so, you are likely currently in the full swing of looking for a place to live and people to live with for next year. March and April are huge lease signing months, so I’ve decided to share some of my insight since I’ve basically experienced the full range.

The first place I lived had probably the most interesting roommate dynamics. As I mentioned in a previous article, I lost a roommate after the first quarter for video game-caused grades issues. The other roommate would wake me up early in the morning with his entire crew in the room playing and singing along to Mario Kart games. His girlfriend was always over, and the door was never shut, so I was always walking in on you know what.

Whether this was your experience or not, it is nice to make your own decisions on where and with whom you’ll live after Freshman Year.

Sophomore year I lived in apartment complex with three friends from the dorms. It definitely had its pros and cons. The first major pro is having my own room for the first time. This was incredible; I never had a queen size bed before that year, and it changed my life as a previous constant victim of rolling off of the bed. It had a pool and a hot tub, people we knew and friends we could meet. It had its disadvantages however –  it was a mile and a half off of campus, like many of the apartments. If you are looking to live this far, I’d highly recommend you don’t. It will make going to class even harder than it already is.

The next two years, I lived and currently live in houses downtown through property managers. For these property managers I recommend Lyon for their good service. I recommend Ally for the good locations, but certainly not for the reason I recommend Lyon. Ally managed my house junior year, and would basically only respond if the house was actually on fire, but definitely not in a timely manner. Both of these houses were within a block of campus. I can’t stress enough how awesome it is to have this privilege. Do your best to live close, because sacrificing nice amenities for this will still mean a much more enjoyable experience overall.

In my experience living in four different locations and living situations, I have learned a thing or two about how to do it right. Here are some Dos and Don’ts for those people in similar situations as me or any living arrangement at all. It will help you on the rest of this lease and those to come.

1. Try not to live with too many people. I have lived with three people in one bedroom, four in a house, and two total in a house. I lived in my fraternity house with 30 roommates (sadly or thankfully for a week only). I can honestly say even with the obvious reasons why two is better than thirty, in general less is better. The two person house has a much different dynamic than any other situation I have had. There are less dishes not getting done or chores not getting done. With four people (or thirty) you can all assume the messes are anyone elses. With two people, if you didn’t make the mess, it had to be the other person. If you vacuumed and the other person didn’t, they know its their turn next time. If you farted, the other person knows it was you.
2. Switch off doing some of the bad stuff like mopping and vacuuming. Try and do your dishes as you go, obviously, but if you don’t, do them together, that way you won’t be bitter with each other. If your roommate is busy or lazy, and you do the dishes or the cleaning, they might return the favor someday. I do this time and again for Shawn, just waiting for the return part to happen! It’s only been six months!
3. Try to avoid the apartment complex life but if you do it, do it right. If you’re going to live in one, make sure you are close to campus. If you are going to live in one that isn’t close to campus, live in Arlington Farms your sophomore year. It’s not close, but everyone else is doing it. It makes the situation of being too far better, and it is a regret of mine living that far from campus but in a completely different complex away from “Sophomore Central.”
4. Consider some of the things that are coming with the price cuts. Weigh location and price differently, based on who you are and how early your classes are. My apartment sophomore year was by far the least expensive, but it was also the worst experience. I would rather have paid more that year to be in the house I am in now. Value some of the aspects of the house, the common areas, the nearby food, etc. These can often outweigh the positives of low rent as well.
5. Get your own room. This is imperative. I have only lived with roommates for one year, but I can honestly say the money I could have saved is far inferior to having a quiet place to study, getting to go to bed and wake up on my own time, and being able to have a girlfriend/boyfriend in the hypothetical world where I could get one (to clarify, I never had one).

I have no leases left to sign in Davis, and some of you may not either (because I think my mom and dad are the only ones who read this). If you do, take into account the negatives and the positives of my wide range of living situations. If you also don’t have any more years here, you can use this again later when you move out from your old roommates’ house (mom and/or dad). The location of the house, who lives in the house with you and what the house is like can make all the difference on your year, so don’t take the decision lightly.

The UCD Files is your weekly in-depth look at our campus and the lifestyle that comes with it, featuring an occasional dropping of knowledge from a senior who has experienced it all.

Feel Free to send questions, comments, hate mail, or anything you would like to see in future articles to Adam Marx at almarx@ucdavis.edu.

Graphic by CA Aggie Graphic Design Team

Photo by CA Aggie Photo Team

Currently, I am spending money like I’ve got two jobs. But for the moment I have a grand total of zero jobs. At least something in my life is simplified.

The handling of money, whether to spend or to save, is an issue that we all face every day. I posit that money is a mental health issue for several reasons. One is that money, or a lack of it, can cause us to do drastic things. Another is that our relationship to just about everything and everyone (school, work, family, friends) is mediated to some extent by money. Lastly, for those with mental health issues like myself, there’s a tendency to be really REALLY bad with money. I’m going to examine these three intersections of money and our mental health with one working hypothesis in mind: it’s not your money that matters, but (simply put) your lifestyle.

Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous

It’s an unfortunate fact of human life that when our basic needs (food, safety, shelter and minimum psychological/physical connection) are not met, we become aggressive. We might not be able to change that, but we can change the tendency for these basics to have a high price tag.

The poor of our country (which is the only one I’m familiar with) think about money much more than the average person, as money is their only way out of poverty. Yet (from my vantage point) there seems to be plenty of places in our world where people are perfectly happy while earning an amount that here in the UC would land us on the street. If we could simply make minimum living wage in this country a realistic and achievable figure, then we’d be improving the lifestyle of millions.

Money Makes the World Go Round

The exchange of money may seem like a choice we make, but really it’s an inescapable fact of our lives. We have to make decisions all the time. Should we eat at the MU, Crepeville, back at the apartment/dorm or at the DC where our plethora of unused swipes are threatening to depreciate into Aggie Cash (or perhaps you only have the 90-meal plan, and you’re trying to conserve those swipes for “eating out” on campus). These everyday decisions determine our future lifestyle. The people you see going to Crepeville or Burgers & Brew several times a week are likely to need a whole lot more savings for retirement. So, unless they make big bucks, they’ll be working longer than those of us who are willing to cook with Costco ingredients in our kitchens.

Lose your Money, Lose your Mind

I just spent $110 within two hours. And that was at the Goodwill, SPCA and a garage sale. Was any of it really necessary? Honestly, not really. Of course, I’ve heard the anecdotes of overspending. Stephen Fry, the actor, bought his fifth Apple computer in his documentary (The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive (2006)) about mental illness and spending. Kay Jamison, in her book, An Unquiet Mind, described picking up lithium (for her mania) along with expensive amounts of snakebite kits. Her plan is to save the lives of Californians by distributing the antivenom to hikers. My shopping ambitions don’t seem to be that delusional, but I still have to gauge my level of mania when I’m shopping. How much is this purchase a practical one, or one that is just inflating a hyperactive ego. It’s often a tough call, and to be honest I don’t back as many things as I should. I’m trying to change that.

Like trying to decide how much you want to use drugs in high school or college, deciding how much you are comfortable spending on a daily to yearly basis (your lifestyle) determines a lot of how your life will play out. Be wary that of the fact that just because you aren’t bipolar or suffer from any clear addictions doesn’t mean you don’t have any money issues.

I’d like to end on a more philosophical note. What’s funny about money is that it’s actually unnecessary. It’s perhaps the only thing that the VAST majority of humans use on a daily basis that is meaningless on a physical level. What I mean is: Clothes protect us to a degree. Food nourishes us. Shelter, air, water, sunlight, etc., all play a clear role. But money is truly just paper, and hardly even that the way digital currency is taking off. Yet, if all that paper and digital information disappeared tomorrow, we’d be hard pressed to see our society operate with only the bargaining of our forefathers. In short: Don’t try to change the game, change the player. Unless, you know, you’re into that whole Holy Mountain (1973) thing. Then go for it.

PAUL BEREZOVSKY would like to spend time reading the comments/concerns you send to pbberezovsky@ucdavis.edu.

Graphic by CA Aggie Graphic Design Team

Photo by CA Aggie Photo Team