Washington, DC: Global Gateway Summer 2024 (Discoveries)
Shelby: Sustainability in DC
During my time in Washington D.C., I have observed and learned about a wide range of topics including political ideology, polarization, group dynamics, social media, news coverage, and sustainability practices. Washington D.C. is known for being a sustainable city and is continuously ranked as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the country. I went into this program with this knowledge, so I was especially attentive to the city’s efforts to be more sustainable.
The entire city has a “bag tax” that charges $0.05 per plastic bag. While it is a small fine, it encourages shoppers to bring their own bags, especially considering the cost of living in D.C. is already quite expensive.
The public transportation system in Washington D.C. is very well-developed and beneficial to the city. The Metro train runs underneath every corner of the city and even reaches into Maryland and Virginia, allowing residents to save money while reducing car emissions. The constant flow of people on the Metro is a testament to how beloved it is by the residents of Washington D.C. I have used the Metro several times throughout this program, and it is amazing to think about how helpful it has been at reducing my individual carbon emissions and how much that number multiplies for every commuter.
Other than the bag tax and public transportation, most of the sustainability efforts I have seen are made by individual businesses and not the city itself. Several of the large businesses I have interacted with here do not seem to prioritize sustainable practices, but some smaller businesses have.
Blue Bottle Cafe in Union Station is a prime example of this. This cafe uses fully compostable cups and lids as well as paper straws. The drinks do not automatically come with a lid, allowing the consumer to make the decision themselves and reduce wasting unwanted materials. Most coffee shops use plastic cups for iced drinks, but Blue Bottle Cafe uses the same cups regardless of the drink. In addition to this, their drinks are automatically made with oat milk, which is much more environmentally friendly and uses less water than dairy milk. Other coffee shops I have visited, including Blank Street Coffee near U-Street, have incorporated this as well. Visiting these coffee shops has become a part of our daily routine for myself and several of my classmates, which is why it is so encouraging to see the efforts some of them are making to better the planet.
Kathryn: A Home Away from Home in DC
If I’ve embraced one lesson from the Global Gateway experience, it would be that home isn’t a place, rather where you live, learn, and love.
Over these past three weeks, I’ve gotten comfortable riding the Metro, entering the academic atmosphere of the United Methodist Building, and of course, shopping anywhere and everywhere. Whether it’s big chain stores in Bethesda or small flea markets Del Ray, there’s always a part of D.C. that suits everybody’s taste.
There has never been a city that’s felt more like home until coming to Washington D.C.; it’s the center of change, leadership, and involvement. The thing I’m going to miss most is quite literally walking the streets, embracing the professional atmosphere around me, and envisioning the future where I may, someday, be in their shoes.
But within those streets are places like For Five Coffee and the Smithsonian National Museums that have become everyday treasures. The Global Gateway program in Washington D.C. has opened my eyes to the vast world around me and all the little things that make our big world feel small. Community is everything; building lasting relationships that’ll extend outside of the United Methodist Building classroom and back to my everyday student life in Madison. This program has been the turning point in my life to realizing how many opportunities there are if you just reach out and take them.
As Taylor Swift so beautifully says, “The most beautiful things in life are not things. They’re people and the memories we create with them,” which fully encompasses what this program has meant to me and creating that home away from home.
