Politics of Mobility, Place, and Food

In terms of the politics of mobility, place, and food, I would say that I am moderately involved in the place in which I live (although after the bioregional quizzes, I have begun to question my intelligence in general). The term “involved” here is hard to place, however. It occurred to me that my involvement cannot be truly determined until the idea of “place” is defined. One could define my place in progressively more specific terms—the Earth, North America, the United States, Nevada, Reno, off of Virginia street, on the UNR campus, on the fifth floor of the Nevada Living Learning Community. With this in mind, I immediately thought of the ripple effect. Like dropping a stone into a body of water, each action I take creates a ripple, the weakest being on the outskirts, and increasing with intensity until the center, where a splash can often occur. A decision I make today impacts my closest surrounding environment with the strongest ripple, but it also affects the entire world in a miniscule, almost undetectable way. Although it may seem insignificant, when one considers the amount of people on the earth and their every action affecting our planet, billions of undetectable vibrations suddenly become extremely noticeable in their coalition. In other words, my involvement in my “place” is constant, whether I intend it to be so or not.

                As I considered this, I realized I create a place for those around me through a structure of inhabitation. I inhabit the same area as others; the world I create with my actions and involvement is part of their world, and theirs is part of mine. While I may make my own decisions, those decisions never stand alone. I inhabit my environment, and it inhabits me. For example, I choose to eat local and organically if at all possible. This affects my own body and ability to be sufficiently mobile, but it also helps the local farmers, promotes the discontinuation of preservative and pesticides, and takes a step toward improving the environmental conditions. The more people who buy local, the more popular it becomes, and the greater effect it will have.

                The politics of mobility come into play here. The local food is more expensive, meaning families and individuals with a lower income may choose to forgo this option in light of personal economics. However, they may also choose to ride their bikes to work in order to avoid the expense of gas, whereas a higher income family might drive. The interconnectedness of the world and the environment is extremely complex, then. Each person has a unique and interpersonal connection with the area they inhabit, whether this be their residence hall or the entire world.