Bella Adorable

Spending time outdoors can enhance my appreciation for my surroundings by allowing me to notice things in my area when I am otherwise not looking for them. The other day, I chose to finally explore the Botanical Gardens we have on campus. I have never been more bewildered and shocked to find that kind of natural space just sitting in the middle of campus, in the middle of gray and dull Westwood! It felt like a jungle, and I was amazed to see turtles and bamboo there. Things I would've never guessed I would find in Westwood. Most of my time spent outdoors have been getting to and from class which makes me a little sad to admit. But when I chose to explore more than just my usual route to class, I was amazed at what I found. I really appreciated finding the work and dedication it took to cultivate something that grand in the middle of a city like LA.

I have a big problem with overeating, and I always found myself eating more than I needed to. I would eat until I felt full instead of eating until I didn't feel hungry anymore which would leave me feeling really lethargic. Eating smaller portions would prevent me from overeating and lead to a more healthy relationship with food. This would also be healthier for me in the sense that my body wouldn't be overloaded with food and nutrients all at once. My metabolism would work better and I wouldn't get backed up with food. I fee like my overall quality of life would improve if I ate smaller portions because I wouldn't be weighed down by physical feelings like stomach aches.

I can advocate to my government officials to consider the benefits of geothermal energy. I can also educate my friends more about what it is to garner more support for it. From there, we all can educate others and go to our elected officials about turning towards this source of energy as opposed to sticking with fossil fuels. I can also spend time researching organizations that fight for more renewable and efficient ways of energy and donate money to help continue their fight.

Other than reducing emissions and improving public health, one shallow thing that really motivates me to switching to a hybrid or electric car is all the gas money I could save by switching. Especially going on long-distance trips where we have to drive, hybrid cars can go a long way in such little gas. I have seen the range on my partner’s hybrid car which gets over 500 miles on a $38 full tank, and it makes me believe in the future of hybrid cars because who wouldn’t want to save money like this? On top of that, cities motivating people to go green by making parking spaces hybrid or electric only is also something simple that is convincing me to go green with my vehicle. It’s just making more and more sense to switch.

Being able to easily walk from place to place would improve my mental health immensely as exercise gives you endorphins and based on my personal experience, going on walks have made me feel really good about myself. Not having to worry about getting hit by a car because the sidewalks are large and there is a pedestrian-friendly route to my destination without any highways would make my experience in the city a lot better. Furthermore, walkable cities would mean that basic necessities would be close enough for me to walk to them. This would be more equitable by making these necessities accessible to all populations. If the goal is to have walkable cities, then the infrastructure must make necessities accessible by walking. Better walking infrastructure would also allow cities to be a place of social connection as more people would be out walking and passing by each other instead of being stuck inside their cars. I dream of the society that we could be if our cities were more walkable.

In order to be more energy efficient, I want to start unplugging appliances not in use. Much like switching out our lightbulbs, unplugging things we aren’t using is such a simple way to lessen our energy use. I would also unplug my electronic devices from their chargers once they are full so that I am not continually using electricity when it can no longer be supported. I will also make sure to urge those, along with myself, to use the heater sparingly in the winter months. Not only is it expensive, but there is no need to have it on when we’re out of the house nor when we can just use a blanket! I know based on electricity bills that those heaters take up the most energy. To go even further, in the future, I will consider getting solar panels for when I have my own home.

Going on daily walks now has given me such a sense of gratitude. I love noticing how green the earth has become now after all the rain we’ve been getting. I also notice the sounds of the birds more and I get to see squirrels playing with each other. I like going on these walks because it makes me feel rejuvenated after, and I suffer a lot from feel very tired or lethargic. I find that these walks energize me and being intentional with these walks allows me to notice more about the things around me. Walking to class is not the same because I am more focused on just getting to class than what’s around me. But when I walk with the intention of getting a walk in, I can take my time to take in my surroundings. Admittedly, walking around Westwood Village can be a little depressing at times with less greenery around. I think having a larger park with larger green spaces around would make my walks more enjoyable since I would have something to walk towards that I can around in. Asking for a Central Park in Westwood is a little ambitious, but something that takes qualities from it would be nice. I think the lawn near Janss steps is nice but I am envisioning something bigger with benches and bike lanes. Either way, incorporating more nature into my walks would make it more enjoyable.

Once or twice a week, I can ask my co-worker for a ride to work. This can lessen both of our carbon emissions as we can take one car instead of two. I also find myself asking to carpool with my friends when we go on outings so that we’re not all driving to the same place and emitting four times as much carbon. For friend outings, it feels more natural to ask to carpool together since we’re more familiar with each other. However, I find it harder to ask my co-workers for a ride because it feels like an imposition, but a little discomfort is worth knowing that we’re doing our best to save the planet. I can also suggest to switch off who’s driving to work so that it feels more even and less of me asking a huge favor. Simple tasks like these can greatly reduce carbon emissions if we all can do something like this.