Danielle Berejikian

Initially, I was very surprised the governor of California thought we, as a state, would be able to reduce new car sales to zero-emission vehicles only by 2035. I personally didn't think it was possible and didn't understand the urgency, but after reading the Uninhabitable Earth from early in this course, I felt 2035 isn't soon enough. Even my other courses have touched on the fact that ONE GALLON of gasoline burned equates to TWENTY POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION. I began to look into all electric cars and the new models that have been coming out. I know I want to get a zero-emission vehicle as my next car (unfortunately I cannot function on just a bike and the public transport system just yet, although I have tried to make it possible). 
I had always stared at my "mpg" reading and watched it go up and down, but that was always for the selfish reason of not wanting to spend more money on gas. I realized how important this concept is and the importance of what just one person can do. If everyone is willing to contribute, we will make a huge change, and I definitely will not be that one person holding everyone back. I began talking to some coworkers who have Teslas and friends who own Prii (plural of Prius via dictionary.com and Toyota). They have all vouched for their cars, the convenience of charging at home, the money you save on gas, how quiet the car is, the reduced guilt, etc. These are all amazing things, and I cannot think of a single argument against getting an electric car over a gas car. Even the price is competitive with gas cars! 
I am not sure which car I will be looking for next, but I am sure with all the progress that has been made within the last few years, the cars will be amazing in a couple more. Until then, I have been trying to reduce the amount I use my car: I walk to places when possible, I bought and ride a bike a lot, I carpool, and I have greatly reduced long trips. I am very excited to see the progress made within a couple years, and I am very happy to have legislation moving forward with combatting the climate crisis goals.

I had always heard of smaller plates being "healthier" but had never really looked into how this was true until I accepted the challenge. There is, of course, the obvious answer: the limited space doesn't allow you to overfill your plate as much as a large plate would. I always figured people would just fill their plates more. But I bought some smaller bowls and plates and wanted to try the challenge.
I was raised in a household that did not waste the food we cooked. No matter what was on your plate you tried to finish it, and if you couldn't, someone else in the family would. I always thought that was great, but you would come back from dinner feeling really full and bloated. I continued this when I began living on my own because I was so convinced I could not leave any food waste behind. In theory this was a good idea, trying to do my little part to prevent waste, but I didn't see the obvious answer. I began making smaller portions. I can see how many people may think the same way as me, trying to finish everything on their plates. OR I could see people enjoying their meal so much they eat everything in front of them and not listening to their stomachs when it tells them to slow way down. This is probably a very large cause for obesity in America. We have astonishing numbers that continue to grow, and while I do not believe in the outdated BMI calculation that only concerns your height and weight, I do believe our overweight rates are much higher than the rest of the world. I like to eat out on date nights or nights out with friends and family, and have definitely noticed the huge portion sizes everywhere you go.
I remember the debate going on when restaurants were first being required to post the calorie amounts next to each dish. It was absolutely shocking. One pasta dish at BJ's or Cheesecake factory can be 2700+ calories. If someone were to eat that for a casual dinner, they would be consuming over double the calories they are supposed to eat in a day. There isn't a reason the portion sizes have to be so large. Is it so the restaurants can charge more? Maybe. Or they want to expand our stomachs so we continue to eat more of their food? Either way, the large portion sizes are leading to increased obesity as well as heart conditions from the cholesterol and a lazier society overall. 
I will continue to try to reduce my meal sizes so I eat until I am full and prevent overeating. I want to be able to save more food, which will ultimately save the planet and my wallet.

When I first read this title, I was a little confused as to what "the truth" could be. I thought it was basic, use before the best by/use by dates and a little after the sell by date. But this article is something that should be publicized so much. DID YOU KNOW YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO USE FOOD BY THAT DATE. IT WON'T HURT YOU OR KILL YOU, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE DAYS AND SOMETIMES WEEKS AFTER THAT DATE TO EAT YOUR FOOD! It's crazy. I have thrown out a decent amount of fresh food in my life because I thought some crazy infection or something would happen to me if I ate it! I had also seen food items just past the expiration date in the back of grocery stores on the "sale" racks and thought someone just forgot to clear it off the rack, or I never grabbed it because I thought it was crazy that the grocery store would try to sell bad food. But now I know! I will stop replacing food right after the listed dates, giving me more time to enjoy the food I buy, and wasting way less food. If everyone knew this trick, food waste would be significantly reduced, and people would feel much more comfortable buying the food on the sale racks in stores. This could help lower income families afford more food, as well as reduce the absurd amount of food and plastic (wrapping) waste that Americans generate each day. After reading these articles, I was curious as to what else I could be saving or what other secrets were hidden in food waste. 

I often found myself eating with some sort of noise or distraction on in the background. As a student who works 35+ hours per week, I don't get many breaks, and because it seemed like everyone was so into watching Netflix or Hulu or the newest movies, I would turn them on in the background to watch them while I ate. It honestly felt more like an obligation than something I enjoyed. My roommate recently took a psychology/therapy course and told me how she no longer eats with a screen in front of her, more so thinking about her day or her plans or anything that came to mind. I started to try it, too, and found it kind of relaxing? Sometimes I would sit with her and we would eat together but not talk, sometimes we would carry extravagant conversations about the most absurd topics, but never anything stressful. It is such a nice break to be away from a screen, especially with everything online. I had always thought TV or Instagram was a "break" from class and school, but it doesn't compare to the space and feeling of collectiveness that distance from a screen does. Anyway, I thought it was crazy that this was something you guys chose for us to do for ourselves, and was so excited that more people would be appreciating the change. I have really enjoyed this activity and will definitely be continuing this in the future.