Isabella Eklund

"Growing up my parents always taught me to be aware of my impact on the environment. In our home, we keep and reuse plastic and glass containers from the market and compost any kitchen waste; nevertheless there are many everyday practices and decisions I make that I’ve overlooked and which have unknowingly helped to perpetuate the climate crisis. In a time when climate-induced disasters are far too frequent, I recognize that my generation has a huge role to play in diverting the unfavorable trajectory of the climate crisis and that progress starts with individual changes "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
406 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

215

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

91

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

4.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

6.0

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

20

minutes

spent learning

Isabella's actions

Transportation

Conduct Virtual Meetings

Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Learn about Carbon Offsets

I will visit Tradewater’s website to learn more about carbon offsets, and why they are a necessary solution in combating a climate crisis.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity

Calculate the carbon footprint of my household

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 30 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Reducing air conditioning usage

When it's hot the first thing many of us do is to crank up the air conditioning. My roommates and I have chosen to reduce our air conditioning usage by studying in public libraries or coffee shops when it's hot out. Inviting other friends along also stops them from running their AC units at home.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 15 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Keep Track of Wasted Food

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Practice the 5 R's

Recycling

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?
Isabella Eklund 6/04/2023 10:36 PM
This past Thursday my roommate and I went the Westwood Village Farmer's Market to get some of our groceries from local sources. One advantage that inspired me to try this is the dependable fresh food. Lots of products at grocery stores have been delivered from far away and contain tons of preservatives to maintain the food on its long journey. Getting food from local sources means there are fewer steps from ground-to-table and thus fewer added chemicals. Aside from fresher food, I also love that supporting local farmers promotes more seasonal eating. Although you can pretty much by strawberries year round from the grocery store, when they are freshly grown in season they taste so much better and it makes you appreciate the food more.

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- Lisbeth Rodriguez 6/05/2023 2:04 PM
  Hey!
  I was also at the Westwood Village Farmer's Market this past Thursday and have frequented it more in the past because of experiences like yours. The farmers market is a really accessible way that students can attain dependable fresh goods. I used to go to our local Whole Foods to get my strawberries and blueberries until I was introduces to the farmers market by one of my roommates where I bought the freshest strawberries I had in my life. They were small compared to the ones I am used to buying but they are mighty. I feel like fresh food has a bad rep because it tends to go bad faster, but when washed and cleaned properly, I have found that I can make them last longer, If I haven't already consumed them all as soon as I got them. I hope we can help expose others to the wonders of farmers market produce and help our planet doing it!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?
Isabella Eklund 5/25/2023 4:19 PM
After calculating the monthly carbon footprint for our apartments I did a bit of research on carbon offsets which are essentially actions that compensate for carbon emissions elsewhere. The Tradewater sight allows you to make payments to help fund Tradewater programs that focus on the destruction of abandoned gas and oil wells that continue to release methane into the atmosphere. When calculating your carbon footprint on the trademark sight it gives you a dollar amount in carbon offset investment that would make your house/ apartment carbon neutral. One could also invest more than said amount to perhaps counteract carbon emissions from others that do not invest in carbon offsets.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?
Isabella Eklund 5/25/2023 4:05 PM
Switching to more forest-friendly foods is definitely a challenge for me! I love almond butter which unfortunately contains palm oil and I drink a fair amount of coffee. Giving up both completely is a bit of a stretch but I stopped buying almond butter and have been trying to drink more tea rather than coffee. Although this isn't completely perfect it is a step in the right. direction.

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- TASNIA RASUL 6/08/2023 11:14 AM
  Hi Isabella,
  
  I totally agree that it has been difficult to switch to more forest friendly food, as I am already trying to become plant based and eat less meat for climate reasons. I love to drink almond milk and thought that it would be more eco-friendly than drinking milk. However, after learning about how almonds require large volumes for its production, I learned that sustainability is a multi-faceted thing to consider.
  
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- Kaitlyn Cheung 6/02/2023 1:15 PM
  I also really love coffee and I drink it everyday so it's definitely hard to give up on! Researching about the sustainability of various foods like avocados has really helped me to make more informed choices when grocery shopping and eating out.
  
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- ryan koppy 6/01/2023 6:46 AM
  I also love to drink coffee and after finding out about foods/products that are harming the world's forest, I have been trying my best to reduce the amount of coffee I drink. After doing more research on forest-friendly foods, I found that going to any farmer's market and buying fresh produce there is a great way to eat more environmentally friendly! Also eating more tofu in comparison to meat will help the problem of forest destruction significantly.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

How can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?
Isabella Eklund 5/25/2023 3:51 PM
A volunteer organization I am involved in at Ronald Reagan Hospital holds staff meetings virtually which helps to reduce the amount of carbon that would otherwise be released when staff members commute to the hospital. We ensure the value and professionalism of our program by having our cameras on and still dressing business casual during our Zoom calls. Also listening (rather than doing other activities) and participating during the virtual meeting makes them feel more like an in-person meeting.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?
Isabella Eklund 4/28/2023 6:03 PM
The hours of labor wasted when we throw out food motivates me the most to change my behavior and start composting uneaten food. My mom grew up in a small community where her and siblings would pick coffee beans in a local farm to make money and she has described how physically demanding it is to be out on the farm for hours. I know that many other farmers and agricultural workers work very hard to provide us with the food we have and so I'm trying not to waste as much food and have started to compost any food that does. goes uneaten so that it can at least serve another purpose preventing the complete waste of hours of labor.

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- Kelly Gocke 4/30/2023 11:03 PM
  Hi Isabella! I'm so glad I read your post; I've never thought too specifically about the hours of labor that are put into even just one meal, and your post really opened my eyes to all of the problems that come with wasting food. I like how you mentioned composting as an alternate solution to throwing away uneaten food because it really leaves no excuse for someone to not at least try some steps to reduce their food waste.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?
Isabella Eklund 4/28/2023 5:54 PM
I've realized that walking around in a natural setting without having a specific place to be can be very calming and can put life into perspective. I've started to notice all the trees and flowers around campus that I would otherwise overlook on my walks to class. Not only does being outdoors help me realize the beauty of nature but also makes reflect on the may ways it provides for our community.

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- SOPHIA KALANSKI 4/30/2023 12:41 AM
  Hey Isabella, I totally agree. I have recently decided to start taking walks in the neighborhoods surrounding the apartments of Westwood and I found a completely new area of pretty trees and houses that I wouldn't have noticed driving and the thought of not having to be somewhere and just being able to be present in my walks has given me a lot of happiness and perspective in life.
  
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- TALIA DINI 4/29/2023 4:28 PM
  Reading this post has really motivated me to start walking around without a specific destination in mind to deepen my appreciation of my surroundings. It's so great that you had such a positive and powerful experience. I plan to walk to campus or Westwood Village this week without a particular destination in mind. I want to appreciate the nature and reflect on myself and my community. I am so excited to engage in this experience!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?
Isabella Eklund 4/26/2023 11:34 PM
Whenever I eat with a distraction (ie. phone, TV, etc) I forget about the food in front of me and focus more on the show or video I'm watching. I don't really appreciate the food and more so just mindlessly scarf it down. As such I tend to eat more when I eat with distractions. When practicing mindfulness I appreciate the flavors more and I'm more aware of how much I'm eating.

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- ANDY GARCIA 4/27/2023 2:30 PM
  That is very true, Isabella. I have started implementing mindful eating into my everyday life and I have found myself appreciating and valuing food so much more. I have noticed that I also waste less food because of how mindful I am of its value.
  
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- Chloe Shamtob 4/27/2023 11:15 AM
  I feel the same way. Whenever I have electronicl devices near me I tend to forget about the food in front of me. This leads to less mindful eating, something I will try to improve in the future.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?
Isabella Eklund 4/26/2023 11:24 PM
I'm definitely guilty of sometimes eating with my eyes and over serving myself. Serving smaller portions not only limits the amount of leftover food thrown out but I've also noticed eating smaller portions makes me feel better. Rather than feeling completely full (food coma!) after eating smaller servings I feel content and energized without feeling sluggish.

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- ANOUSKA SARAF 4/28/2023 1:10 PM
  Hi Isabella! I hadn't fully considered how smaller portions could help alleviate waste and be healthy! I can definitely choose to go for a second portion if I need it, but limiting the amount I serve myself seems like an easy change to make with substantial impacts on food waste generation. What could also work for me is using smaller dishes, so it still feels like a satisfactory portion. Thanks for your insight!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?
Isabella Eklund 4/10/2023 10:16 PM
I've found daily walks to be a good opportunity to unwind, walk off some food and take a break from my computer screen! While walking around my neighborhood I've noticed all the beautiful flowers and trees that I otherwise race by on my way to class every morning. It's also fun to go on walks with a friend that way you can both get some fresh air and catch up! One infrastructure change that could make these walks safer is adding more street lights especially near stop signs where pedestrians cross. At night specifically, these cross-walks can be rather dark and scary to cross as cars come racing down the street often not even coming to complete stops.

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- SOPHIA KALANSKI 4/11/2023 1:02 PM
  I totally agree with your point in that including more stop signs or pedestrian lights would make it a lot less dangerous to walk in the dark. The streets of Westwood in particular need to be updated because it is very easy to get into an accident.
  
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- Venice Lupus 4/10/2023 11:22 PM
  Hi Isabella I also chose to go on daily walks this week. I also took these as a kind of brain break and I know I will continue to go on daily walks because of how great they make me feel and I know they will be very helpful during finals and midterms. I also love going on walks with my friends because its a fun way to catch up but also exercise at the same time. I totally agree about the cross walks being dark, even during the day time I usually do not feel fully safe walking across the street so that would help for sure.
  
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- Chloe Shamtob 4/10/2023 10:35 PM
  I totally agree! Walks are so serene and a great opportunity to unwind. I walk to campus everyday and the greenery is beautiful. I completely agree with adding more street lights. This can add a safer environment for pedestrians walking down the cross walks or even the side of the road.
  
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