Jacob Hauser

Hi Jacob! I loved reading your post about the items you got from the farmers market! I grew up in Burbank and went to Pasadena often so it's nice to go through that area and remember my times at that same farmers market! And to your point about the benefits of buying foods locally, I completely agree. I never even thought about the transportation of produce and how that affects the environment. It seems like whenever I am on the freeway I see a big truck with a bunch of fruit in it or something along those lines. The thousands of miles traveled make these items less fresh and only increase the carbon footprint. It's amazing that you purchased a stall from Underwood Farms as well! I remember going on a field trip there in second grade! I absolutely loved my time there. I specifically remember eating the strawberries and having an emotional experience with it. I am excited to see how your growing works out and I hope you have lots of fun with it!

As a fellow coffee lover, I really resonated with this post! I had no idea that the main ingredients typically used to make coffee and the beans themselves can lead to deforestation and decreased biodiversity. I will definitely take your Bulletproof brand recommendation and look for it next time I am at the store as I have never paid attention to the rainforest alliance certification before. It seems that in many sectors of the climate crisis, low-income people are at a greater disadvantage because  sustainable options are oftentimes much more expensive. Globally, if we could shift our priorities in making environmentally conscious products more affordable, we could drastically change the trajectory of our environment. 

Yes Jacob! Good work on this challenge! I also took on this action, and I have found all of the things in the resources to be true. Eating mindfully makes you more aware of when you are full, the taste of the food, and the nutrition in the food. I found myself not rushing through meals because I was sitting in front of a TV or even my computer, the latter of which always reminded me that I had a lot of work to get done, but instead I took my time and savored my food. There were some days where time restraints pushed me to select less nutritious options, but I still ate those meals mindfully. 

I love the view from your outdoor space! I too ate some meals outdoors on our backyard patio, because it physically removed me from a space where there could be any technological distractions. Inside, our open floor plan puts the kitchen next to the living room, so even with the TV off, it still offers temptation. I'm glad you learned how mindful eating, which is seemingly such a small change, can make such a significant impact! 

Hey Jacob, I also have been doing this challenge for the quarter and had many of the same conclusions that you did. I found myself eating less, eating healthier, wasting less food, enjoying my food more, and more frequently eating outside. Seems pretty awesome to eat outside mindfully with a view like that! 

Something I need to do more of that you quoted from Martha Green is focusing on the nutrition and flavor behind every bite. I hadn't really thought about that too much but I can see how that would help me eat even slower and more mindfully. Like you, I definitely want to try and continue eating my meals in this manner without distractions such as TV and my phone. Not only will this keep me healthier but will hopefully reduce food waste and benefit the environment as well. Good job with this challenge! 

Hi Jacob, I also decided to explore the Seafood Watch website, and I think it is a very useful resource to consult to get extra guidance on how to purchase your favorite seafood sustainably. Not all manufacturers do this at the moment (although hopefully they all will in the future), but some print a label on their packaging to indicate that their product was ethically sourced. In other words, it will say whether it was audited, whether there is tracing available from the time that the seafood product was harvested, and whether the impacts of such harvesting negatively impacted the specific habitat from which it came. If you ever happen to shop for seafood at the grocery store, perhaps you can also keep an eye out to see whether there is any sort of logo or icon to denote where the product came from. For example, if you go to Whole Foods and buy frozen Atlantic salmon fillets, you will notice on the packaging that it says that the fillets were “responsibly farmed.” I’m sure you will also probably be able to find some type of labeling on the cans of tuna that you maybe use to make your tuna melt sandwiches! I know that the next time I purchase any seafood from the grocery store, I am first going to try to look and see if the packaging indicates where it comes from. If I cannot find that information directly on the packaging, I will then proceed to search up the brand/company on my phone to determine whether I can potentially find any information on geographic sourcing on the website. Before I even step foot in the grocery store’s deli aisle or freezer section, I will compile a list of regions from which harvesting certain seafoods will not be harmful. I will keep that list on the “Notes” application of my iPhone so that I can easily refer to it when I’m at the grocery store. For instance, if Seafood Watch tells me to avoid purchasing blue crab from North Carolina or South Carolina waters, I will make sure that the crab I get from the store was not harvested from there. Overall, I think that this website has already done most of the “homework” for us, as it clearly lays out which seafoods to avoid buying and which seafoods are the most sustainable options. The website has basically completed most of the research for us! It’s now just up to us to continue to reinforce their suggestions with action. Hopefully, in the future, we will just be able to scan a product barcode to find out where the product was sourced from. For now, however, we should absolutely try our best to refrain from purchasing items which Seafood Watch advises that we “avoid.” Overfishing is a crisis, and we do not want to exacerbate this issue by contributing to broken food chains. 

Hi Jacob, 

I recently completed the Seafood Watch EcoChallenge as well. I was also surprised that the Monterey Bay Aquarium no longer has their Seafood Watch app. I tried searching for it in the app store and only realized they switched to a website after seeing their notice. I also used to utilize the site frequently and was excited to explore the website again. Similarly to you, I enjoy eating grilled fish and seafood. I highly value that it is a healthy protein that contains lots of vitamins. I have already started frequently checking the website before purchasing fish from the grocery store.

The seafood market is based on supply and demand, so if we stop purchasing fish that is unsustainable, we can help deter fishermen from using fishing methods that harm the environment. Recently in my aquatic communities class, I learned how shrimp farms in East Asia are severely harming the ecosystems. Mangrove forests, which are carbon sinks, are being removed and replaced with shrimp farms. In addition, many fish rely on the mangrove roots for shelter and use the habitat as a nursery. Therefore, the fish that live in the adjacent seagrasses and coral reefs are being harmed because their nursery ground is being removed. Everything is connected and it is extremely important for us to try and understand how our actions are impacting our ecosystems. In addition, I believe it is essential for us to raise awareness and educate others about the food they consume. The Monterey Bay Aquarium does a phenomenal job educating its thousands of guests about ocean conservation every single day, and I find it disappointing that they have been closed the past year because of the pandemic. However, I believe they are slowly reopening, so they will be able to continue to promote ocean conservation. Moreover, I believe it is amazing that many of the restaurants in Monterey only serve sustainable seafood. I have noticed that there is often a note on the menu stating the restaurant follows the Seafood Watch Guide. This sets a great example for tourists and illustrates the vast amount of sustainable seafood options. I would love to see restaurants in different regions begin to implement this same practice. 

Hi Jacob!

My family owns a Tesla and everyone really loves it. As you mention, Tesla isn’t perfect. However, they are more energy efficient than traditional gasoline powered cars. Elon Musk claims that Tesla plants rely on renewable energy sources as well. They have also implemented programs to reduce water usage. They’ve even installed waterless car washes in some places. The new generation of Tesla batteries are also 90% recyclable. Even after they have been exhausted in the cars, they can be used for energy storage for an additional 20 years after being removed from the car. Since the Tesla refills with electricity, it doesn’t need motor oil changes either. The U.S grid is reportedly becoming ‘cleaner’ each year and using more renewables and natural gas instead of coal. A study found that at 100,00 miles, a gas powered Toyota Rav4 will emit 77% more emissions than a Tesla. Moreover, getting gas into the fuel tank of a traditional car requires petroleum extraction from the Earth, refining it, and then transporting it to gas stations all over. This process in and of itself is very unsustainable and leads to greater emissions. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory report in 2016 found that 13 million barrels of gas were used by the transportation industry each day in 2016. This is insane! 

However, Tesla has faced criticism about their lithium sourcing practices, which have been regarded as unsustainable and unethical. The U.S Geological Survey found that electric cars make up 60% of the global lithium- ion battery market. This is because electric car batteries are made up of several smaller batteries instead of just one battery. Lithium extraction can cause a lot of unhealthy pollution. In China, it leaked into a river and killed thousands of fish. Many locals protested about this issue. The company says they are working towards ethical sourcing and will be transparent about where they get their materials from. One good thing is that lithium-ion batteries can be recycled and can be used to produce more batteries. Until we have more sustainable batteries, we should focus on recycling lithium- ion batteries as much as possible. A Nature article about the batteries notes, "recycling is not only necessary, but also urgent."