ALEXA KASSELS

As a Teen Conservation Leader at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in high school, I educated guests about ocean conservation and showed them how to use the Seafood Watch Guide. Although I encouraged the guests to eat seafood off of the list we provided, I never really understood the factors that made some choices more sustainable than others. After spending time on the Seafood Watch website, I have a much better understanding of how the aquarium categorizes the seafood as “best choice, certified, good alternative, or avoid.” I now realize that the farming method and fishing method greatly contribute to this categorization. The methods that cause the least harm to the habitat and other species are the most sustainable options. Moreover, even though I was conscientious of my seafood choices in high school, I have not paid much attention since I started college. I have the Seafood Watch Guide easily accessible on my phone now, and I have been using it to make sustainable choices. The picture attached is from my dinner last week; I had farmed Atlantic salmon, which is categorized as “best choice,” with bread, spinach ravioli, and broccolini. It was a delicious, sustainable dinner! I am going to check the Seafood Watch Guide from now on before I purchase fish from the grocery store, and I am going to ask my waiters details about the fish on the menu to see if it is sustainable before I order it. From reading the Yes! Magazine article, “5 Reasons Salmon Are an Environmental Justice Solution,” written by Shannan Lenke Stoll, I learned the key role that salmon play for the ecosystem. The article describes how salmon feed forests, tear down dams, sustain cultures, keep humans healthy, and shape the landscape. However, it was very concerning to learn how climate change is going to affect this keystone species. Stoll asserts that, “When water heats up, even by a few degrees, diseases can set in. Once it passes 73–77 degrees, salmon die.” This is very worrying, because if salmon become locally extinct in some areas, the ecosystems will collapse, since salmon are keystone species. Although we have focused on how the climate crisis is going to affect humans in ENGCOMP 100W, our ecosystems are also going to be severely impacted. 

A couple weeks ago, I went for a run in the orchards around my house. When I came to a side street, I found an adorable little farm with a self-serving stand. The stand had flowers, plants, produce, and various types of jams. I was shocked to find this hidden gem because it was only a couple miles away from house, where I have lived my entire life. I met the farmers who owned the stand, and they told me that they had farm fresh eggs I could purchase as well. Additionally, they said that the jams were all homemade with fruits grown in my town. Before this experience, I had no idea that there was produce available within walking distance of my house. I recently took on the EcoChallenge to cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips and only using muscle-powered transportation for all other trips. Yesterday, instead of driving to the grocery store to buy eggs, I walked with my dad to the farm stand. Purchasing items from the farm was much more rewarding than buying them from the grocery store because I supported a local business and received much fresher products. My favorite item I bought yesterday is the strawberry jam shown in the photo. It is made with strawberries grown down the street from my house, and it tastes amazing! I feel inspired to learn how to make jam myself, especially because I can use it as a filling in my homemade cakes. In the article from the EcoChallenge titled “Walking isn’t just good for you—it’s good for the economy,” Farz Edraki from ABC Radio National asserts that “businesses thrive from the incidental shopping from passing pedestrians.” This claim makes sense to me, because my purchases at the farm were a result of me discovering the farm incidentally while walking. Additionally, often I feel like I don’t know I need something until I see it. One of my favorite things is walking through a city and window shopping. I fully support the switch from driving to walking because it encourages exercises, helps the environment, and decreases carbon emissions. 

This is a picture of the baby walnut tree I planted near the beginning of the quarter in my backyard. It was initially a walnut with a bare stem, and it has grown much taller and developed some leaves. I will transfer the tree from the pot to the ground when it gets a little larger and develops more roots. I am extremely excited to have my very own walnut tree! I am from rural Modesto, CA, so my house is surrounded by almond and walnut orchards; however, I have never had my own tree. I figured I would be able to successfully grow a walnut tree since my location must have the right abiotic factors. Additionally, the farmers from the orchard behind my house release bees when the trees in the orchard need to be pollinated, so my tree will have pollinators available. 

Planting a tree has been a very rewarding process, and I would love to plant more trees in my yard. In the near future, I hope to plant nectarine and lemon trees. It feels great knowing I am doing something to help the environment, and I look forward to having fresh walnuts! I really enjoyed reading each of the articles attached to this EcoChallenge. I found it extremely interesting to learn that there is “inequity of tree-canopy distribution in many cities, with lush cover in wealthy neighborhoods and far fewer trees in disadvantaged areas.” I was not aware of this before, and the information provides another reason why marginalized communities have poorer air and water quality. Throughout this quarter, I have learned about the numerous compounding factors that contribute to disadvantaged communities being exposed to unhealthy living conditions. While Modesto is a poor community, it is agriculturally based and has plenty of trees; however, often times I can smell the pesticides that are used in the orchards. I am sure it is unhealthy for my community to breathe in these chemicals, and we do not know the longterm effects from exposure. It seems like there is a balance between having trees in the community and having orchards that require pesticides. I hope growing up in an agricultural area does not cause health problems for me in the future. 

My experience eating has greatly improved since I started practicing mindfulness! I appreciate each bite more and actively think about which flavors I am tasting. I have also noticed that I pay more attention to how much food I am eating, and I am able to monitor myself. Additionally, I have stopped eating mindlessly out of food packages—I portion out how much I would like to eat into my bowl. I believe it is extremely easy to become distracted watching TV or scrolling on your phone and not realize what you are eating. Portioning out food and removing distractions can greatly reduce caloric intake. I attached a photo of my snack today which consisted of local almonds portioned out into a bowl. Furthermore, planning my meals ahead of time ensures I will have a well-balanced healthy meal. When I plan my meals, I am more excited to cook them and eat. It has also encouraged me to try new recipes that I do not usually make. One of my favorite meals I made this week was a tuna melt with provolone, sprouts, and spinach. I was able to include sprouts and spinach in the sandwich, because I planned my meal ahead of time and added the items to my grocery list. Moreover, planning meals can help prevent food waste. I was shocked to learn that “a third of the world’s food is never eaten.” Reducing our production of food so we only produce what we eat would make a huge impact on our carbon footprint. On the other hand, finding a way to distribute this uneaten food to populations that need it could also be extremely helpful. It is disturbing to learn how much food goes to waste after observing countless homeless people starving. 

Since I started eating mindfully, I have also begun observing my family members and their eating habits. Last weekend I noticed my father quickly eating a Moon Pie when he was on an upsetting phone call. My dad usually eats extremely healthy and closely monitors his sugar. I was surprised to see him eating the entire Moon Pie, and I realized that he was not aware of what he was doing. I almost said something to him, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to make him feel guilty. 

I invited my boyfriend to calculate the carbon footprint of his household using the carbon calculator under the “Learn More” tab of the action. The results showed that his household leaves a “carbon footprint of 4.07 tons of carbon dioxide each month.” I was extremely surprised by the results from the carbon calculator because his family tries very hard to be eco friendly. They have an electric vehicle, solar panels, an electric water heater, a garden, compost, and recycling, and they mainly shop at the farmer’s market. The carbon calculator did not have anywhere to input all of this information, and it only took into account their electric vehicle and use of renewable electricity. I was expecting the carbon calculator to ask many more detailed questions about his family’s lifestyle. I wonder why the carbon calculator did not ask these types of questions. His household’s carbon footprint is not much lower than the average carbon footprint in his zip code, even though his family actively tries to reduce their footprint. I think that one of the reasons why it is not significantly lower may be because they enjoy traveling abroad and take long flights each year. Although they travel abroad yearly, I think it is amazing that they are actively trying to reduce their carbon footprint in other areas of their lives. I calculated the carbon footprint of my own household to compare it to my boyfriend’s and mine is 0.03 tons greater than his. This carbon calculator must be inaccurate because my family does not currently take the same preventive actions his does. I would like to try using a different carbon calculator and compare the results. Additionally, I am trying to encourage my family to making eco friendly changes. 

I went on a hike with my boyfriend today, and we discussed how we believe the pandemic made people aware of how much can be done virtually, which will hopefully lead to a reduction in travel and help the climate crisis. We talked about how companies will hopefully continue to have virtual conferences because they don’t have to pay for plane tickets and hotels. Additionally, he mentioned that he predicts many people will continue to work from home, which will significantly reduce the carbon footprint that comes from people commuting to work.  I hope our carbon footprint continues to stay down. 

I have greatly enjoyed going on daily walks. With online school and being on my computer all day, it is extremely nice to disconnect and unwind from the day. I have been going around sunset each day to avoid the heat, and I am very happy I have added a walk to my daily routine. The most surprising thing I have noticed is the large amount of cats that live in my neighborhood. I probably see at least ten cats every time I go out! However, my biggest concern while walking is staying away from cars. Some of the main streets in my neighborhood do not have sidewalks. I notice myself avoiding those streets because I would rather stay protected on a sidewalk. I attached a picture of one of the main streets that does not have a sidewalk. The main infrastructure changes I believe that would make my walks more enjoyable are the addition of sidewalks on busy streets and a service that cleans up dead animals off the side of the road. There were two squirrels that were run over on one street. Due to living in Modesto, CA and being surrounded by orchards, I have a unique perspective. I do not really have any destinations that are in walking distance. I still enjoy walking daily though because it gets me out of the house. If I do not walk, I have no reason to leave my house because my parents handle shopping and running any errands. I would like to continue this EcoChallenge after the pandemic. I believe it will become more difficult because I will busier and have to actually go to in-person events. However, I would like to challenge myself to walk to in-person events rather than drive. I was extremely surprised to learn that “each hour spent in a car per day is associated with a 6% increase in the likelihood of obesity” (America Walks). I can receive major health benefits from choosing to walk rather than drive. Additionally, if our population shifts from driving to walking, the obesity epidemic in the United States has the potential to greatly improve. After I relocate, it will be interesting to compare the infrastructure I notice in a city to rural Modesto. I recall that when I lived in Westwood, my biggest concern when walking was avoiding aggressive vagrants. I had a couple experiences where I was followed and yelled at. I hope I feel safe walking wherever I end up next year for school. 

America Walks. (n.d.). Steps to a Walkable Community A Guide for Citizens, Planners, and Engineers [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://americawalks.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/261463434-Steps-to-a-Walkable-Community.pdf

My love for nature stems from my experience sailing and kayaking in the Monterey Bay as a child. I have very fond memories watching many different marine animals in their natural habitat. I remember one time when I was sailing, an entire pod of dolphins circled my fourteen foot boat and followed us for probably at least fifteen minutes. They were so close I was able to reach down and pet them as they swam by. It was a serene experience. 

I was immersed into sustainability as a Teen Conservation Leader at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and I educated guests on climate change and how to use the Seafood Watch Guide to make sustainable choices. Looking back, the aquarium trained us how to make sustainability meaningful to guests by connecting with their emotional side and illustrating the significance of the issue. For instance, we would explain how sea turtles die from eating plastic bags that mimic moon jellies in the ocean. We also had an exhibit that showed all of the plastic collected from a seagull's stomach. 

As a biology major at UCLA, I have had the opportunity to take multiple ecology classes and learn about how everything is connected in our ecosystems. If one species becomes extinct due to the environment, a plethora of species will also be affected. We have touched on how species will be forced to migrate due to the changing climate, yet not all species will be able to survive the migration. This is a major problem because each species has a significant role in its ecosystem. 

While I have been exposed to how plant and animal species will be affected by our changing environment in the future, none of my experiences have directly addressed how humans will be impacted. The first two weeks in this class have brought to my attention multiple problems for humans that I did not know were possible from climate change. I believe that society must shift its focus from "saving the plants and animals" to "saving human life" to encourage real change that will prevent this future disaster. I want to continue my journey working to educate others about climate change and challenge myself to make sustainable changes in my life. I look forward to learning new ways I can make a difference. 

The image I am sharing is a photograph of myself sailing when I was nine years old!