IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ

Sustainable Bruins

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
191 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

95

minutes

being mindful

IAN-PAOLO's actions

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

More Fruits And Veggies

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

COMPLETED 0
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?

IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 3/03/2022 6:29 PM

Over the past two quarters, I’ve really enjoyed the convenience of taking the Bruin Bus to campus and to class. I’ve seen other people’s posts about this free UCLA service, and I’d like to echo these posts as well and my experiences with it being part of my daily schedule.

Since I live South of Wilshire, I’ve taken the U2 bus to class or whenever I need to be on campus, which has been very convenient since the bus stop is right across the street from my apartment. From my apartment to the bus stop, its only about a two minute walk. The U2 bus line, like the other Bruin Bus lines, is free and easy to use and navigate. These buses run from 7am until about 5:30pm, which makes them very accessible during the day. Also, the U2 bus line runs every 15 minutes which is super nice, especially when I’m rushing in the morning to make it to class. It also makes it possible to miss a bus and still not be too delayed as the next bus is just a few minutes away. Its nice seeing that UCLA offers these options to students and is an example of a great way to reduce reliance on cars and other less environmentally-friendly forms of transportation. I've also found it nice to balance this out since I usually take the bus to class but walk back to my apartment to still get my steps in. The Bruin Bus was also very helpful during rainy days in the Fall, since I didn't have to trek through the wind and rain to get to and from campus.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?

IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 2/28/2022 8:08 PM

After reading everyone's posts about the benefits of mindful eating, I decided to give this a try for my meals over the past few days. Like many others, I am guilty of always pulling up a video on my phone or laptop when eating in my apartment. It is part of my routine when eating meals. Many times, I don't even start eating until I find a video that I'd enjoy.

At first, eating without distractions was really strange. It felt like something was missing. Even when I was younger, there was always something playing on the TV while I ate. After getting used to the initial strangeness of it, I actually found eating without distractions nice. It was a welcome change not having something playing while I ate. I was able to enjoy my food more thoroughly and was also able to reflect on my day as well as my plans for the day. I also found that I ate less when eating without distractions. Sometimes, I feel like eating while watching videos distracts me from the process of eating and how much I am actually consuming. The process of eating becomes a mindless process, especially if I decide to watch an episode during a meal. By practicing mindful eating, I've realized that I can eat less and still be satisfied. Eating without distractions has also allowed my roommates and me to interact more. Instead of having my headphones on, I can have conversations with them during my meals when they enter the living room. Overall, this change has encouraged me to attempt mindful eating more often, and I think it's a change that can help slow down your day and give much-needed reflection time.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal More Fruits And Veggies

How does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?

IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 2/25/2022 11:58 AM

For the past few months, I've tried to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet, with less and less meat and animal products. Animal products are huge contributors to the ongoing climate crisis and our carbon emissions, especially with land being cleared out to allow for cattle and other livestock. By eating more fruits and vegetables, I've allowed myself to rely less on animal products for food. At first, this was a conscious effort, but after a few weeks, I've grown to crave different fruits and vegetables that I used to rarely have. Instead of snacking on things like chips that come in single-use plastics, I reach for fruits like bananas instead, helping lower my own waste further.

For me, it helps that this change positively affects the environment. Other than this, I've found that my switch to more fruits and vegetables has also influenced my roommates to buy more produce when we all go grocery shopping. Now, our fridge is filled with vegetables and vegetarian dishes. It's been fun exploring new recipes and seeing how different ingredients go with each other, as well as the abundance of cheap, vegetarian recipes out there that don't take too much time at all. It's also nice getting my sugar fix from more natural sources like fruits. I've felt more energetic, healthier, and more alert with this change in my diet, and hopefully I can continue this trend and explore other produce options such as those at local farmers' markets.

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IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 2/24/2022 11:56 AM

This past week, a few of the lamps in my apartment started to go out. Since these lamps were passed down from previous tenants, they used incandescent bulbs. In an effort to be more conscious about energy consumption, my roommates and I bought LED bulbs to replace these incandescent bulbs. I've always heard that LED bulbs are more energy-efficient, but I never knew the extent of these benefits. In order to see for myself, I decided to do more research on just how many benefits there are with switching to LED bulbs for the environment and overall energy consumption.

According to the US Department of Energy, LED bulbs can use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting solutions. In terms of energy, this is a vast improvement in efficiency, especially since the lights in our apartment tend to stay on through the night with late-night study sessions and work. Also, since LED bulbs last much longer than other types of bulbs, this also has the potential to reduce waste generated from bulb disposal and replacement. By lasting longer, these bulbs can both save energy and reduce overall waste caused by constant bulb replacement. With that, LED bulbs are also safer than other types of bulbs since they run cooler than their incandescent counterparts. Where I've noticed that our older incandescent bulbs can generate quite a bit of heat, the LED bulbs are noticeably cooler. In my research, I also found that LED bulbs are more durable than other bulbs since they are more resistant to breakage and typically do not use glass. Overall, switching older, non-LED bulbs to LED bulbs is a great way to reduce energy consumption in your daily life. It is also something that is quick and easy to do, and is one way you can passively create positive change for the ongoing energy and climate crisis.

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IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 2/17/2022 11:44 PM

In an effort to conserve more water, especially in the droughts that we seem to be in more and more frequently, I’ve consciously taken shorter showers. As someone who’s previously taken very long showers, I’ve been able to reduce my shower time to about 8 minutes. For me, it helps to have a couple of songs ready before I shower so that I know how long I’ve been in the shower. Having two or three songs that are about the length of the time I want to shower also helps me stay accountable for keeping to a consistently shorter shower time.

Looking at this change, it has allowed me to help water conservation efforts as there are probably countless gallons of water I’ve saved by making this switch. This is also something that I can do to help combat water shortages on a daily basis since showering is something that we all do very frequently. I’ve also noticed that turning off the shower when applying soap and shampoo also helps me conserve water. For days I do want to be in the shower longer, turning the water off while I apply shampoo can help me further reduce any unnecessary water waste. In addition to the environmental benefits, I’ve noticed that these shorter showers are much better for my skin. When I made the switch to shorter showers, my skin seemed more hydrated and fresh. These shorter showers also feel a bit more refreshing, especially when mixing in the occasional cold shower for extra refreshment. Getting used to these shorter showers has also helped reduce the time I need to get ready, allowing myself more time to get things done. As a whole, taking shorter showers is something that is feasible for many people, and is a great change that I would recommend to anyone trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle when it comes to everyday living and activity.

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- Kyleigh Follis 3/06/2022 6:26 PM
  
  I used to take the longest showers ever, especially in the winter when it was cold. I never wanted to leave the warm water in my shower. Then California started to go through a severe drought, and I realized there was just no need for me to be wasting all that water. So, I decided to start taking shorter showers. I used to spend at least 5 minutes waiting for the water to warm up and then spend about 20 minutes in the shower. For no reason too. I could clean my body and wash my hair in a much shorter time than that. I now no longer wait for the water to warm up. Honestly the cold water wakes me up sometimes and helps me get out of the shower faster since the water is cold and not something you want to be spending too much time in. There's also some benefits to a cold shower. After a workout the cold water can help reduce muscle soreness. Sometimes if I'm feeling too scared to take an ice bath then a cold shower will do instead. A cold shower is also good for your skin and hair. My average shower time is probably 7 minutes but I can take 5 minutes if I'm in a rush or something. Since I share a bathroom with my roommate and we usually get home from soccer practice or working out at the same time we are both looking to use the shower at the same time too. So, I am also motivated to take a quick shower so that she doesn't have to wait so long. My days can get pretty busy with school, work, and other activities so I find that I'm usually in a rush to take a quick shower anyways so it's good to just be as quick as possible. My roommate usually comments on how quickly I shower, but I tell her that it's pretty easy to make the change and saves a good amount of water. Another thing I have switched from doing is I stopped shaving my legs in the shower. Whenever I decided to shave it would add about 10-15 minutes of water use to my shower. But this was just unnecessary water use. I don't need to have the water running to put shaving cream on and then shave. While I could just turn the water on and off while in the shower, I have found that using the bath tub or just standing in the bathroom and using a wet towel to wet the surface of my legs and rinse the shaving cream off is much more efficient. My shower in my apartment is pretty small too so there's more room to shave outside of the shower. While I understand that this might not be for everyone, personally I don't think it's that weird.
  
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IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 1/26/2022 10:47 PM

Hey everyone! During this past quarter, I've made it a point to walk as much as possible when making grocery runs or just for my own mental health and exercise. Every day, I try to walk for at least 30 minutes. I've found that walks are a great way to clear my head, get my steps in, and listen to new music. Since starting these walks, I've felt more refreshed and ready to do work and be productive. Walking closer to the evening has also given me time to reflect on my day while also giving myself time to plan out my night and the next day.

With that, since Westwood Park is only a short ten-minute walk from my apartment, I've been able to play more basketball and engage with local community members in the neighborhood. Westwood Park also has a very active dog park which always gives me a great boost of serotonin, especially after a stressful day of school. Not only is walking nice and peaceful, it also helps reduce your carbon output when compared to driving to the grocery store or the park instead!

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- Anisha Thomas 2/24/2022 6:28 PM
  
  Hi Ian,
  
  This is a really cool post and I especially like the aesthetic picture where you can see the buildings in the back. I definitely agree with you in that walks are a great way of clearing your hand but also just spending sometime enjoying the sun and noticing your surroundings. In my first and second year, i always rode on my electric scooter or my skateboard because I just felt that I couldn't take the time to walk to class or wake up a bit earlier. However, after I had a really bad fall on my skateboard, I was forced to walk and that was probably best-worst mistake that I had taken for my health. Since I usually sit around 6+ hours a day in front of a computer, I usually don't move as much as I should. I didn't realize how much nicer it was for my mental health to just have some time for myself, recoup, and think about what I had to do and my feelings toward certain situations. I also am trying to spend less time on my phone when I walk, which has been hard. When you walk, do you spend a lot of time on your phone or do you just play music? I am working towards completely unplugging while I walk, and hopefully it works out.
  
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IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 1/11/2022 12:53 PM

Hi everyone! I've been using the same blue 32oz reusable water bottle for about four years now and it's a super easy way to be sustainable and remind yourself to stay hydrated! At this point, I don't go anywhere without it and it has become a part of me. Also, reusable water bottles can be very durable and the dents and scratches that mine has contribute to its character and personality. Also, I never have to worry about purchasing bottled water as long as a water fountain is nearby :)

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IAN-PAOLO MARQUEZ 1/06/2022 3:13 PM

Hi everyone! Excited to find new sustainable and healthy recipes to try out for this new year! Also excited to do these challenges and see how I can be more sustainable :)

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