Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Mayra Martinez

Low Energy Enthusiasts

"Hoping to learn more about sustainable techniques through reflection and active change"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
451 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

450

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

22

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

5.1

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

documentaries

watched
UP TO

5.0

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

35

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

10

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

tree

planted
UP TO

70

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

6.0

miles

traveled by bike

Mayra's actions

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

Indigenous Peoples' Forest Tenure

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by participating in a training, workshop, or presentation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit

Public Transit

I will use public transit 12 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Invite a friend to calculate the carbon footprint of their household

Individual actions are important, but people and organizations working together can make a real impact. I will share a carbon calculator with a friend and invite them to calculate the carbon footprint of their household.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bioplastics

I will avoid buying and using 5 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Go by Bike

Bicycle Infrastructure

I will commute by bike 5 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Tend A Garden

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

Bioplastics

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 2 friends, family and/or colleagues.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Fix Leaky Faucets

Low-Flow Fixtures

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Low-Flow Fixtures

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day or 450 gallons (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

Methane Digesters

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Listen to the Planet Money Podcast – “Sell Me Your Climate Bombs”

Planet Money recently interviewed the co-founders of Tradewater to learn about the dangerous impact that old refrigerants have on our environment. I will listen to the podcast to learn more about this necessary solution in fighting a climate crisis.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Host a Film Screening

Health and Education

I will host a virtual film screening and discussion about women's and gender equality issues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 50 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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 60 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Mayra Martinez 5/22/2021 11:35 PM

Because I am only home in the evenings after my work shift, I thought that I didn’t consume a lot of energy. However, this eco-challenge has shown me just how much my habits contribute to my household’s energy consumption and how that has direct effects on the amount of emissions produced. The energy audit I did wanted really specific details, and in order to fully understand how much of a CO2 perpetrator my family and I are, I decided to rope my parents into helping me fill out the audit form because they have a better idea of the appliances and models in our home. When I got my results I was shocked to see how much money a year my family could be saving! If I invest in energy efficient products right now and spend around $250, I could get savings up to $1600. I found it really crazy how energy IN-efficient my home actually is. Although it is an old rental home, there are still ways we can unobtrusively modify it so that we not only pay less but so that we can also be more environmentally-friendly as well.

I am thankful to have a family that is very open-minded about social issues; they’re always excited to hear about the concepts I’ve learned in class. In fact, throughout this entire course they’ve been my silent benefactors, funding (at times) and advising me on the little house projects I’ve taken up as part of my eco-challenges. After briefly explaining to them how switching to sustainable alternatives can actually help combat climate change and can reduce our costs, they agreed to let me switch out some of the items in our home. I was honestly amazed to learn how CHEAP some of these alternatives are. A few of the items that I’ve already invested in are faucet aerators (~$1.95) for the sink and shower, Niagara toilet tank bank (~$3) and window weather seal (~$6)! I am still debating on other products like smart power strips only because they are a little bit more costly. Additionally, as my second step towards becoming energy efficient, I plan on switching up my personal habits. I think it's incredibly feasible for me to unplug my cables from the outlet before I leave for work; I also plan to be more conscious of the amount of water I use, especially for showers. The readings for this challenge pointed out an important detail which is that heating up water consumes a lot of energy and we waste a lot of energy not only as we let the water run but also as it goes into treatment plans. There are a lot of factors such as these that we don’t often consider but reading up on the issues is a great way to see the interconnectedness. And although my small switches are not much, I feel that they are a great first step in my journey to become a more sustainable individual.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Host a Film Screening

Thank you for raising awareness of women's and gender equality issues. What is the next step to actually address this disparity?

Mayra Martinez 5/22/2021 12:17 AM

This week I hosted a virtual film screening for my two friends. We saw Disclosure, which is a Netflix Documentary that centers on Hollywood’s representation of transgender individuals and the social impacts it has on American culture. The film recaps the history of trans-representation in film and they highlight the stereotypes they often star in, such as being the butt of the joke, a prop, or just a spectacle. These tropes are all damaging because they very explicitly convey to the audience that the only individuals who crossdress are those who have mental health issues. This not only negatively affects how cisgender-individuals view transgender people but it also affects how transgender people view themselves and their community. The film pointed out that data has found that about 80% of Americans (both cis and trans) don’t personally know a transgender person, this means that what they’ve learned about the trans-community has been mainly derived from media.

The representation issue extends beyond gender and it transgresses into other facets of identity such as race. Since early cinema, cross-dressed individuals (both black and white) have often appeared in films, however, the former was always represented through blackface and directors tended to apply racial stereotypes to both black male and female characters (e.g. too ‘aggressive’, too ‘masculine’, etc). This adds an extra layer of conflict to trans-representation because it very clearly affects the current reality of black trans-folks. The way transgender individuals are perceived now is through the lens of media, which has been biased for a very longtime. The film draws attention to these biases and it highlights how the internalization of these concepts has affected American policy and practice. The past administration was a clear example of how transgender rights are often played with in politics.

Because of this very recent threat to gender equality issues, my friends and I thought that this documentary would be the most illuminating because as the film alluded, we don’t personally know a transgender individual and by watching this film that stars leading trans thinkers and creatives, we hope to gain a little bit more insight about the struggles of the community. We think that the very first step to addressing such disparities is to first get educated. Before one advocates, one first has to realize that there are gaps in their knowledge and in order to not accidentally perpetuate some of these biased narratives we have to learn from trans-individuals themselves. The next step would be to actually go out there (where irl or online) and spread the word. In modern times, something as simple as writing social media posts and hashtags can help spread the word and reach a broader audience. Knowledge is power and it's easier now than ever to acquire it.

The reason I thought this would be a great eco-challenge is because of the ways gender discrimination connects to climate change. Women make up the majority of sweat-shop workers. They are subjected to unsanitary, discriminatory practices that expose them to health hazards that can leave them with chronic conditions. The targeted individuals are often from low-income or communities of color. If we don’t ensure protections for all our workers then we leave certain communities vulnerable; this can lead to mistrust in public institutions which can later lead to not following federal health guidelines (like during COVID).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Reduce Single-Use Disposables

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Mayra Martinez 5/19/2021 12:02 AM

For this eco-challenge I had to introspect a bit in order to determine what single-use items I regularly use in either my home and/or professional sphere. What I found is that even though I know that single-use plastics are bad, I still often used them whether due to convenience or lack of better alternatives. An example of the latter is that at my retail job, my company wanted us to use and consistently change our single-use gloves in order to ensure the safety of our customers and ourselves during the pandemic. Because my company didn’t provide us with sustainable alternatives, I took this as an opportunity for me to become a person of action rather than just beliefs when it comes to my climate change concerns. With this new mindset, I’ve managed to switch out a couple items within both spheres. For example, for a few weeks now I have been a proud owner of reusable gloves that I hand wash after my shifts; my company thankfully let me use these instead and is actually planning on rolling some out this week along with our new company uniforms! This small change is something that January 2021 me would’ve deemed as too small to be significant but May 2021 me recognizes that this can actually be a very impactful change in the long run. Our money has a lot of purchasing power and it helps contribute to the demand and supply cycle; so as individuals choose to opt out of single-use items, the demand for that market actually reduces. Of course it is important to recognize that this switch is not all possible for various professions because sometimes sterilization trumps sustainability. However, I have hope that one day autoclaves (instruments for sterilization in labs) will be able to solve this problem in other fields.

The most exciting part of this challenge for me was actually buying reusable containers for my home to substitute my single-use items. I bought a matching tupperware set consisting of a food container, a coffee mug and other little bowls and cups. I also made the decision to invest in an espresso machine because I drink coffee often and because of COVID-19, lots of coffee shops aren’t letting one use their own mugs so single-use plastics are the default. Although the coffee pods are not environmentally-friendly, if recycled properly they will not contribute to our growing waste. In regards to reusable bags, I still use a little Chico bag that I got back in grade school during a trip to a recycling plant. The bag is old and worn out but it only comes to show how sturdy these sustainable alternatives are; they are indeed a great investment!

After further research I recognized that my choice of substitutes may not have been the best alternatives. Tupperware does use plastics and if I consider the emissions from the shipping and production of the product, then you can say that in my mission to be more environmentally-friendly I actually ended up contributing even more to climate change. If I dug even deeper I am sure that I will be able to find faults with a variety of substitutes, however, I am glad that I finally took a step in the right direction. Before this course I didn’t know much about climate change and I didn’t understand how it concerned my actions since I thought of them as insignificant when put into a global perspective. This belief however was quickly changed during the first week of the course, since then I have tried to substitute items, when possible, in both my work and home space with more sustainable alternatives. I am glad that I’ve adopted this critical lens because it keeps me accountable and it helps me reevaluate my decisions because I now see the interconnectedness between individual choices and global issues.

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- Nora Clarkowski 5/19/2021 8:50 PM
  
  Nice work Mayra! I respect how much though and energy you put into this action. I'm sure speaking up about this to your boss may have been difficult, but actions like this will go a long way in making a difference! Like Charlotte said, I think your coworkers will appreciate the actions you took and take up after you and get reusable gloves as well. Through this class, I have learned that my own personal actions go a long way and that if everyone we're to just think that others will do their part, our climate will only get worse for future generations.
  
  I am too at fault of often using single use items. As a freshmen at UCLA, I eat all of my meals at the dining halls. Because of COVID, we are given single use boxes and silverware for each meal. Due to this, I am contributing a lot of waste, but I also struggle to know how to do any different. Thankfully, all the products in the UCLA dining hall are compostable from the boxes and silverware to the cups and straws, making me feel much better about how many single use products I use everyday. Other than items in the dining hall, I generally tend to stay away from single use products in most of my life. One area I often fall short is grocery bags. Living in Minnesota before coming to college, there was never a fee on bags at grocery stores. According to an article from Institute For Energy Research, "Eight states—California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Oregon, and Vermont—ban the use of plastic bags in supermarkets and other businesses. Soon, New Jersey will be added to the list as its legislature recently passed a ban." As Minnesota has not banned plastic bags and also doesn't have a fee on each bag, I never honestly considered brining bags to the store before this year. Since moving to LA, I have become more aware of bringing a bag to the store with me, but sometimes forget. When I forget, I save the bags and try to continue to re-use them the next times I go to the store. In the future, I hope that my own hometown and more cities across the U.S. put a small charge on bags because I believe it goes a long way in making people more mindful.
  
  I'm so impressed by how long you have been using your reusable bags! You have inspired me to go out and purchase a good grocery bag that is made out of sustainable products and that I can use every time I go to the store.
  
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- CHARLOTTE CHAN 5/19/2021 11:19 AM
  
  Hi Mayra! I applaud you for taking initiative at work. That's definitely not an easy thing to do, but I know that your coworkers will recognize your efforts and they might be motivated to change their gloves too! I used to think that one person's actions are meaningless in the face of the gigantic problems that we face, but over the past few weeks, I've come to realize that one person's actions can definitely lead to a cascading effect that can inspire large scale change.
  
  Since I work in a lab, we use a lot of single-use items (eg. gloves) too. I've also been trying to conserve where I can. I try to use alcohol spray on my gloves instead of changing to a new pair. And I try to take my gloves off carefully so that I can reuse them. You'll know the struggle if you've also struggled to stuff your fingers through a pair of inverted gloves. Unless I'm working with contamination hazard experiments, I try to use one pair of gloves a day. My lab manager appreciates it because it's money-saving too!
  
  I've definitely noticed that there are a lot of single-use plastic at my work. I think it's because of convenience, honestly. We have a lot of older glass equipment that can be autoclaved and reused, but most people opt to use single-use plastics. I do hope that our lab becomes more aware of waste, and make efforts where we can to conserve and be sustainable.
  
  Also, good on you for using the same reusable bag for so long! I'm sure you've saved tens or even hundreds of plastic bags. I hope that our society moves towards appreciating well-loved items that have been used and reused over several years (especially clothes, bags, furniture). I think as a society, we've been obsessed with pristine items, replacing things when we don't need to.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal Go by Bike

How does using human-powered transportation make you feel compared to using other methods of transportation?

Mayra Martinez 5/18/2021 10:48 PM

In comparison to other methods of transportation--like the use of buses or electric scooters-- human-powered transportation actually leaves me feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of my commute. This I feel is due to the amount of energy that I physically expel during the ride. The constant use of human-power consciously reminds me of why I’m putting so much effort to engage in alternative methods of transportation.

This challenge has been something I’ve been doing for a couple days a week now. My job is a quick 5 minute car ride away while on foot it takes about 10 minutes give or take. Even though I don’t find the latter method too troublesome, I still used to opt for the former because of convenience. I just recently made the switch to human-powered transportation as a way to get around my town because my city actually just implemented new bike lanes and better pedestrian crosswalks. These accommodations are actually very accessible and they are inclusive for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, with COVID-19 restrictions being eased, a lot of big public places like the beach boardwalk are opening up again. This makes it way more likely for people in my community to go outside to socialize, but with the added transportation accommodations, this means that they’ll be way more likely to walk or bike as they take in the fresh summer air.

The additional readings for this challenge really connected to my climate change concern that centers on environmental racism in disadvantaged communities. My research found that outdoor community additions like bike lanes and parks really help promote a more positive social atmosphere. There are also environmental benefits from these additions because the alternate transportation methods help reduce CO2 emissions while the plant beautifications help absorb an additional amount of CO2 emissions, thus reinforcing a healthier community.

Part of human nature is to socialize and interact with nature. There have even been correlational studies that have found that walkable communities tend to have populations that are happier than those in suburban, desolate areas. I think this is a key piece of information that may be combined with the use of sustainable practices in order to help reconceptualize future city planning, especially in traditionally disadvantaged communities.

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- Mayra Martinez 5/25/2021 6:44 AM
  
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- Audrey Goodman 5/22/2021 5:58 PM
  
  Hi Mayra! It was really interesting to read about your thoughts about human-powered transportation in comparison to other methods of transportation. I think using other methods of transportation is all about convenience as you mentioned, because it takes less effort to hop in a car to drive 5 minutes than to walk for 15 minutes. However, walking and using forms of human-powered transportation is really beneficial in a variety of ways - it allows me to enjoy the outdoors, spend some time outside, improve both my physical and mental health, and overall just make me happy. It's awesome to hear that your town is implementing new bike lanes and improved pedestrian crosswalks, as hopefully it will encourage human-powered transportation! Not only do these help improve environmental impacts, but I loved how you discussed how they also promote a more positive social atmosphere. Human health includes a variety of components, and human-powered transportation methods can help improve a lot of these different components, while also reducing carbon emissions.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Tend A Garden

Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.

Mayra Martinez 5/13/2021 5:50 PM

To my surprise, earlier this quarter I had my first significant experience with nature. My mom’s birthday was coming up mid-March. Every year she asks for roses and as a present I thought I’d finally gift her her very own rose bush. I had never owned a plant, not even a succulent even though they were always tempting me when I passed by bruinwalk! For this reason, I was a little wary that I was going to engage in unsustainable gardening practices that were not only going to stunt the rose bush (e.g. over watering) but that were also going to increase my CO2 and greenhouse emissions (e.g. buying unneeded fertilizer considering the emissions truck drivers and companies create through product shipment). In order to combat my inexperience, I first did a little research on which strain was the easiest for beginners to care for. I found that rose shrubs were economic and required less maintenance than rose bushes and were even more resilient! As a new cultivator I thought this was a great kickstarter plant. The rules of conduct were surprisingly not too hard and were pretty sustainable upon reflection. After the first few buds started blooming I felt very accomplished. My first gardening attempt was successful! Everytime I pass the shrub I am reminded that fostering nature is not always hard and it can oftentimes be relaxing. This experience really changed my perspective on how I view my actions are impacting the world. Although tending to one rose shrub did not change the planet, that percentage of CO2 that the plant did absorb is a percentage more than the day before! This positive outlook can be applied to any eco-friendly lifestyle changes and I may want to make in the future. It can also help remind me that every action is significant no matter how small because the smallest of actions can serve as a catalyst for bigger changes.

As part of my efforts to interact more with nature, for this eco-challenge I decided to try my luck cultivating another plant. This time I’m trying to grow zucchinis because they are one of my favorite vegetables, second to asparagus. I first remember hearing about them from a Disney Channel series called Pass The Plate. In one of the series episodes, the french actor told us all about healthy food choices and one of his catchphrases was “I love zucchinis!” Although this doesn’t sound like a memorable quote, 8-year-old me thought the skit was funny and decided to retain this piece of information. I first planted my zucchini seeds back in early April. But because I’ve never grown produce before, I decided that consulting the sustainable gardening readings recommended for this challenge were the best first step. With the implementation of these smart gardening practices, I can feel proud now that my seeds are sprouting because I know that they were raised sustainably and that their gardening did not contribute more to climate change than it did to offset it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Support Local Food Systems

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?

Mayra Martinez 5/13/2021 12:40 AM

Agriculture is one of the leading industries in my town. It is also home to some of the largest agricultural companies’ headquarters (e.g. Driscoll’s). Because our city’s economy is dependent on its cultivation and distribution of various crops to different parts of the world, one of the most common jobs is field picking. Therefore, due to the soil near our homes being so rich, my parents and extended family have always either worked in or owned farms. My father did the former. In fact, one of my fondest childhood memories is of my dad taking me out on weekends to steal strawberries off of my uncle’s ranch. Looking back, I am thankful that I’ve always had access to local produce. Of course, as the seasons changed, the type of produce my dad would bring home varied. And although younger me didn’t like eating veggies and fruits everyday, I realize that it was a privilege to have dependable access to fresh food. However, when I moved to LA for school, I stopped eating consciously and I oftentimes ate unbalanced meals. I continued this bad habit even after moving back home due to COVID. As part of this eco-challenge I proposed to myself to start being more cognizant of the type of food I bring into my home.

One of the main advantages that inspired me the most is supporting local farmers. My community just recently added a second farmer’s market that only sells local produce. I really love this idea because our usual farmer’s market was created to support a variety of small businesses; this means that the types of items that’re most popularly sold are unhealthy foods like baked potatoes and boba--I know, boba? Yes, it is unfortunately unhealthy when consumed too often. As part of this eco-challenge, I started going to this produce-only farmer’s market since it is so near my home! Since this new farmer’s market was only just started, it is still lacking in attendees. One of the additional goals I proposed to myself is to be more active in the community and to help spread the word to my friends and colleagues about the benefits of local sourcing. By buying local foods we will not only stimulate our local economy but we will also be making healthier lifestyle choices that will improve our quality of life.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Calculate the carbon footprint of my household

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?

Mayra Martinez 5/12/2021 11:11 PM

In my household there are currently five individuals, including myself. Only two of us use cars to go to work or to just get around and the rest of my family uses walking as their main mode of transportation. Although my family and I try to be conscientious of the amount of electricity and water we use, we often find that it is hard to be conservative. Before this course, I had only calculated my carbon footprint once, so doing this process once again while knowing what I know about climate change made the results all the more shocking.
After I saw the monthly offset cost for my home, I was a little wary because a lot of households in my city also have a similar amount of, if not more, family members. Although my community is very agriculturally based, there is still a lot of lack of information about issues like climate change and sustainability. This means that there are a lot of homes in my community that’re unknowingly engaging in behaviors that add to the CO2 rates. I found the carbon footprint calculator to be very quick and easy to use and it highlighted my specific behaviors that primarily contribute to the rising CO2 rate.

After deeper research, I found various practicable changes that I can immediately instill in order to reduce my carbon footprint. Some alternate methods include using a drying rack instead of a dryer, reducing energy vampires,and using alternate transportation methods. The latter choice really hit close to home because not only do I live right across from the bus station but I also live in the downtown area which means that all kinds of shops are only a 15 minute walk away. My consciousness has been heavy since the start of the quarter because every week I’ve been explicitly reminded about the dangers of engaging in convenient behaviors. One of the behaviors that my household has implemented this week is replacing our dryer with a clothing line out in our backyard. This change serves as a constant reminder that reducing climate change is feasible; one-substitution at a time is all it takes in order to engage in a more sustainable lifestyle.

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- Mayra Martinez 5/12/2021 11:12 PM
  
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Mayra Martinez 5/11/2021 7:11 PM

For a long time, I’ve engaged in cognitive dissonance--this is a psychological phenomena where an individual oftentimes partakes in actions that are contradictory to their beliefs. Although I consciously recognize that certain behaviors are not only better for the environment but for myself too, It has been hard to make an active change. After having read the introductory articles about climate change in this writing course, I realized how feasible positive global change really is. The weekly reflections on the readings allowed me to put into context my positionality and how decisions, whether they be small or large, have a tangible impact in the world. Before this course, I had very little idea of what climate change entailed; I heard that it was an imminent threat but I didn’t really realize the detrimental impacts that it has caused and will continue to cause globally. I think that one of the first steps to switching to tackling climate change is to first learn about how it will impact you personally. Introspection is critical when we are trying to make altruistic lifestyle changes because when we lack that component it is very easy to go back to commodities. Switching to sustainable approaches will be challenging at first because what was once passive like shopping will now need a more conscious effort.

I hope that by partaking in the Project Drawdown EcoChallenges I will finally be able to rid myself of that cognitive dissonance because I will have to quantify the lifestyle changes that I’ve proposed to myself. I am excited to learn about this topic because as Randy and Tamar said, climate change affects every profession and after having spent four years at UCLA trying to finish my degree, I hope that climate change won’t get me before I get to apply my knowledge out in the real world. If COVID-19 has taught me anything, it's that collaboration is elemental when trying to solve global issues. Everyone has a role to play and actions matter, if not at a global scale then at least at a local scale they do because they have direct impacts on the community around you. This is why I hope that by the time I graduate I become a person of action rather than one who just ‘knows’.

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