Amanda Nguyen

Low Energy Enthusiasts

POINTS TOTAL

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141 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

180

minutes

being mindful

Amanda'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 1
DAILY ACTION

Health and Education

Watch an Educational Film on Sustainability

COMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bioplastics

I will avoid buying and using 3 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?
Amanda Nguyen 5/29/2021 5:28 PM
I filled out my family’s info, and we calculated our carbon footprint to be 3.68 tons of CO2 every month, which is just under the average monthly footprint of a U.S. household of 4.00 tons. I don’t drive yet, so it’s just my parents who each drive a car. And it’s hard for them to carpool together because they work in different areas and at different times. We’ve also been using the same vehicles for quite a while, so both of them are not electric. They said they’d consider electric cars if they become more affordable, and I think electric cars are at least slightly more expensive then gas cars right now. If they are willing to sacrifice convenience and getting to their destinations right away, then they could even use public transportation. However, I find L.A. to be more connected and easier to use for public transportation. When I’m back at school, I’m going to try to use public transportation more often, though it can sometimes be confusing as to the many buses that could stop at the same stop and have different routes. I’m going to keep Uber on my phone in case I get lost or it is too late to navigate. We don’t fly often, and the next time I think I’ll fly is when I take a graduation trip to Europe next summer since I’ve saved up for that, and I think getting there by plane is inevitable. We also eat meat frequently, and even though they know it is less sustainable, I don’t want to force them to do anything that I think it better or right. But knowing all the questions that led up to my household’s carbon footprint has motivated to become more sustainable at least for myself.

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- Abigail Urbina 5/31/2021 5:16 PM
  Hi Amanda,
  
  I completely understand your parents’ concerns regarding the price tags of electric cars. There are definitely certain models of electric cars that are expensive, but I do believe that they may be worth the investment. Depending on where you and your parents live, gas prices might be very expensive anyways. The money that is spent refilling your cars’ gas tanks could very well accumulate to be equal to, if not more than, certain price differences between electric cars and their gasoline-powered counterparts. In addition to that, there are also added financial benefits that may accompany investing in electric cars. By charging your car in your own home, your parents’ wallets are no longer at the mercy of gasoline’s continually-fluctuating prices. Although charging an electric car would certainly drive up your electricity bill, there are different options that your parents (and other consumers) can explore to offset these costs. Investing in solar panels as power sources might help to offset any rises in electricity bill balances. The “free” power generated from solar panels could be used to charge your electric car! If this is something you’re open to discussing with your parents, I think this information would definitely aid any of their future decisions if they do decide to invest in an electric car. Ultimately, electric cars would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a funny anecdote, I told my parents that if they don’t start consuming less meat, they would at the least need to compensate for that by investing in an electric car to alleviate their greenhouse gas emissions/lessen their carbon footprint. Of course, it would be a “win-win” if they do both (i.e., cut down on meat and buy an electric car), but I wanted to highlight that they can’t be “dual-damagers” to the environment.
  
  You bring up great points about using public transportation when you return to school. The great thing about UCLA is that many “essential” places (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacies) in Westwood are located at a walking distance from one another. I would tell myself in the past that it would be nice to bring my car to Westwood, but I realize that I have successfully lived in Westwood for the past 4 years without a car. If you live in the dorms or in off-campus apartments, Westwood Village is only about a 15-minute walk away. I have noticed that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uber prices have risen dramatically, and I have heard from many friends that the waiting time for a ride is substantially longer. This is another clear motivator for me to either walk more or take public transportation.
  
  Amanda Adolfo (both of you guys are named Amanda) brought up a good point that I never originally thought about: how the rising temperatures could potentially impact the battery of an electric car. It would be drastically inconvenient for a car battery to die or malfunction due to increased heat, so this is another factor that should push people to reduce their carbon emissions in any way possible - whether that be through changing your diets, transportation habits, or fashion choices. I remember that during one road trip to Las Vegas, my car engine overheated because of how hot it was in the desert, so I hope that electric car manufacturers take global warming into account when designing their car batteries.
  
  Overall, thank you for sharing the information you found from when you calculated your carbon footprint. Besides the items they mention on the Tradewater website, I would also encourage you to look at which clothing brands you buy from. I think most people don’t really consider their wardrobe when they think about how their choices affect the environment. Different clothing companies use different sustainable practices when they manufacture items, so I think you may or may not be surprised by how your clothes and fashion shopping habits also contribute to your carbon footprint! Sadly, “fast fashion” is a major crisis that continues to be overlooked. If we educate ourselves more about the brands we typically buy from, we as consumers also have the power to place pressure on these companies to shift their production habits.
  
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- Amanda Adolfo 5/31/2021 2:19 PM
  Hi! Thank you for sharing a little bit about your activity so we could get to learn more about what contributes your carbon emissions. Similarly, I also am not able to drive in LA because my car is back home. Luckily, before I had access to any car, it was the first time I learned how to use the bus system. Where I'm from, the public transportation takes very long and it's not the nicest way to get around because it gets very hot outside. I also have a car at home.
  
  I used Uber if I had to go long distances or also if I didn't have enough time to get places as well. The only thing that deters me from using Uber is the price of the trips. It adds up especially if you use it round trip.
  
  I hope that electric vehicles will be more affordable in the future, but it seems that is the trend. I think some people are hesitant because the wear and tear of an electric car seems like it will not last as long as a gasoline car (my mom had a really old Honda that she drove for decades) or that there aren't enough charging stations. Hopefully, with popularity, they can manufacture good, long-lasting electric cars and install more charging stations. My dad drives an electric car that he charges at night in the garage-- it's pretty neat because it reminds me of an iPhone lol. However, when he came to pick me up from LA, we had to wait 1 hour every 200 miles to charge it. That was a little inconvenient, but luckily we didn't have a lot planned that weekend. He is a little worried how his car will hold up in the summer because where I'm from, it gets to be 110+ degrees. I thought about how an iPhone shuts off when the battery can't handle the heat and I am a little worried for his car, but I don't think the manufacturers would release a car that isn't safe. Overall, I really like his electric car and I would want one for myself in the future.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Amanda Nguyen 5/29/2021 4:44 PM
I've always been using the green plastic straws when I order drinks for Starbucks. Sometimes I also eat their packaged cheese and fruit box, and that also comes in a plastic container. It's been easy for me to request to not be given a straw and instead just drink it with the lid off. For the fruit and cheese box, however, I find it harder for Starbucks themselves to provide an alternate container for the food that is already sealed inside when it is shipped to their locations. Even if I can being my own tupperware to pour the contents in, that still doesn't eliminate the plastic container that the food is already prepackaged in. I think that my family and I would've still continued using plastic bags at the grocery store, but most of them are now requiring people to pay extra money for plastic bags, so we've been bringing in our own reusable ones when we shop. Especially when buying raw produce/food, it is easier to forgo the plastic. But I wonder how other areas that consumers buy from, such as technology, would go about being more sustainable if they are not compelled to. For example, if I buy a new set of headphones, I'm going to throw away the container because it is not recyclable, and it's not my fault that it is manufactured that way. So I think this shows that we need to do a lot more to also convince big corporations that produce so many products than an individual household to change their ways.

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- Alice Ma 6/01/2021 11:28 PM
  Hi Amanda! Love that you brought up the fact that the responsibility of reducing plastic waste not only falls on the consumer, but also the corporations that are producing all this plastic! In one of my climate action events, I learned about the history of plastics in a recorded lecture from the Slow Factory’s Open Education curriculum and learned that so many plastics are actually non-recyclable. A lot of the plastic that comes in the packaging when we order online purchases seems so unnecessary and we, as consumers, are then given the responsibility of how to properly dispose of it. You also brought up how even if you do bring a reusable container to use, someone else will inevitably use that plastic container that was meant to be for you, which seems to still lead to pollution. There are so many examples of why the responsibility to limit plastic pollution should fall onto the producer and not the consumer yet it’s crazy that the majority of companies still do not seem to be taking responsibility.
  
  Companies and corporations have turned plastic into a seemingly inescapable part of our lives, especially by promoting how much more sanitary and convenient single-use plastic can be. Personally, I’ve been trying more to stick to using reusable options for single-use plastic bags, straws, and containers but the pandemic has definitely made that a lot harder. I’ve definitely noticed that many people associate plastic and plastic wrap to be more sanitary and have opted for purchasing products or goods with lots of plastic packaging as a result. Plastic is especially common when it comes to things like medical supplies where sanitation is so important. I think corporations have a huge role in reframing the public’s opinions on plastic and plastic packaging but there really is not a lot of incentives for them to do so, which leaves us in this limbo of overusing and overproducing plastic.
  
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- Abby Hyman 5/30/2021 1:01 PM
  Hi Amanda! I also have used a few too many plastic straws from Starbucks in my day. Most of the Starbucks I have been to recently switched to a cup with a mouth hole instead of a straw one which definitely helps. The cheese and fruit packages are tough though. I completely agree that corporations need to take more responsibility for reducing the amount of waste their products create. A consumer should not have to feel bad because their only option is wrapped in a pound of unnecessary plastic. There are a ton of things that could be done in manufacturing to reduce the potential waste before the consumer is even involved. Obviously, this does not mean that people do not also hold the responsibility of reducing their waste as much as possible too. I am going to work on my cooking skills over the summer so that I can stop ordering food as much because there is so much plastic from that as well. I always make sure to tell the restaurant I don't need silverware since I have my own at home. A lot of work must be done by producers and consumers both to bring about the change we need to see for our planet.
  
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Amanda Nguyen 5/29/2021 4:21 PM
I watched this film on Netflix called Cowspiracy with my parents. It was eye-opening because it shows how carbon emissions actually come mostly from raising livestock, particularly cows, more than other sources of carbon emissions. Eating beef is unsustainable because it requires so much water and vegetation that goes towards the cow rather than directly to people. It also takes a long time to raise a cow, so eating beef is a bad use of our resources. So this movie surrounds a guy who's trying to go to all of these environmental organizations, and barely any of them acknowledge agriculture as a main source of carbon emissions. The movie also goes into some of the people who spoke out against the meat industry in other countries and got killed for it. The U.S. subsidizes the meat and dairy industry, so I think not subsidizing it anymore would facilitate a lifestyle change for Americans to eat less meat. One line I remember from the movie was that you're not a true environmentalist unless you stop eating meat. So that is making me question whether I really care about the environment if I still am eating meat. Many people are self-proclaimed environmentalists who still eat meat, so how should I think of them as now? For me, it is much harder to not eat meat while at home since my parents are used to having it everyday. But when I go back to UCLA in the fall, it'll be much easier for me to have more vegetarian-based meals since I am able to make my own choices and it wouldn't be awkward for me to not eat something someone spent a lot of time making. Right before the pandemic while at school, for the first time that year I was actually eating mostly vegetables for my meals and meat only like 2 or 3 times a week. I just habitually went to this dining hall that serves healthy and organic options, so I made it not possible for me to eat junk food and food with a lot of meat.

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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?
Amanda Nguyen 5/26/2021 5:22 PM
When practicing mindfulness, I find myself enjoying my food more. I think putting my phone away when eating has made me more mindful of how much I eat. I also enjoy focusing on the food and what's discussed at the dinner table with my family. I am also more aware of the choices I make when eating, like what foods I pick, so being mindful is making me enjoy my meals more. I also like putting my devices away while I eat because I also use my eating time to think about the day or what's going on in my mind. I like to sort things out inside while I eat. There's also this thing where you can lock your snacks and set a timer before you can open it again, but I haven't found the need to do that. I think knowing the effects of too much technology use has aided me in eating more mindfully. I try to go outside more and limit my tech use when I can, so eating is the perfect time to do that. However, it's less easy to do this while living on campus since I would carry my phone everywhere since I was always on the go. But I think putting my phone down and closing the flap can also help. Or even muting notifications can also help.

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- MAYA WILSON 5/27/2021 2:56 PM
  Hi Amanda, I completely agree with your mindset on eating without distractions. I feel like I am always in such a rush and that I have no time for my meals. I often found myself eating my dinners while watching my lectures or aa T.V. show. No w that I have began to eat more mindfully I have noticed an increase in my mood after meal times as well as better quality of meals. Whenever I was distracted eating meals I would tend to eat the unhealthy items on my plate and push the things that were actually good for me off to the side. I noticed that when I eat without distractions I will eat my fruits and vegetables fruit and then move to my carbs and protein. I also noticed that I eat less with this new method. Before I wouldn't notice when I was full because I would be so distracted by the other tasks I was preoccupying myself with. I like your idea of muting my notifications on my devices. I feel like this will give me a similar feeling as my distraction-less eating in my daily life.
  
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- Abby Hyman 5/27/2021 12:42 PM
  I live with two roommates in a one-bedroom Westwood apartment. We spend the majority of the day on our laptops doing school work and zoom meetings. This has been the reality for over a year now. My friend and I have decided to make dinner time a phone-free occasion. We are able to debrief about our days and have a meaningful conversation that is not interrupted by the distraction of our phones. It also allows us to focus on our food and hunger levels more. Eating with the distraction of a phone or the television distracts me from my food and even though I just spent an hour making it, I mindlessly eat it without fully enjoying the taste. In addition, I tend to eat more quickly in front of the tv which is not good for your health and can lead to overeating. The simple change of eating dinner without our phones has created a better dining environment and allows us to enjoy our food and each other's company.
  
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