I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.
COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS
Transportation
Use Public Transit
Public Transit
I will use public transit 30 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
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
Land Sinks
Explore My Area
Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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
Land SinksExplore My Area
How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?
Last week, I had the opportunity to go to our place near the beach in Busan. I took three of my friends, and we spent two nights there. Every morning, we would wake up, walk around the beach and just admire the beauty of it. Every night, we took our picnic mat and sat on the beach, drinking and eating while listening to some musics.
I thought I would be seeing a lot of trash along the beachside; especially, because quite a few people where there with their takeouts. However, the beach was rather clean and didn't have any visible trash which was a big relief for me. Since taking this class, whenever I walk around, I tend to look for flaws around my environment and community in terms of conservation. I realized that, maybe I should be focusing more of my energy into looking at the positive changes that were being made!
Just admiring what have been given to us from mother. nature once again ensured me on the fact that we shouldn't be taking these for granted. We should learn how to appreciate it and take good care of it!
It was so nice hearing about your relaxing trip. It sounds like you had a blast! I am really happy to learn that there was not much trash on the beach. I feel like since the pandemic has begun, litter has increased due to face masks not being disposed of properly. I went to Monterey last month and was disappointed to see several face masks floating in the harbor. I can only imagine how the animals in the coastal ecosystems are being affected. While I agree it might be a nice change to start taking note of positive changes in your environment, I also think it is extremely important to always look for areas to improve. On another note, you picnics sound like they were extremely peaceful. I love having picnics on the beach or with an ocean view! I think part of the reason is because I am off of my electronics while I am eating, and I am paying attention to the scenery, my company, and my food instead. One of the EcoChallenges I have taken on this quarter is eating mindfully. Mindfulness while eating consists of staying off electronics and away from other distractions while eating. I have noticed that I appreciate my food much more when I eat without distractions. I pay attention to the flavors in my food more and how much I am eating. I believe eating mindfully also encourages me to make healthier choices because I am actively thinking about the food I am consuming and what it is doing for my body. Additionally, I have been inspired to try new recipes. For instance, tonight I am making cheese tortellini with a coconut cream sauce and spinach. I plan on eating my meal outside in my backyard where I can get some fresh air. I have tried to start eating more of my meals outside, because I realized I do not get enough sunlight and fresh air during the school week when I am on Zoom all day long. Overall, eating mindfully has been an extremely positive experience for me, and I highly recommend you try eating mindfully one meal per day to see if you like it.
I spent another week trying to not drive or use a car. I've been managing my time much better than before; I wake up earlier and start my day earlier. I also feel like it's way more productive because I can read my assigned paper on the way or work on my assignments as well. I noticed that when driving, I never get to really appreciate what is around me since I'm too concentrated on making sure I get to the right road or something. When I'm in a bus, I get to really look around and see what is going on. This morning the sky was so beautiful and I really just felt more motivated to start the day!
One thing that I noticed today though was how inconsiderate the whole bus system in Korea was for disabled people. Yes, there is a designated place for those in wheelchairs to park their wheelchair and drive safely, but the bus itself is super bumpy and I was wondering what would happen if the bus comes to a sudden stop. I got curious and searched it up on Google and it says that the drivers are supposed to buckle a specific seatbelt for these people before they start driving the bus. However, I heard that a lot of the drivers simply just ignore this protocol and disregard these people. I really feel like their should be some better ways to support the disabled community here in Seoul.
Hey Alexa! I don't know how to re-reply to what you said, so I'm just going to put it here.
The pandemic here is getting worse; especially with not everyone being vaccinated at such pace that the states are going at. However, we do have strong implements on wearing masks out in public so I guess it isn't too bad. I also feel like people are more aware of their surroundings, so they barely talk on their phones in a bus or a subway. The city is totally walkable here in Seoul! Because the public transportation system is so well established here, most people utilize public transports and so the government really implemented some good systems for it.
I think it's super fascinating that even in Korea, there is a fair share of complaints regarding public transportation. It truly goes to show that across the globe there is a lack of attention that should be dedicated to improving these cheap forms of travel.
I also started using the bus instead of taking my car around my own local city and found it to something extremely conducive to productivity. Usually, when I drive my car I wake up 10 minutes before my appointments since I know I can just hop in and leave. Now that I've been taking the bus, I've been having to wake up 1-2 hours beforehand which gives me a lot of time to not only look presentable but also get a lot of things done like actually eat breakfast!
I think it is wonderful that you are not driving or using a car! You are greatly reducing your carbon footprint by using public transportation. However, my one concern is if it is safe to use public transportation during the pandemic? I am not sure how the COVID-19 situation currently is in Seoul, but I think I would still feel uncomfortable being around such a large amount of people here in the United States. I am sure it is most likely fine though if you wear your mask! I agree that it is nice taking in the scenery rather than focusing on driving. I always enjoy sitting in the backseat during family road trips and just watching the world go by. It made me really sad learning that most bus drivers do not take the time to properly secure people in wheelchairs. A lot of these people do not have many other options and are forced to use public transportation. I think performing the simple action of securing them to ensure this population stays safe would make a huge difference for this group of people. I have never been to Seoul to know if it is walkable, but I encourage you to also try walking when you are not using a car. I have taken on the EcoChallenge to walk 25 minutes every day and I have found it very rewarding. Like you mentioned, it allows me to enjoy the scenery and nature. Additionally, I have found myself more energized after taking my daily walk and less stressed. It gives me a chance to put down my electronics and take in fresh air. Although I enjoy walking around my neighborhood, I have not had the opportunity to walk in a large city because I am currently living at home in rural Modesto, CA. I am interested in learning your opinion of walking in Seoul and if the city is walkable. I am currently taking note of the infrastructure that makes walking accessible in my neighborhood and looking for areas that my city can improve in. Is there infrastructure in Seoul that supports walking? Do most people live walking distance away from their jobs? What is the most popular mode of transportation?
I’ve taken multiple conversation ecology classes at UCLA, but it has never affected me to an extent where I wanted to take actions to combat the issues. Despite taking only 2 weeks of this course, something hit me differently. The more papers I read and the more we discussed about it in class, I wanted to personally get engaged in taking action.
Living in an Asian household, climate change was never a topic that we discussed at our dinner table. We were more invested with our personal life, whether it being building our future career or simply studying to get good grades. I always thought that climate change and my future career had nothing in common; however, I realized that if we do not take action right now, it would affect everything that I do in the future. Last week, I was talking with my family and told them about this class and how we were learning about climate change and its impact on our lives. At first, they seemed pretty apathetic towards the issue. I told them about all the possible effects on climate change and how we can take small steps at a time and eventually get more involved. I realized that a lot of my friends and family just simply do not have enough knowledge on climate change because it feels irrelevant to them.
Through this drawdown challenge, I want to learn more about climate change and specific changes that I can make with my daily life. I would love to spread such ideas with those around me and contribute to making a change. I want all of those people that I care about to be motivated because I want them to know the value of being responsible for our Earth.
How has your access to various kinds of transportation throughout your life influenced your current attitudes about transportation and your transportation behavior?
Starting this challenge, I was quite scared because I was so used to taking my car everywhere because it just felt more convenient to do so. After trying this challenge, I was just in shock on how well the public transportation system in Korea was. I realized that it was way more convenient to take public transportations because I didn't need to worry about where to park my car. I could even just fall asleep in the bus if I was tired!
Another thing that I really liked about taking public transports was that my time management skill improved because I had to check the schedule for the bus and had to wake up earlier to get ready.
I spent most of my teenage year in Malaysia, and the public transportation system there isn't great, so it was almost impossible for me travel without a car. I realized how a lot of the countries should prioritize improving such.
Hey Melody! I'm glad you mention the amazing public transport in some other countries. In my childhood, I spent so many summers in Hong Kong, and the public transport is AMAZING. In fact, most of my family there either do not own cars or do not drive very often at all (though that's not to say that there isn't traffic or a lot of smog there. The air pollution is still bad).
I think there are a couple of things that really encourage people to take public transport: 1) expensive parking 2) expensive fees for bridges and highways 3) expensive gas 4) convenient, reliable, and relatively more affordable public transport. Maybe major cities here can adopt some of these practices.
In my hometown, in the Bay Area, the public transport system is already considered one of the best in the US, but honestly, it just doesn't measure up to Hong Kong or Japan at all.
I echo your thoughts about public transit! I came from the suburbs before UCLA, so I got used to always getting around on car, but once I stepped foot on campus and did not have a car, or want to pay the exorbitant lyft prices, I started taking public transit and was mind-blown. I would say it is pretty efficient. It's a bit slow at times, but it gets you where you need to be in a relatively timely manner. Not only that it is also much more fun than taking a car. I find solace in the bumpiness and random braking of the bus driver. The people you meet on there can also be very interesting.
Now at home, I find myself using my car much more than i used to on campus, but will definitely be looking to change that after reading your post.
It has always been a habit for me to watch Netflix while eating alone. After practicing mindful eating, the first thing that I was able to realize was how much time I was wasting while eating and watching a show at the same time. I think the biggest achievement was that I was able to be more mindful of what I was eating and learned to appreciate it more. Often times, while eating and watching a show at the same time, I would often waste my food because I was more focused on watching than actually finishing my food. Mindful eating helped me to solely focus on what I was eating and to be more appreciative of it. Another thing is that through mindful eating, I was able to be more conscious of my time which really helped with my time management as well.
