Billy Ung

I am someone who loves to shop for new clothes however, a new hobby of mine I have recently taken up is thrifting. Looking back I had wasted a lot of money at the mall, buying absurdly priced clothing when I didn’t even need the clothes anyways. Coming into college I quickly found out how unsustainable this lifestyle was and looked into thrifting. I was doubtful at first going to places like GoodWill or Salvation Army for quality clothing however, this doubt quickly dissolved as I was presented with an endless array of clothing to choose from. There were all sorts of unique articles of clothing and even found some name brand pieces such as a Carhartt jacket. Economically, this hobby has saved me a lot of money as most items are around $10 or less allowing me to feed into my shopaholic tendencies. Environmentally, thrifting helps to reduce our consumption by recycling clothing, rather than encouraging more production, which would utilize more resources. Additionally, clothing factories are a significant contributor of carbon emissions and require large amounts of water to run. They continue to produce more material from nonrenewable resources, and the process of shipping and packaging itself requires many resources that the environment is unable to sustain forever. Thrifting is a fun and helpful alternative to the negative impacts that clothing stores and companies may have on the environment.

Frequently I will enjoy some boba or a cup of coffee however, I recognize how harmful plastic straw and containers are to the environment and animal life. I try to opt out of using straws entirely since it's a small yet impactful change that can really benefit the earth. In addition, I recently invested in a metal reusable straw to further help reduce waste from plastic straws that may contain toxic and harmful chemicals. The use of metal straws have also proven to be quite convenient for when I go out for drinks or am making a smoothie at home. They are also much more durable than a regular straw making it a great long term investment. This change in my life has been significant to me as I have seen countless straws and other plastic debris riddled along my local beaches. These items can ultimately get washed into the ocean where it will take over 200 years for something like a plastic straw to decompose.

Moving into the apartment has given me the opportunity to cook whatever I want. When I first moved in I would frequently eat large portions of meat such as bacon or steak. Aside from being bad for my cholesterol, I learned that the meat industry significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming. There lies a plethora of other reasons why raising livestock is so detrimental to the environment such as environmental degradation or methane overproduction to touch the surface. Despite recognizing the issues inherent with this industry, it’s difficult to switch to being vegetarian. That is why I have started making meatless dishes to reduce my meat consumption and save some money simultaneously. This has been a fairly easy change in my life as I have made some delicious dishes such as tofu spring rolls, vegetable fried rice, or spicy garlic noodles. I try to have meatless days at least once a week and I even try to encourage my roommates to join me as we frequently cook together. In the future I will continue to encourage others to try going vegetarian and hopefully learn some new dishes along the way.

Being someone who despises cardio, the use of my car can be quite unnecessary at times. I would use my car for grocery trips, visiting a friend's apartment, or even for class. Upon taking this class I began to reconsider using my car when I didn’t need to. Just last week I walked to Ralphs instead of driving there as I only needed a few groceries. The walk was a little long but it allowed me to appreciate the nature around me. In addition, I realized that I would often feel the need to use my car for class when I thought I was going to be late. With that in mind I made a conscious effort to wake up much earlier before the class itself to give myself ample time to get ready and walk there. Despite the long walk and being sweaty for class, I realized it wasn’t all bad as it helped me feel more alert during lecture. Moreover, the walk has started getting easier each time I do it and I noticed feeling more healthy overall.

One conscious effort of mine I have been trying to incorporate into my life is consistently using my Hydroflask. I was pretty hesitant purchasing a hydroflask in the first place because I thought plastic water bottles are way more convenient. Having a better understanding of the state of our earth, I realize how bad plastic bottles are due to how long they take to decompose or how much CO2 is generated making these. In addition, some of the chemicals of the plastic bottles leach into our drinking water that can negatively impact the health of thousands of people. The use of a Hydroflask is a small yet significant change I have made in my life and fortunately many water fountains around UCLA come with water filling stations to make this transition easier. There are a few times when I have to use plastic bottles but I make sure to properly recycle them in their designated area. I was under the impression this was common sense however, I was surprised to find out that 86% of disposable water bottles end up in the landfills according to the Container Recycling Institute. Plastic bottles in the landfill breakdown into microplastic particles over time, ultimately making their way into our waterways and polluting the ocean. This small investment into a Hydroflask can really help out the Earth while also keeping your drink cool for hours!

Upon calculating my carbon footprint I found that my apartment produces 4.40 tons of CO2e every month whereas the average household only produces 4 tons. To put this in perspective I researched that 1 ton of carbon dioxide is equivalent to 500 fire extinguishers or driving a small car 6000 miles. The fact that my household is producing this much CO2e per month is astonishing and made me question little acts I can do to reduce it. Firstly I recognized that having a car plays a large role in our current climate change issue. I frequently use it to run small errands such as going to Ralphs however, I will start walking more frequently to reduce my carbon footprint. Secondly, upon tracking my carbon footprint I realized how much meat both my household and myself consume. I've learned that the production of meat, eggs, and dairy contributes to at least 16.5% of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions. With this in mind I will try to make a conscious effort to reduce my meat consumption by going vegetarian at least once a week. In addition, I will try to advocate this to my roommates as we all eat some form of meat in our diets frequently. Lastly, I will try to make sure we cut down on our electricity usage. My roommates and I tend to leave lights, computers, or the television on even when nobody is home. Much of the electricity in the United States is produced by burning coal or oil so by simply unplugging some of these appliances when not in use can play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions.

Every Sunday I try to volunteer at Nourish LA, an organization aimed at trying to eliminate/reduce food waste from grocery stores by redistributing them to those facing food insecurities. The amount of food that was supposed to be thrown away amazed me, especially upon closer examination that many of them were perfectly fine to eat. In addition, they let the volunteers take some of the food home which helped cut my grocery bills significantly. I am grateful an organization like this exists since I recognize food waste contributes to the climate change problem. Much of these foods would typically end up in landfills which would generate methane further contributing to global warming. Nourish LA has really opened up my eyes on food waste and has made me more cognizant of my own purchases. I try to avoid buying more than I need to, specifically buy “ugly” foods to prevent them from going to landfill, and make sure to store my groceries properly to extend their lifespan. In the future I hope to try to use any leftovers or bad food more creatively such as creating a compost bin.