Hannah Ivester

I will advocate for local and/or organic food options at work or on campus.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

I will keep track and reduce my consumption of refined sugars, including sweetened beverages, candy, and processed foods.

I will spend 15 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home or dorm room.

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

I will walk 5 mile(s) each day instead of driving and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

I will watch 2 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

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

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

I will spend 20 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those around the world who produce my food in order to make better choices when I shop.

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and POC-majority neighborhoods. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

I will visit a nearby farm to pick my own fruits and veggies.

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

I will spend 20 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

I will avoid buying toxic plastics - including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl - and instead replace them with durable non-plastic options.

I will spend at least 10 minutes assessing the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on fuel-efficient vehicles.