Gabrielle Alvarado

I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home or dorm room.

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

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

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

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

I will spend 30 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.

I will take a 15-minute walk outside each day.

I will spend 15 minute(s) per day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and my natural surroundings.

I will use the resource links provided below and spend 60 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

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

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 visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

Racial inequity is both a sustainability and justice problem. I will support businesses owned by people of color in my community whenever I shop.

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

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 switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 2 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

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 avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.