Susan Namboodiri

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

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 20 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

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.

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 enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

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

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

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

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

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

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.

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 replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

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

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 watch 1 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 enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.