Sarah Rhodes
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 489 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO7.0locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO3.0conversationswith people
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UP TO2.0neighborsmet
Sarah's actions
Water
Say No to Plastic
Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. This week, I'll say "no" to plastic bags at the store and plastic straws in all of my drinks.
Visions of Sustainability
Support a Sharing Economy
I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.
Visions of Sustainability
Eco-friendly Gardening
I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.
Community
Pick Up Litter
I will pick up litter on my street and ask others to join me in taking care of our neighborhood.
A Call to Sustainability
Pay Attention to Current Events
I will watch or read the news each day this week with a specific focus on sustainability issues and happenings.
Community
Meet My Neighbors
I will meet 2 new neighbor(s) this week.
Consumption and Economy
Visit a Waste Management Facility
I will visit a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about the waste stream.
A Call to Sustainability
Talk To Others
I will tell 3 people why sustainability is important to me and what my vision for a sustainable world is.
Transportation
Research Better Transportation
I will research one of the solutions presented in this week's session on Transportation and see if there are any groups in my community already doing this work.
Ecological Principles
Reduce My Footprint
I will calculate my ecological footprint and talk with my family or roommates about way we can reduce our negative enviromental impact.
Food
Support Local Food Systems
I will source 1 meal(s) from local producers each day this week. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.
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?
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Sarah Rhodes 11/02/2018 7:34 AMThis week I chose to say no to plastic straws and bags. It was a lot harder than I had imagined, as everywhere you go to eat they typically hand you the item in a bag or with a straw. Furthermore, when I am driving and trying to drink something easily the straw would come in convenient. I think one of the biggest things I have to continually work on is making sure I bring my reusable cup/utensils with me when traveling away from my home. -
Sarah Rhodes 10/26/2018 7:32 AMFor CSL Chapter 3 on Food I found it to be interesting how food plays such a big role on our lives. If we are able to consume less and focus on eating locally it would help the world in so many ways. I think it's important to locally source food as it helps to engage the community and bring a "together-ness" about the community that you live in as well. -
Sarah Rhodes 10/05/2018 9:03 AMThis week's CSL 6 chapter on transportation was really interesting. I found myself reflecting on the amount of carbon emissions I put off every week from commuting to and from school and work, etc. I was trying to think of different ways that I could reduce this footprint. Unfortunately, I do not live in an urban enough area that offers large amounts of public transportation. -
Sarah Rhodes 9/07/2018 8:39 AMEVPP 480-003Sarah RhodesCSL Ch.1 Questions:1. Did your conception or definition of sustainability change after reading the articles in Session 1? If so, how is it different?It didn’t change as a whole, but I was able to see how there are other ways to contribute and influence sustainable practices within the world. I was able to learn many new concepts such as the different levels of culture and how these effect people within different countries.2. Paul Hawken uses many business metaphors in “You Are Brilliant and the Earth Is Hiring.” What nonbusiness metaphors might be used to describe the idea that the Earth needs you?The Earth cries for change as it’s rivers flow through our man-made spoils.3. LaDuke believes that “ indigenous ways of living are the only sustainable ways of living. Most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation.” What do you agree or disagree with in this statement? Why is balance important to sustainability?I agree completely, I think that many people , I’m sure myself included at some points, are so used with the consumption practices of America. Instead of only taking/buying/creating enough of something for ourselves or our loved ones, we feel this need to make or take more and more to fill voids in our lives. Balance is very important because it allows the Earth to retain it’s materials and it allows everyone else to survive off of the natural resources without depleting them .4. Identify one value, belief, or assumption from your culture that you believe contributes to the development of a more sustainable world. What is it about this particular value, belief, or assumption that aligns it with sustainability?I think one value that has been lost over the years, but could be regained is from the elderly generation that grew up or their parents grew up in the great depression. These individuals grew up with little to nothing and were taught to appreciate everything they owned or had. Glass jars were reused for many different purposes, and clothes were passed down or repurposed instead of used and then tossed out. Even the materials that were used in many different things were made to last, rather than to break and be thrown away.5. Name and discuss one or more aspects of your culture that you think hinder sustainable practices.I think that my “culture”, I guess as America as a whole is that we are a Nation that does not focus on reducing our overall consumption. Along with this, we throw out everything, rather than creating things that can be reused or repurposed ,and thus create even more waste. We could learn to operate on a more cyclical system of production rather than linear.6. How does systems thinking shift your perception of the world? Please provide one concrete example.I thought it was interesting to think of sustainability in that aspect. It shifted my perception of the world with an example I thought of from last semester. That being, the United States demand for blue jeans. Our nations demand for this product influences the poorer countries such as China and they open “sweat shops” where young girls and boys go off to make very little money, if any, to help provide for their families in the country side.7. What surprised you the most about the effects of the wolves being reintroduced into Yellowstone? After watching the video about the wolves’ effects on the Yellowstone ecosystem, what suggestions do you have to improve your local ecosystem?What surprised me the most was the fact that any animal is ever hunted to the point of near-extinction. But, in conjunction with this statement I also think a way to improve the local ecosystem where I live would be to encourage more wildlife management of the White Tail Deer population. Without this management, they have no natural predators in the Shenandoah Valley, and they tend to take over the woods and eat all forms of vegetation.8. How sustainable was your life 5 years ago? How sustainable would you say your life is today?Five years ago I still lived with my parents, who ate off of paper plates just to avoid doing the dishes. Today, I don’t even keep paper plates or paper towels in my own home because I see them as being unnecessary waste products. Today, my biggest sustainability struggle is saving in fossil fuel output, because of how far I have to commute to come to Mason. Once I find a job closer to my home I hope to cut this out of my lifestyle as much as possible. -
Sarah Rhodes 9/07/2018 8:08 AMI have joined this team to learn and participate more openly with my fellow team mates . I hope to practice sustainability in my everyday life with the use of my own food containers on campus as well as a reusable water bottle. At home, I hope to reduce my footprint by using my car less while I am driving around town or going to the park. This semester I hope to learn more about LEED certifications and how they are implemented into green buildings.