Alessandro Negrete

• It's been a great 10 weeks both with learning experiences and hearing different perspectives from you guys. Throughout this week I kept in contact with some friends in order to create a sharing economy, proposing the idea of meeting every once in a while in order to lend and share any sort of tool or giving clothes that they didn’t want any more to a local donation center. Before the beginning of the term I definitely overlooked that sustainability not only involved us interacting with nature while giving back to it but it’s also important having a supportive community. Hopefully it’s something that work outs so we can keep building into something bigger

This week I challenged myself to buy from a local business instead of doing any online shopping, which worked well for me given that I was looking for a new desk. Usually, I would have just ordered it online. Instead, I went to my local thrift store just because I was curious since it’s been years since I went to a thrift store. Luckily, I found a desk for about 7 dollars which was a win because it was still in good condition, aside from the paint color starting to fade away. My brother and I painted it over it with a brand new color.

This week I chose to challenge myself to only use muscle power transportation, taking advantage of the nice weather. I was riding my bike for any needs I had throughout the week I noticed I was more time efficient when I was using my bike. There's a grocery store about 4 miles away from my neighborhood in which by car it typically takes me about 10 minutes to get there because of traffic, but when I used my bike, I made it there in less time. Its something I can do on a consistent basis, at least over the summer before it begins to rain

This week, I set out to meet my neighbors in order to foster a sense of community among us. Leading up to when I finally made up my mind, I don’t know why I was feeling nervous about a possible negative reaction, but it was actually the opposite. I began by introducing myself and offering any future help they might need in regard to anything. They were definitely friendly it's a good feeling knowing you can have that sort of communication with someone.

This week I had to say no to plastic bags at stores and plastic straws in all my drinks. Since the beginning of the term, I’ve switched from plastic bags at stores to bringing my own reusable bag. Up until now, I’ve done a good job I just happen to forget them in my car when I’m rushed. I don’t use straws I either just refill my hydro flask water which typically lasts me all day, or if not, I just use glass cups at home

After learning how much food we waste annually from the reading and how that amount wasted is enough to feed the 795 million people in most need of food. This week I decided to make a shopping list of what I actually need instead of buying out on impulse. I figured that I didn’t really need to buy much I just found new techniques to cook with the ingredients I already had. Given that it was such a nice warm week, I noticed I don’t eat and cook as much typically in warm weather. So this week’s eco challenge wasn’t too bad of an adjustment planning ahead made my life much less stressful.

I did various activities this week like taking a mindful walk. Going for a walk outside, I took time to notice the natural world around you. Pay attention to the sights, sounds and smells of your environment. Taking a deep breath of fresh air helped me in some way clear my mind. This weekend, I also went to the beach with my brother. I got inspiration to go to the beach because of the documentary I watched last week about bringing awareness to how important marine life is and its ecosystem. Which just reminded me of how grateful we should be for our ocean and the life it holds as it plays fundamental roles in our ecosystem like climate regulation.

The documentary "Seaspiracy" emphasizes the negative impact of commercial fishing on the world's oceans and marine life. It highlights various issues such as overfishing, illegal fishing, bycatch, and the use of destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling. The documentary also discusses how the fishing industry affects marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, as well as how it contributes to climate change and ocean pollution. The sustainability of seafood as well as the absence of regulation and transparency in the fishing industry are other issues that are brought up by this. Overall, "Seaspiracy" aims to raise awareness about the critical state of the world's oceans and the urgent need for collective action to address the issues facing our marine ecosystems.