Jessie Quandt

This week's theme was visions of sustainability, and I really wanted to build from the past week that focused on community, as well as build from this weeks chapter. I was really inspired by the article "Envisioning a Sustainable World" by Donella H. Meadows so I  interviewed some people that I see often to get their visions of sustainability. One of my friends said their vision of sustainability was "Everyone working together to keep it together. That’s why we aren’t sustainable right now, because we all worked against each other.” I think that this person has a really good point about how we got to the world we live in now. It makes me extremely sad but it is the truth, and we can only change that by working together. Another friend I asked said that their ideal would be "We remove the need for gasoline/coal and other things that pollute the air, by transitioning to clean power- solar, hydro, wind etc." This is a very simple and I think that a lot of people see this as their ideal world. I also notice that these people I asked had very basic answers. I think this may be because so many people do not feel comfortable sharing their ideals and dreams, Like Meadows' talked about in her article.

-Jessie :)

This week I bought only what I needed. The way that I felt most impacted by this was through my grocery shopping. Normally when I go to the store, I have a list of food that I need to buy, but I end up buying a lot of other snack-y foods that I want. This week however I only let myself buy what I actually needed, not what I wanted. and I saved a lot of money! That to me is one of the biggest motivators to only buy what I need, saving money. I definitely want to continue this practice and really get myself into the mindset of only buying what I need!
-Jessie :)

This past week's theme was transportation, and it was a difficult yet easy week for me. I do not drive and I go on an hour minimum walk every day(as long as I'm not too busy). I love going for walks so I make it a point to walk to my errands. This past week I walked to target and Safeway a couple times, walked all around the city to look at the winter lights festival last weekend, and to get food. I think that walking is one of the healthiest things you can do not only for your body but for your mind. It's really refreshing to get outside, off your phone and into the real world! 
-Jessie :)

This past week I tried to help as many people as I could. I held the door open for people a lot more than I usually do, and also complimented people more, just trying to bring positivity into their lives. It was really nice to interact with people like that after so long of social distancing, and being isolated from others. When I went to the store this past weekend there was an older lady struggling to walk up the stairs with her grocery bags, so I offered to help her carry them. She thanked me for helping her bring them to her car and then we went on our separate ways. These small actions helped me feel much more involved my community because all those people are a part of my community. Living in a large city can feel really isolating at times, despite living in close proximity to so many people. Doing these small acts made me feel much more connected and also made me a lot happier!

This past week I tried to use zero single use plastics. I went out to a couple restaurants and did not take a plastic straw for my drink. It honestly felt a little strange to say no because I normally say yes and prefer to drink out of a straw. My roommate had a reusable straw that she let me borrow for this last week to see if I wanted to buy a couple for myself, and I definitely will be! I also did not use the plastic produce bags at the store and instead simply carried them home in a reusable bag. As I mentioned before, it really did feel strange to make these small changes, but I felt good about making them because I know how harmful it can be. Overall this week really showed me how easy it is to make sustainable changes in my life and I'm excited to continue making these changes!

-Jessie :)

This week I watched "Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret" on Netflix. I really appreciated this documentary because it is from the perspective of a normal person like me who wants to make change. I also could relate to him because I am also from California so I understood where he was coming from when discussing the droughts. The film highlights why animal agriculture is such a big secret and how badly people do NOT want to talk about it. It was upsetting to see government officials dismiss these large problems. This film really went in depth about this issue and why it is not being addressed, I highly recommend! 

This past week I spent at least 30 minutes outdoors, many days more than that. I usually walk around outside but on the days that the weather was nice I found a place to sit and just observe nature. I wanted to observe the ecosystem I was sitting in at that time, observe how the animals act and how everything is connected. Most of all I kept my phone down for at least 30 minutes and kept my head up. I realized that there is a lot I miss because I am always looking down or straight in front of me. By looking up I saw so many more animals in the trees than I thought there were and I had such a greater appreciation for the parks we have in Portland. I also went to the waterfront and stood on the Hawthorn bridge for a while, just looking at the river and how it cuts through the city. The river is one of my favorite aspects of this city because of how beautiful and large it is. I felt really inspired for my eco change project because a part of it is to try and keep the river clean. I loved this activity and encourage you all to go outside more! you can never be outside too much:)

Over the weekend I watched a documentary "Mardi Gras: Made in China(2005)." It highlighted the 'fast-fashion' surrounding Mardi Gras and specifically the iconic beads that are thrown in the streets of New Orleans. The beads are something that during Mardi Gras are very fun and they are very expendable, people simply throw them away. The documentary team went to a factory in China where these beads are produced and showed the intensive and dangerous labor that goes into making these plastic necklaces. It highlights how unsustainable this is and prompts viewers to think about alternatives. It was a very good documentary and I highly recommend to anyone who is curious!