
Kassy Vazquez
Points Total
- 0 Today
- 0 This Week
- 281 Total
Participant Impact
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up to14plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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up to1.0neighborsmet
Kassy's Actions
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.
Visions of Sustainability
Online Energy Audit
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Consumption and Economy
Track my Purchases
I will maintain a record of all my purchases.
Community
Meet My Neighbors
I will meet 1 new neighbor(s) this week.
Water
Use Reusable Bottles
I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) each day this week.
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
Food
Visit a Local Farm
I will visit a nearby farm to pick my own fruits and veggies.
A Call to Sustainability
Explore My Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Feed
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Kassy Vazquez 7/13/2022 10:56 PMFor my sixth eco-challenge, I decided to research some better transportation options. One solution is cycling. There is a local group called "The Street Trust"(https://www.thestreettrust.org/), whose mission is to advocate for safe, accessible, equitable, zero carbon streets. Everything they do is about expanding transportation choices to reduce dependence on solo drive trips and making roads safer for motor vehicles and other street users. They do a lot of advocacy work with different community members and are outspoken about injustices such as what happened to an Asain family on Eastbank Esplanade. They also run various clinics and events throughout the month; their calendar is on their website if anyone is interested!-
Amy Minato 7/17/2022 1:38 PMKassy I did not hear about the Asian family but am sorry they experienced injustice. thanks for the heads up on this group! -
Lexi Silva 7/13/2022 11:41 PMHi Kassy!
Good on you for expanding and learning more about different and more sustainable transportation options you can practice. Also, thanks for sharing about "The Street Trust" because I think local programs and groups like these help expand and influence others to also cycle. Thanks for sharing!
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Kassy Vazquez 7/13/2022 10:23 PMFor my last eco-challenge, I decided to do an energy audit for my apartment. My total score was 8.6, which is not too bad, but there is always room for improvement. The website stated that I was among the top energy use performers over the last 12 months. This is great to hear because my husband and I are very cautious when it comes to not using too much electricity. When not in a room, we turn off the lights, and we do not keep the AC on continuously. However, my son gets hot VERY quickly, so sometimes we turn it on more than we would like if it were just us. We also unplug the things we are not using, such as the charger, the baby monitor, and the hatch. Once I clicked on ways that I can improve my score on the website, there were some interesting options, such as choosing an energy-star-certified TV, replacing the HVAC system, and choosing appliances that are energy-star certified. A lot of the options did not apply in my circumstance because many of the changes I am not able to make due to not owning a house.-
Amy Minato 7/17/2022 1:42 PMKassy have you tried using a power strip? it makes it much easier to keep things unplugged. most of us cant just go out and buy energy efficient new appliances. it would be nice if homeowners were given credit to buy them. sometimes PGE has options like that, but of course you dont want to do that as a renter
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Kassy Vazquez 7/11/2022 10:34 PMThis week (week 7), I choose to track what I spend my money on. I was not shocked to find out that I spend most of my money on food. With the weather scorching, my family and I have been going out to eat more than usual to avoid having an overheated apartment. However, there are other foods I can make that are "summer foods" that don't need the stove or oven. The next big thing I bought was gas and party supplies on amazon. My son's first birthday party is this month, so I am prepping, which means many orders from Amazon. I feel pretty guilty about ordering so much on Amazon, so I decided to go to a nearby party store. I checked out Boom Boom Balloons on Lombard. They are a local party store that carries different types of pinatas. They make them themselves there. I purchased one there and cannot wait to fill it with snacks.-
Romi Watson 7/14/2022 10:02 AMHi Kassy!
I relate a lot to spending a majority of my money on food because, well, food's good haha. I'm aware that my spending habits could be better in regards to that, and I know that frivolously spending money on food only contributes to our waste issue. With this summer heat though, I don't blame you guys for eating takeout! It's way more convenient than sweating over a plate of food because you had to use the stove or oven.
I hope your son has an amazing first birthday! I'm not a mom myself, but I know that it's almost impossible not to throw a huge party with a bunch of decorations. I think it's great that you're shopping locally and helping out a small family shop. I'm sure that pinata will be the highlight for the kiddos! -
Amy Minato 7/14/2022 8:40 AMKassy I recall hearing about someone, maybe in class? who makes pinatas. Its great that you are supporting a local person's craft. Here are some ideas for a zero trash kid party https://www.treehugger.com/how-throw-zero-waste-birthday-party-your-kid-4858263 -
Madison Scruggs 7/11/2022 11:10 PMHi Kassy, I also tend to overspend on food and especially during the summer for the same reason! I found that meal prepping on cooler days helps a lot with not wanting to cook when it's hot! -
Giovanni Simmons 7/11/2022 10:47 PMHi Kassy!
I think we can all agree that the convenience and affordability is nice, but nothing beats supporting a local business, so I'm glad you decided to check out the local party store. It's tough sometimes because its just so easy to order off Amazon, but I can't help but think about how much more a local business would appreciate our purchases more than Jeff Bezos would. I hope the birthday party goes well!
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Kassy Vazquez 7/05/2022 9:37 AMThis week for my eco-challenge this week, I chose to meet a new neighbor. I recently moved into a new apartment complex and met the neighbor down two doors away from me. They have a dog named Nova, and my son loves animals so that is how we got talking. It is interesting because I am a very introverted person and having my son has caused me to be more outgoing. Especially, when he sees someone walking a pet, he has to say hi. So, it is nice getting to know who lives around you to build a sense of community. -
Kassy Vazquez 6/30/2022 9:50 AMI love buying reusable water bottles and the idea of it but I never really execute it. I am always running late and forget to use my reusable water bottle which will then cause me to buy a plastic water bottle. I also find myself not drinking as much water as I used to. I used to drink tons of water but now I find myself gravitating towards Izzys. So for this eco-challenge, I am going to try and stop drinking so much soda and instead use my reusable water bottle to encourage me to drink more water.-
amy minato 7/03/2022 7:09 PMKassy sounds like a good plan! also you can buy a soda stream and carbonate your own water. adding fresh squeezed juice to it is really delicious and creates no waste -
Misti Randall 6/30/2022 8:04 PMHi Kassy,
I relate to your point of forgetting the reusable water bottle and then buying plastic water bottle. I have done that many times before because you can't go without water! I love that you are gearing more towards water instead of soda because I had to do a dr. pepper detox after my roommate who grew up drinking it got me hooked a couple years ago. Now I just use it as my treat if going somewhere different not just for casual drinking.
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Kassy Vazquez 6/28/2022 10:27 AMWhenever I go to the store, I always have a grocery list. I find having a grocery store list reduces food waste. This week I decided to make a meal plan and also have my typical grocery list. I have never actually made a meal plan, I really just rely on the list. I found myself forgetting key ingredients sometimes when I make my list which is frustrating. So having the meal plan as well makes it easier to not forget important ingredients I need for the meal. For Monday, I made party wings, roasted potatoes, and a salad. On Tuesday, I am going to make tofu stir fry, garlic green beans, and broccoli, On Wednesday, I am planning on making taquitos, so that will need tortillas, shredded chicken, lettuce, sour cream, salsa, cheese, and black beans. On Thursday, I will be making lasagna, in which I will need pasta and pasta sauce, cottage cheese, and ground beef. On Friday I will need ground beef, romaine, avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime to make lettuce cups. -
Kassy Vazquez 6/23/2022 1:05 AMI went to Hoffman Farm on Wednesday after the field trip with my family. This farm is located in Beaverton. It is somewhere I have wanted to go to for a while, and the weather was so great that we decided to go last minute. We were able to pick our strawberries and had a blast. It was neat seeing my son have such a great time; he was covered in strawberry juice by the time we were finished. We needed the fresh air, so it was a fantastic opportunity to pick our fruit at a local farm. The staff at the farm was friendly, and we even had strawberry milkshakes. Overall, it was so much fun. We hope to go again once blueberries are in season.-
amy minato 6/23/2022 11:36 AMKassy it is so much fun picking strawberries with kids. just a heads up to make sure they are no spray or to wash them before eating. its great for kids to see how food is grown -
Gabe Dicenzo 6/23/2022 7:49 AMHi Kassy! Good to hear you got out and about. I've never been out to Hoffman Farm but I did a quick Google and it looks stunning. I used to pick strawberries with my mom all the time when I was really little although I'm not sure where. I do know that I'll be headed to the gorge near Hood River to pick some blueberries though when they come about. Hopefully we get a good crop this year-- fingers crossed!
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Kassy Vazquez 6/20/2022 8:23 PMMy family and I went on a walk at cooper mountain trail today with my family. We have been here before, but never to the actual trails. There are multiple, and it is a beautiful hike. There were tons of wildflowers at this location! So that was great, we got to show my little one, and he loved looking at the flowers. We also went to another park called Spring Garden Park the other day and walked around and played on the playground. My little guy loved the splash pad and swinging on the swings. Going on hikes and going outdoors is beneficial for my baby's development, so I try to go to many different spots weekly!-
amy minato 6/21/2022 9:23 PMCooper mountain is one of my family's favorite places to hike. the views are great! How old is your little guy? Spring garden is near our house. also a sweet place! you could try Gabriel Park it has a fantastic new playground and lots of natural areas. -
Bella Solorzano 6/20/2022 11:32 PMKassy, this sounds like such a fun day! It must be so fun and rewarding to watch your son experience new things. A splash pad seems so fun I will definitely have to check that out. I really appreciated your comment on how beneficial being outdoors is for little ones and I'm sure you've also noticed how great it is for us older ones as well! Looking forward to hearing more from you :)
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Kassy Vazquez 6/20/2022 8:13 PMFrom this course, I hope to learn what exactly sustainability is and what I can change in my lifestyle to be more sustainable. My goal is to know more about ways I can be more sustainable. I would also like to take this knowledge and teach it to my son. I want him to be caring for our planet.