Gabi Corsaro

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 spend at least 200 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 50 friends, family and/or colleagues.

Goal is to increase of Regenerative Agriculture awareness by Forwarding notice of a book I just learned about - 'The Soil Will Save Us' by Kristen kolhler - to Federal, State and local Reps and Ag Departments, as well as University Agriculture, and Sustainability, Departments

Goal is to minimize plastic usage in general and also to minimize non-recyclable plastics by: 1/ Using alternatives to plastic whenever possible - in shopping, etc. 2/ Reusing plastic bags I already have - produce, etc 3/ Making 'Plastic Bag Dryers" for countertop use, for plastic bags to hang on and dry after washing, for reuse 4/ Contacting Plastics/Packaging Associations and Coalitions (like National Plastics Association,) to advocate for a) fewer types of plastics to be be manufactured in the first place and , b) have the types that will be manufactured in the future be recyclable c) send cc's of these communications to Organizations working toward plastics reduction

I will contact 12 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

I have advocated for conflict resolution techniques to be part of elementary through hi-school curriculi as a means of diminishing the occurence of 'war-as-a-solution' in the future as well as provide info about 'peace-influencers' like Peace Pilgrim

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how people can build with carbon-storing materials - including agricultural byproducts - and discuss it with my peers in person or by posting to social media.

I will spend 30 minute(s) learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in creating or purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

As part of a community writing project on climate change, we were asked to put ourselves in the year 2050 and imagine what might have been done by then to facilitate the healing of our planet and its climate. I had been gathering information that I came across over time, with the thought of having it available for my grandsons (now in their 20’s) as possible career inspiration and direction. This was put together with that in mind (hence the bolded areas and reference sites for their further research) - thought you might enjoy it to pass on also - 4/2016 - G. Diane ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WELL, WHY NOT, DADDY “Grandpa, what was it like when you were my age?” “Well Buddy, for one thing, this stream we’re fishing in wasn’t nearly as clean. In fact, it was so polluted with chemicals and drug residues that fish were actually being born deformed. When I was 10 we were just entering the 80’s and awareness of our environment being in dire-straits was in its infancy. The ozone layer had been dissolving, and greenhouse gases, produced mainly by too much CO2 entering our atmosphere over decades, created what was called ‘Global Warming’, causing many destructive climate issues over the whole planet. By the time your Dad was 10 we were just entering the 21st century, and there were many solutions being researched. As he grew and we would discuss these possibilities, he would say, “Well, Why Not, Daddy?” So, remembering the words of Wayne Gretsky (a soccer great at the time), “Go to where the puck is going to be, not where it is now”, we researched and supported many of them. Some of these that are commonplace today, and have greatly reduced the toxins and CO2 load in our atmosphere, were not in existence at the time, at least not on any large scale. Renewable energies, like Solar, Wind, Ocean and River-Sourced Hydro-Electric, Geo-Thermal started to appear – solar panels along our highways produced electricity. Wind turbines were also installed along highways and railroad tracks, capturing the ‘wind’ from the fast-moving vehicles and converting it to electricity. Cars were fast becoming all-electric as battery technology improved, and wireless-charging stations,- removing the need for cables - augmented or replaced gas stations across the country. Local transportation, such as buses, light rails, shuttles, etc. also became all-electric. “Green Gyms” started appearing, creating their own electricity from the energy generated by using the exercise machines. Our landfills also contributed to the electric grid, converting the methane gas emitted into electricity. But we had also learned to not overload them, by reducing our consumption in the first place, and reusing or recycling much of our waste. Concepts like ‘carbon footprint’, ‘zero waste,’ ‘voluntary simplicity’, and ‘sustainable packaging’ entered our cultural consciousness and lifestyles. The Construction industry utilized ‘net-zero energy’ guidelines in their practices, incorporating more solar and passive-solar as well as non-toxic building materials and products – which had become much more available due to the emergence of ‘clean-tech’, ‘green-chemistry’ and ‘bio-mimicry’ research. Lumber was all sustainably harvested or reclaimed, Shumann Resonators were commonplace in every building to minimize the effects of the EMF’s produced by the increased usage of electrical components. Potable/grey/black water systems became standard, creating more efficient use of our water supply, a shortage of which was becoming an issue in itself. Rain-water collectors and filters began to be widely used not only on buildings, but in conduits along roads and highways – some were gravity-fed and used hydro-electric systems to feed the grid, others were diverted to reservoirs. Snow plows fed the snow into conduits, also, collecting water and reducing flooding risks. Desalinization of sea water created a feasible source of potable water, and pipelines were installed to bring it inland. The oceans, in the meantime, had themselves become healthier due to the reduced usage and ‘dumping’ of plastics and other pollutants. Less acid-rain, due to our enhanced eco-friendly lifestyles, also reduced the oceans acidity and marine-life started flourishing again. Storm-water management was greatly improved through innovations like the “Lilly Pad”. Municipal water filtration systems became capable of clearing previously unfiltered toxins like RX residues, etc., and used ozone and sunlight to replace chemicals like chlorine, used beforehand. Some sewage systems were modeled on one used in Arcata, California, using aquatic-biology concepts to create wetlands, not only treating their waste-water but supplying habitat for fish, birds, and plant-life. An adapted form of this was built right into homes, using a design created by Bill Wolverton, an environmental engineer with NASA. Agriculture was acknowledging more of the negative health and environmental effects of pesticide use in our food supply. Integrated Pest Management and Organic farming practices started to be subsidized by the government, which reversed the previous government practice of only subsidizing what was called ‘Big-Ag’ at the time – giant agriculture and meat-producing complexes, which utilized pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other methods that proved to be harmful to the environment as well as our health. ‘Heritage Seeds’ and ‘Heritage Breeds’ became commonplace, as well as grass-fed and free-range animal raising practices. Composting and the manufacture of more compostable products contributed to the increasing nutritional value of our soil. Phytoremediation cleared toxins from the soil created by various industrial practices and ground-water contamination. Permaculture techniques became widespread in commercial, residential and public landscaping. Native plants, backyard habitats, and vegetable gardens became commonplace, replacing residential lawns. All of these contributed to healing our air, our soil, and our health. Awareness of our planet as a living organism, with its own sustaining principles - much like our bodies have – became more widespread, and we started acknowledging the accuracy of some older, native attitudes toward interacting with it. Due to the pressing nature of our problems, our general focus became more mission-oriented. Many cultural, educational and financial innovations started surfacing. City planners increasingly adopted the ‘village’ concept, creating communities with less vehicle traffic and more hiking and biking options. Daycare, business, retail and medical facilities were nearby, if not on-site. More Green Districts and Green Spaces existed. Our educational systems included curriculum, from K-college/vocational levels, in ecological principles and technical expertise. Eco-fairs and parties, and groups like the Bioneers kept us up-to-date on newly emerging solutions, as did publications and books on Green Living. Socially-responsible investments and Green Bonds became a larger part of our financial portfolios in order to support the growth of these efforts. Green-Certification became the norm in business and construction. Sustainable-Real-Estate Brokers appeared. Non-Profit, University, and Government groups, like The Solution Project, various Environmental Councils and Sustainability Networks, PSU’s Urban Sustainability Accelerator Program all collaborated, providing blue-prints for research and implementation of the technologies and legislation required. So, here we are today – 2050 – much wiser and healthier. But, …. although we’ve managed to correct many errors in our approach to interacting with our physical environment, we still have much to do to make our interactions with each other more sustainable. Se La Vie… let’s go get some ice cream, Buddy, and muse about some solutions to that” “Well, Why not, Grandpa?” ******************************************************************************************************* Some Reference sites http://www2.humboldt.edu/arcatamarsh/overview.html https://www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=sustainablepackaging.org&authuser=0 http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2014/07/waste_managements_trash-to-ele.html http://reduceyourwasteproject.com/ http://www.nwei.org/ http://www.puralytics.com/html/lilypad.php https://www.pdx.edu/clean-challenge/projects http://www.utilityfreeliving.co.uk/ http://www.trashforpeace.org/ http://www.bing.com/search?q=biomimicry+oregon&src=IE-TopResult&FORM=IETR02&conversationid= http://www.asknature.org/ http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OIPP/pages/inn_solarhighway.aspx https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328491-700-power-paradox-clean-might-not-be-green-forever/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22129534-900-wireless-charging-for-electric-vehicles-http://thesolutionsproject.org/ http://schumannresonator.com/ http://forester.net/ow_0603_growing.html http://earthleaders.org/other-programs/green-lifestyle/home-eco-parties/ http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/green-bond.asp http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25068 http://www.sightline.org/2015/04/09/oregon-has-a-climate-law-implementation-problem-hb-3470-has-an-answer/ http://www.fastcoexist.com/3029917/your-future-healthy-home-will-have-plants-inside-its-walls http://www.manyhatspublications.com/article-154.html http://cordis.europa.eu/docs/results/272/272520/final1-nasa-phytoremediation-2012.pdf

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.