Out of the solutions explored on this website, I was surprised to not see CCAs, Community Choice Aggregations. There are 24 CCA programs in California and they provide for more than 11 million people. But, if I had to choose between which renewable energy source; I would say it depends on climate, region, and what works for that community. Solar, Wind, and Geothermal are all great alternatives for renewable energy. I find the use of geothermal energy in Iceland super cool and exciting. Not only does it power their communities, but it makes for a great spa day. 

I was unaware that there were fish advisories based on states and regions. I just knew that if you were pregnant, that fish weren't advised due to mercury levels. And I knew about microplastics and bioaccumulation, but I was unaware of these resources. After watching the documentary "Seaspiracy" I have been more conscientious of what type of fish to consume and where it comes from, so it was cool to see this resource. 

Here at CSUSM, we participate in LEED Certifications of some of our buildings. The PSB is LEED Gold. SBSB is LEED Silver. The USU is LEED Gold. And, the SHCS building is LEED Gold. I believe we are also retrofitting or re-surfing Craven Hall this year. Our campus is working hard to reach more sustainable goals and work towards a platinum AASHE stars rating. Congrats on reaching Gold this year!!

The most interesting fact I learned is that the Mall of America uses body heat to warm the building. Does that mean that there is no air flow? I'm curious as to how that works. I think it's great they made bike paths better in Vancouver. It increased bike traffic by 60%. I l believe if our bike paths were better in our city, more people would bike. I've commuted by bike, and in some places it gets pretty sketchy and dangerous.

I went down the rabbit hole of videos on hemp. It's insane what can be made out of hemp. I love seeing creative ways people have found to use agricultural waste. I wasn't too into the rice straw building products, but the hemp builds were super cool. The architecture in me was inspired and in awe. 

Reading this reminded me of a documentary I have saved called: Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story. I haven't watched it yet, but I find that there is a lot of confusion when it comes to labels on packages and food. And I've heard of the Ugly Fruit Movement and my family has participated in purchasing Imperfect Foods. We found that in purchasing imperfect food, it wasn't worth it because the products were sometimes inedible or last only a few days. I say try it out, but it wasn't for us. As far as educating myself on labels, I will definitely look into it more. Super interesting.

How to make a climate action plan equitable and socially just? For my capstone project, I created a website and did a presentation on green roofs and green spaces. So, when I saw "green gentrification" it sparked my interest. It reminded me of a documentary I watched about a South Central Los Angeles garden community. Where, eventually they were evicted, cast out, and the land was bulldozed, for what they thought was going to be a recreational space with soccer fields and a community center. It also reminded me of guerilla gardening. So in making a climate action plan equitable and socially just I would hope that a city or town would look into the actions and consequences of all actions before creating spaces that help us reach net zero. A city or town would listen to its people and keep in mind who it effects. If it would affect lower classes or push out certain communities. 

In order for a sustainable community to work, we as Americans and as humans would need to change our way of thinking and our lifestyle. We live in a culture where consumption without reason is the norm. Convenience has been made to override education and knowledge of our impact. But, a lot of it could be due to a lack of knowledge, a lack of empathy, and a lack of personal connection to our actual impact on others, the world, and our environment. We, and I say we, dont put forth enough effort into change. Our world leaders put timelines so far in the future, we dont look at the impact and affect we have now and on future generations. We would seriously need to change our culture, lifestyle, and our way of thinking and our actions, now. 

No, I have not heard of silvopasture before. I think the biggest advantage of silvopasture is the overall benefits to the cows. When foraging they are fed a more enriched grass. They have shade and cover. And they said in the video that the milk production and overall size of the cows are larger. It is better for carbon emissions, for the cows, the farmers, the land, and the yield that comes from the shared space just simply planting trees. Super cool info. 

I used to purchase soap from Bath & Body Works in bulk at the end of the year, but I recently purchased glass soap dispensers and go to a refillery to fill them with soap! It's great because the soap is much more concentrated, doesn't dry my hands out, and I can add essential oils to them so that they smell however I want them to! (I am currently working on transitioning all of my lotions over as well!)