PCC SOC 228 - Environmental Sociology

I learned a lot from the Ecochallenge this past month. I have cut back on meat and dairy products and had the chance to explore the city around me. I have also made use of many reusable items like plastic containers from stores. Because I have had smaller portions and spent a lot of time eating without distraction, I have learned more about my...

I have found that depending on where you shop or where you eat there are bamboo alternatives, specifically natural food stores or restaurants that cater to compostable products. Alternatives that I have researched range from products made out of mushrooms, hemp, banana leaves, agave, seaweed, and pressed hay. It was really cool researching...

Concrete has a notoriously large carbon emissions footprint and as such any alternatives that can have the durability and cheap material requirements for large scale operations would be a great boon for the environment. That being said, the two most notable ones that interested me were fly ash blocks that are composed of fly ash from burning...

This month I’ve been more cognizant of my actions than ever. I’ve changed my mindset and realized that little changes in my life can go quite a long way especially if others do it with me. 

It has been so fun to learn about how to create healthy soil!  All of my plants are coming along well, including all of the kale that self-seeded itself.  We will have lots more food in no time.  Plus, I finally finished an EcoChallenge commitment that I made in 2019 - we built our Little Library.  :)

Since I have started keeping track of my food waste, I have found new ways to create meals as well as new additions to meals that I have been eating for years. For example, I am always hesitant when I need to buy lemons or limes, as I usually just use half of them and then throw the other half out. So instead of wasting the remaining halves, I...

I looked up some ideas for utilizing food scraps and I realized that I can take the peels and ends of onions, the tops of celery, the carrot skins, and the potato skins, and use them to all together to make a vegetable broth. I never thought to do this before. I use vegetable broth pretty often to cook my quinoa in. Therefore, not only am I...

Eating plant based is something that never appealed to me. Now that I have taken the time to have one plant-based meal a day has allowed me to explore more diverse meals while still eating clean. I typically eat some fruits or veggies for my vegan meal each day, but I have been experimenting with meat substitutes as well and have enjoyed those...

I have really been enjoying eating mindfully. I have learned to take the time to actually enjoy my meal along with my surroundings. I started eating outside on my back patio too!

I have supported women owned restaurants, distilleries, boutiques, crystal shops, herbal shops; I find myself more inclined to purchase a product or visit a store if I know that it is women led. If I support women owned businesses I can then hope that these women are putting that money back into their neighborhoods and communities.