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Sustainability
Photo by Louis Maniquet on Unsplash
Many of us have practiced sustainability unknowingly.
I first learned about the term sustainability at an event hosted at CSULB. I went on to join the CSULB SustainU committee where I gave input on sustainability initiatives. I incorporate sustainability in my life in many ways. Learn more about my commitment (including taking a certificate program) and sustainability in my personal life!
UCLA Leaders in Sustainability Certificate
Offered by the Institute of Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, the Leaders in Sustainability Certificate consists of one foundational course in sustainability covering topics such as energy, transport, buildings, water, housing, and urban biodiversity, and three elective courses related to sustainability. A leadership project related to sustainability is also required to complete the certifiate. More information about my project is on the Climate Justice Fellow page.
Through the leaders in sustainability course, I collaborated with graduate students from other disciplines and practiced providing feasible solutions to sustainability problems. The elective courses I took were M225: Law and Management of Nonprofit Organizations, ENV HLT 219: Environmental Health Disparities, and URBN PL 260A: Environmental Assessment, Urban Design. Through the M225 course, I learned about the internal governance processes of non-profits, requirements they must meet, and best practices. I hope to apply this knowledge to future work with non-profits. In the ENV HLT 219 class, I learned about the history and methods used to address environmental justice in various communities. In URBN PL 260A, I learned about different decision-making tools available to address extreme heat.
Personal commitment and buying tips
My commitment to sustainability goes beyond certificate programs. I actively participate in community meetings and practice sustainability in my own life. I'm in no way perfect and it has taken time to get to where I am (I'm going on 8+ years).
Community involvement:
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I am part of the environmental justice committee of a local non-profit called Norwalk Unides. We do advocacy work in Norwalk and surrounding communities.
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I've taken steps to reduce waste in my personal life by composting (which is now a requirement in Norwalk thanks to SB-1383)
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I was involved in the Heart of Norwalk community workshops and Norwalk Bike Plan where I gave ideas for revitalizing the city, such as bike lanes for commuters and walkable spaces.
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I attended the East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice summit where I learned more about refineries in Long Beach and actions around them.
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I attended Metro's Gender Action Plan where I suggested ideas for improving Metro's service reliability and safety!
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I share my insights on my social media regularly and have been able to start many conversations around affordable sustainability.
Eco-friendly product store spotlight:
One of my favorite local stores is BYO LongBeach. I've been able to donate used skin care containers to them and they regularly accept donations if they have space. Their nearby neighbor Ethikli​ also sometimes accepts clean containers. Both stores sell things like loofahs that aren't made of plastic, toothpaste tablets, bamboo floss, and wood cleaning materials.
My philosophy:
Vote with your dollars by supporting companies with your values. The consumerism mindset has been fed to us to keep us thinking we need more things. Yes, shopping is hard and takes time when you think about these things. When I do buy something, it is usually very intentional.
Pointers:
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Avoid anything plastic! That's the big one (of course, when possible).
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Look for arts and crafts products that have labels that say "Conforms to ASTM D-4236"
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When choosing paint (like for painting your room) or furniture, look for GREENGUARD. Formaldehyde-free certified paints are the best/strictest standard. The second best would be GREENGUARD Gold certified paint.
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​Here's the link to EWG's verified mattresses. Spoiler: NaturePedic takes the win.
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Think about it, we spend around 8 hours on our mattresses, and these are in our homes full-time.
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Look for B corp businesses since these usually have commitments to sustainability.
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Avoid fast fashion! If you have to buy something, make sure you see yourself using it for a long time. I personally try to avoid polyester (which is hard to do). I've seen OEKO-TEX on more clothes and towels recently.
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Buy second-hand clothes when possible or do clothes swaps for clothes you don't use.
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Use Safer Choice labeled cleaning products or make your own. Dr. Bronner's is good for almost everything.
​Look for labels that point to more sustainable practices like the ones below :)
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