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Sunny Bitner [email protected] University of Kansas

Project Green Challenge Final Portfolio Introduction to Sunny

My name is Sunny Bitner, I’m 19, and I am a junior at the University of Kansas. I’m from a small town called Spring Hill, KS and have lived in Kansas my whole life. I love cats and trees, and I always want to be a morning person but the night owl in me always wins. I try to look on the brighter side of things, and my humor is one of my better traits. My motto is “Leave it as you found it.” I have always been passionate about nature, so I am an environmental studies major, and especially after completing PGC, I have been dedicated to protecting the environment and everything in it. I do not have an exact career path planned, but I know whatever I do, it will be in the name of environmentalism, and that I will prioritize the good I am doing over the amount of money I make.

Portfolio Picks

Picking submissions for this portfolio was difficult, because they all inspired me to some degree. Some were chosen because of how much they impacted me personally, and lead to my individual growth, and some others were chosen because I believed they would have the largest impact on others. I also chose some over others because of how fun these challenges can be, and I definitely wanted to show that. All in all, these represent my PGC experience best. But first - Pictures of Sunny!

mailto:[email protected]


My Portfolio Contents 1) Day 3&4 - Zero Waste - Greener: This is the challenge that made me realize

how much trash I produce on an average day, pre-PGC, and it’s what inspired me to strive towards minimal waste. I reference this challenge all the time, and this challenge specifically made me think about my environmental impact every time I pass by a trash can.

2) Day 3&4 - Zero Waste - Greenest: This was the first challenge of mine that won, and the pride and happiness I felt when I saw it on the PGC winners page made me want to continue with my progress. I was also really proud of the painting itself, and I spent a lot of time on it.

3) Day 6 - Vote - Greenest: This was another painting of mine, and another win. I like the simplicity of it, and I was very proud of how it turned out. I plan on using it as decoration and inspiration well into the future.

4) Day 8 - Food - Greenest: Not only is the title of this submission something that will always make me smile, but this is another challenge that I think about a lot. It showed me how affordable FLOSN foods can be if you put in the time to think about your food. Combined with the previous day, Organic, I learned about the importance of supporting good agriculture

5) Day 9 - Justice - Greener: This was the basis for my Greenest submission for this day, which ended up taking nearly the whole month to complete, and it really made me think hard about the issues facing my campus today. I chose to write about the issue of food insecurity on my campus because it makes no sense for anyone in an advanced global society to starve, and yet, it is a very prevalent issue.

6) Day 14 - Adventure - Greenest: This day was cold, windy, and a little rainy, yet I had an excellent quick adventure to the Pollinator Prairie right by my mom’s house. I learned that it doesn’t have to be a “pretty” day for nature to be enjoyable, and that adventure only happens when you go out and do something, not just by sitting at home.

7) Day 16 - Soil - Greener: Despite being the Greener, not Greenest, challenge, I put hours and hours of work into this painting. Shoes are hard to draw, but the whole thing was so fun, and for a good cause.

8) Day 17 - Wellness - Green: This one wouldn’t have been that significant to me if I didn’t almost lose my precious water bottle. I had a very good time that day and a fun story to tell, so what more could I want from that experience?

9) Day 22 - Home - Greener: I love my backpack, but sometimes I don’t keep it as clean as I should, so this was a fun challenge to help me learn about minimalism and be a tidier person.

10) Day 27 - Ripple - Greener: This challenge was cool because I was able to employ the help directly from my family, and they were a little confused as to why they needed their photos taken, but now that they’re on the winners



page, they are very proud of themselves, and I am proud to have spread my knowledge about very basic green habits.

Day 3&4 - Zero Waste - Greener My daily trash

I was shocked to see how much trash I produced. I felt like I didn’t normally throw away much on the daily, but when I actually had to keep it all with me it became a bit burdensome. Many times I realized I would normally throw a perfectly compostable/recyclable product in the trash if I hadn’t had to keep it with me!

I talked with my roommate and a classmate about this challenge. My roommate thought it was kind of weird but she was intrigued to know the results. I think she mainly had a concern about not hiding my trash. One of my classmates was a little grossed out at first. I explained to her that I was doing it to figure out how much trash I produce in a day, and that tons of other people were doing it today as a part of the Project Green Challenge. Once I explained it she seemed to understand and said it was cool.

Trash

● Small Veggie Straws Bag: I wanted a snack while I was in between classes, so I went to one of the shops on campus and bought this bag of veggie straws. They’re healthier for you, but the environmental impact probably isn’t that different from a regular bag of chips. I actually had a larger bag of these at home, so had I prepared better for the day, I could have just brought some with me in a reusable container.

● Plastic sack: Granted, this is what I carried my trash in, but it still has to be thrown away. Even though I got the second use out of it for this experiment, I have to throw it away. Next time I will have to spare a reusable sack. Recycle

● Foil wrap: I wrapped my lunch (a burrito) in this foil, which can be recycled in my city, but it still could have been stored in something reusable, or I could have opted for a different lunch if that was too hard.

● Tin can: Even though canned foods are more convenient, they aren’t fresh or as healthy as the unpackaged produce. I could have eaten a mandarin orange or two and composted the peels instead.

Compostable



● Paper Towels: I try to use rags in my kitchen at home, so I don’t normally buy paper towels for my house, but I use them in public bathrooms all the time. Since I don’t like air dryers (that aren’t even available on my campus) and I normally wouldn’t carry around all my paper towels with me everyday, I never stopped to think about throwing away at least one paper towel every single time I washed my hands in public. I could either just wipe my hands on my clothes or keep a hand towel or handkerchief with me in my bag/backpack/purse so I could dry my hands quickly without having to produce any waste.

● Fast food: You can tell that I was feeling pretty snacky on this particular Wednesday, because not only did I buy some extra veggie straws, I bought some fries from McDonald’s. Rather than going inside, I went in the drive thru, which meant that I got a bag and tons of napkins that I didn’t need along with my fries in their container. I wouldn’t have grabbed all that stuff inside, or have even bought it at all if I just avoided going all together. If I simply must get fast food, I probably should go inside next time so they don’t give me extra things I don’t need.



Day 3&4 - Zero Waste - Greenest PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Stop buying so many water bottles!

For my piece, I painted and wrote a free verse poem and about the infamously wasteful water bottle. One of the best ways to produce less waste is to use a reusable water bottle rather than drinking bottled water. 50 billion bottles are consumed annually on average in America alone, and only 23% of those are recycled, so 38 billion go to landfill*. The typical American uses 167 a year* (a little over one every two days), meaning eliminating this waste could make a big difference. It saves money as well, as water bottles can cost between $1-$4 depending on where you are, and a reusable bottle can cost $10 on the low end, so it pays for itself after the tenth use, not to mention the fact that water in many (but not all) places in America is safe to drink and way cheaper than $1 for 16.9 fluid ounces. Plastic itself is also terrible for the environment, due to the fact that it can be toxic, it never decomposes, and requires tons of fossil fuels to produce and distribute. Using a reusable bottle is better for you, your wallet, and the environment! In the painting, I emphasized points

made in the poem with imagery. I showed the smoke and smog produced from a factory, the money spent on a water bottle, a skull and bones to represent toxicity, a trash can and trash bag, an infinity symbol to show how plastic bottles never go away, a recycle sign, and a flowering vine that shows how the production of bottles (the beginning of their “life” and the poem) is harmful to the environment, but properly disposing of them, or not using them at all, (the end of the poem) has a positive impact on nature. I referenced a very important part of the Lorax by Dr. Seuss in my poem, the UNLESS sign. The Lorax says “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” No one is going to change UNLESS they care about changing, and that can be anyone. They just have to be informed, and I hope my piece can help with that. Even though the Lorax’s story and our story start off bleak, it doesn’t mean they have to end that way, which is the outlook I have on the environment: we are



harming it right now, but with some hard work and changing of our ways, we can make the world a beautiful and more natural place once more.

*source: banthebottle.net



Day 6 - Vote - Greenest Angry? -> VOTE.

For my painting, I kept it very simple. I know that nearly every single person in the United States is at least a little unsatisfied with some aspect of politics, some more than others. I know that I’m very, very angry- what with the weakening of the EPA, the laughing stock that is the Presidency (just ask the United Nations), and even the confirmation of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court just TODAY, I have had enough. Thankfully for me and many others my age, this is the first national election that I can vote in! As I point out in my Instagram post, this is the only actual way for the general public to have their voices heard.

The letters in my painting were very quick and easy to make, but the Earth in place of the “O” in “vote” took me a much longer time. It doesn’t show that well in photographs, but the shading and detail had to be balanced with the simplicity of the text in the image. I shaded and blended the colors with care in order to show not only the importance of keeping our planet in mind during elections, but also the impact that this has on an international scale. Americans often don’t think their vote matters, but as citizens in one of the world’s most powerful countries, our voices (unfairly) carry more weight than the voice of entire other countries. When it’s Republican, Democrat, and Independent on the ballot, the implications of each individual person carries a lot once the winner is in office. Carefully weighing your options before going to the polls can make a world of a difference.



Day 8 - Food - Greenest

FLOSN Shoppin’ Intro

FLOSN foods, AKA fresh, local, organic, seasonal, and non-GMO food, is hard to find for cheap if you don’t know much about these foods. In order to make my list of FLOSN foods for under $50 for 5 days, I went to my normal grocery store, so that way if I wanted to adapt this list to my life, it would be super easy. In my grocery store, there is a health food section, which is known for its organic selections, but also for its steep prices. Initially I tried avoiding this area, because it felt a little pretentious over there, but when I couldn’t tell what was FLOSN and what wasn’t in the normal aisles, I decided to try out the health food section. Once you actually compare each product you will find there are economical options here, but you have to hunt for them. After doing this activity I will definitely make it a point to seek out these affordable options rather than just finding the cheapest thing in the entire store.

I am pretty seasoned on finding good deals for good food, so I decided to challenge myself with this activity. I made my whole menu vegan, which was actually pretty easy once I found the right section of the grocery store and knew what I was looking for. I am a vegetarian already, so I wanted to take it one step further. Thankfully, there is a lot of overlap in vegan and FLOSN foods, but finding affordable vegan foods can be hard for people who are stuck on finding vegan alternatives to their favorite foods, like vegan mayonnaise and fancy meatless burgers. These were both super expensive, and not really worth it! Rather, it is easier to find recipes that are easy to alter or are vegan to begin with and follow those. I went for the easy alteration route, but some searching on the Internet or in vegan cookbooks can help you find creative meals.

Shopping List My shopping list is very minimal, but it shows how vegan meals that follow

FLOSN guidelines can actually be affordable if you have the time to put thought into it. There is plenty of wiggle room price-wise, as this list is only $34.71 before tax! If you want more snacks or maybe even an additional meal option to throw in and stretch this list out for a whole week, there is financial room for it, or you could save that extra $15 for a rainy day! Either way, this is definitely a fairly priced shopping list, especially for the colder seasons.

Shopping List

# Item Price ($)



1 Peaches (2) 0.80 (0.77/lb)

2 Blackberries 1.99

3 Soy Milk 1.99

4 Grapes 2.28 (.99/lb)

5 Beefless ground 3.99

6 Spaghetti sauce 4.59

7 Spaghetti 2.59

8 Soup mix 5.99

9 Vegetable broth (2) 2.49

10 Veggie straws (2 bags) 5.00

11 2 bunches of carrots 3.00

Total $34.71

Breakfast (items 1-4) I love smoothies, so I have them all the time! I also like grapes, so I could have those for breakfast/a nice morning snack. Sometimes applesauce is good in smoothies, but I couldn’t find any applesauce that adhered to FLOSN at this particular grocery store today, so if I was dying for applesauce I might have to go to a different store. I would just take ½ to ⅔ of a peach and a handful of blackberries with a splash of soy milk for a yummy smoothie! Both fruits are in season right now so they were very affordable, and the soy milk adds protein and a better texture.

Entree #1 - Spaghetti (items 5-7) I was so lucky because I was able to find very affordable spaghetti noodles that are made from organic quinoa, so they were not only vegan, but high in protein! I also found some spaghetti sauce that is organic and from Iowa, which was much closer to Lawrence, KS than New York and China, where the other sauces here were from. I also love to use this beefless ground, which is just soy based and vegan ground beef alternative, so that it adds some protein to my pasta dishes.

Entree #2 - Soup (items 8&9) I frequently make these soup mixes that are at my grocery store, where they have all the dehydrated ingredients, and you add the broth (and meat typically, but I won’t be using that). It might be slightly more expensive this way, but it cuts down on some packaging (as almost everything is in one small



plastic bag instead of many different things in many different containers) and it is just so much easier. There are also many different options that are all super yummy!

Snacks (items 10&11) One of my favorite snacks are veggie straws. They are organic, and except for the ranch and queso flavors, they are vegan. I don’t like eating most vegetables raw, except for my other snack, carrots, so these are a good alternative for me. I found them at 2/$5 today, so I could buy one bag of the sea salt kind and one bag of the apple flavored ones if I wanted something sweet, but still healthy. Fresh, unpackaged bunches of carrots were my other snack option, and these could even be chopped up and added to either of the entrees too! This gives you so many carrots, for so much healthy snacking!

Menus There are two general menu options, depending on which you prefer. I like

the second one a little more, because I personally don’t mind eating the same thing a couple days in a row, especially with the added benefit of slightly fresher food. That being said, the first option is less work for the whole week and provides slightly more variety.

Menu 1 The idea behind this menu is that you have one of the main entrees for lunch and you have the other for dinner. This menu lets you keep a little variety. This might also be a bit easier to manage because both entrees can be prepared on the first day, so if you are busy throughout the week and don’t have a lot of time for meal prep, this could be a great option because you just have to take a portion of your meal and heat it up on the stove or in the microwave.



Menu 2 This menu is good for the person that would have a little more time and would maybe want to spare more space in the fridge. You still can make all the soup at once, but it would only be sitting in you fridge for 3 days rather than 5, and your spaghetti would only be in the fridge for 2 days. This could be mixed up too, so if you wanted spaghetti earlier and the soup later, that is an option as well.



Day 9 - Justice - Greener Social injustices at KU

One major example of social injustice on a big state university’s campus would be the issue of the wealth gap. There are many students who can barely afford the ever-inflating tuition without working as much as they can manage, and they sit right next to other students who live in the most expensive buildings on campus and wear name brand clothing paid for with their parents’ money. KU actually just had to open a campus cupboard because so many students were barely able to afford food. Knowing that some people can barely afford to survive while getting an education while other students can live luxuriously is ridiculous. The cost of attendance combined with the existing issues of income inequality make this problem of a divided campus.

This division causes a tension any time anything gets political on campus, like whenever there is a protest on campus or even just a discussion in class. Often times, the upper-income students lean conservative, and the middle to lower-income students all tend to lean liberal. These ideologies clash frequently, like a couple years ago when the group Young Americans for Freedom, while only comprised of 9 people (only one was a woman and they were all white), many students were affected by their hateful rhetoric and decided to protest their meetings until the group ultimately fizzled. The couple of months when this happened, though, were very tense on the entire campus, especially considering that this was happening right before the general election of 2016.

[video of one of the meetings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWZ5LF77oHs ]

While this doesn’t seem to have much to do with the environment, understanding that more and more people with less and less money while the rich keep getting richer, AKA the increasing gap in wealth, is a major hurdle to thwarting climate change. We see this constantly in our society, especially in areas where people of different socioeconomic backgrounds interact with each other, like on our college campuses. In our capitalistic society, money is power, and when only a few people have most of the money, the power, in this country, and they get that money through forces that support the fossil fuel industry, there will be a harder battle to fight in order to work for renewable energy. While the ideal “all men are created equal” is an outdated phrase that could use a rewording, it is a great concept. Updating this to “all people are inherently equal” would be more current. Regardless, the amount of money a person owns shouldn’t define their worth, and before any major issue within the realm of environmentalism is resolved, this issue will have to be addressed.

In order to combat wealth inequality, I would first advocate for a restructuring of our tax system. People should pay a proportionate amount of taxes based on their income and need- no exceptions. Accounting for this, healthcare should not only be accessible, but free for everyone. This is a radical


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWZ5LF77oHs


idea in America but is standard in so many other places in the world that it seems absurd that Americans don’t already have this system in place. Free accessible healthcare will allow people to live their lives without any concern about their wellbeing. This should also entail an expanded, updated version of food stamps that allow people basic access to healthy food, regardless of familial or employment status. We live in one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the world- there is absolutely no reason people should be struggling to survive.

Making change on a personal level would be hard in the fight against wealth inequality, so my main plan would be to find candidates who support these policies of free healthcare and accessible healthy food. Reaching out to these candidates and then encouraging voters to support them would be essential in the road to change. Additionally, assisting voters with registration and how and where to vote would be key in this process.

Closing the wealth gap in America would be impossible to do with one or two grand gestures, so any little victory should be celebrated. Progress will be slow, but it is essential to the wellbeing of this country, our species, and our planet.



Day 14 - Adventure - Greenest Sunday Adventure to the Pollinator Prairie!

This Sunday in mid-October is super cold and rainy. I would want to go somewhere where I can spend more time, but I had to settle for a smaller locale so that I don’t freeze to death. Because I have to drive to my mom’s house anyway, I decided on going to this small Pollinator Prairie right down the road from her house. It was 38 degrees fahrenheit outside, and it was raining, so I was not shocked that there were no pollinators about. Despite the weather, I was determined to at least enjoy a bite of my snack, my Navitas bar. At the park, there are multiple gardens for different pollinators, all of which have labeled plants and some small statues of the respective pollinators.

Scavenger Hunt 1) Pollinator

Not successful, which would be surprising at a pollinator prairie, but considering the weather, I was not shocked. I did find a bee hotel though, and it was super cute. Bee hotels are super important, because most bee species don’t actually make and live in hives, but rather live in wood, one example found in Kansas is the carpenter or wood bee. When you give them a bee hotel, they don’t have to make their homes in trees (or human structures made from wood) and it helps them increase their rates of pollination, making for a healthier environment.

2) 2 Plant species I saw some beautiful catmint, which I found in the Bee Garden. I also saw pale purple Coneflower, but it was not blooming, in the Bird Garden .

3) 1 bird species



I saw some geese flying above my head in the sky! There were so many and they were impossible to miss, because they were also incredibly loud. I love this time of year because geese are really mean and they are migrating away now, which makes me happy I have a good video of them on my Instagram post!

4) 1 flower species I couldn’t find the identifier plaque, but I saw some little pink flowers that were on a tall, skinny plant in the Bird Garden. They were really pretty, and I wonder what they were.

5) Wildlife Other than the geese, there weren’t any critters out today, and I don’t blame them, because it was super cold! It rarely gets this cold this early in the year, so I hope the animals and insects were ready for the sudden cold. It’s supposed to snow a little bit tonight, so I hope they are all ready for it.

6) Terrain I’m sure it is shocking, but in a place called the Pollinator Prairie, the terrain was flat and grassy, much like… a prairie. Today it was also pretty muddy, because it has been super rainy lately. The paths were sidewalks in between the gardens, and in the gardens it was mulch.

7) Sky It was grey and cloudy today, so the sky was pretty gloomy.

8) Something that took my breath away Seeing the geese fly above me was an awesome sight and sound to behold.

9) Something that surprised me I was surprised to see a big gazeebo here! It would normally be pretty enjoyable, especially in the rain, if it weren’t nearly freezing outside.



Day 16 - Soil - Greener Soil Sucks (Up all the Carbon)!

After watching the trailer for “Kiss the Ground” I was immediately inspired to paint my latest Project Green Challenge painting. This one has been my favorite so far and it also took me the longest because it was a little more

involved that my previous paintings. Even though it took me a super long time, it was an enjoyable experience that taught me the power of a strong message and some pretty colors. I wanted to make it very visually appealing so that the audience for my painting would want to learn more about this “new” solution to climate change. I just said “under our feet” instead of soil specifically, because not only the plants and their roots involved in the matter, but also all of the organisms living in the soil make it all work. That’s why I included some little earthworms too, because they also play an important role. I would have included the microorganisms, but being microscopic, that would have been nearly impossible. On paper it makes total sense, because plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, but it still blows my mind that a

major fix to climate change would be to produce less of carbon dioxide and to plant more plants to absorb the current amount. There really is no good reason not to farm more sustainably, because we can produce better, healthier food for more and more people this way, so that we can stop world hunger and poverty.



We can save entire ecosystems from collapse, save humanity from itself, and save our planet, all by growing our food the right way.



Day 17 - Wellness - Green

Disconnected and It Feels So Good Before I went to my job on campus today, I decided to stop by Potter Lake,

which is both the lake and a green space surrounding it that serves as the most natural place you can get to on foot at KU. It’s still pretty manicured and fabricated, as the lake is regularly treated and the grass is mowed frequently, but it is better than nothing. No one really goes here except to pass through it, because it is in between main campus and a large parking lot. I don’t go here that often, largely because roughly half of my school year is not a time you would want to be outdoors, but also because it’s big trees and lack of wildlife other than squirrels feels a lot like what it is, just an extension of campus. I would prefer to escape to a real natural landscape, like the forests and prairies along the outskirts of Lawrence. For being on campus though, it isn’t that bad.

I took about 5 minutes to walk around and 10 minutes to sit on this small stone bridge going over the drain for Potter Lake. This spot is shaded by a large and beautiful tree and has hands down the best view of the lake, so I really like it. A few weeks ago, it was super windy outside and a big branch fell from the tree and almost hit me, but still I returned today. I sat down on the edge of the bridge with my shoes off for a while, and I watched the tiny fish and water bugs swimming. The lake itself was also beautiful, the clear water and lily pads and everything else. It was all good and dandy until I decided I should read.

I brought with me “The Woods” by Amber McMillan, which has been a great read so far, so I turned behind me to retrieve it from my bag, which was sitting on the floor of the bridge. I got the book and swung my legs around to return to how I was sitting before, my legs dangling off the side, but mid swing, my foot hit my water bottle, and it went flying into the lake! My precious Hydroflask that I take with me everywhere, which survived a full summer at summer camp, and then some, had taken its worst hit yet, a dunk into the lake. Thank goodness it was floating in the water, but I nearly had a heart attack. It was pretty far in, and I wouldn’t be able to get to it from the side, so I hunted around for a large stick that could help me reach my bottle. Nearby I found a huge stick (could it have been the branch that almost hit me a few weeks ago?) and it was just the right size to help me fish out my poor, poor



Hydroflask. Covered in lake water and smelling like a fish, my ol’ reliable water bottle was safe.

I decided that I should start heading toward my job on campus, as there is a sink with dish soap in that building that I had in mind for cleaning my water bottle. On the way back, I saw a bench that was empty, and since I was walking up hill and pretty tired, I stopped for a couple minutes to observe the lake from afar, and it was gorgeous still. Even though my mini adventure had been more eventful than I had hoped, I wouldn’t want it to have been any more or less peaceful than it was. I like it when there are problems that I can solve, and I like it when I have a story to tell, even if 100% of my time at Potter Lake today was relaxing, it was perfect still.

[Before: Defeated and helpless, fallen and can’t get up, needing a bath after this bath. After: Cleaned, back in action, and better than ever]



Day 22 - Home - Greener

Decluttering (part of) My Life I have heard about and watched a few videos about minimalism before,

and I always thought it was pretty neat, so I’m glad to have the opportunity to try it out! I decided to go for the Day 1 of the 30 Days to Minimalism so that if I want to continue I can go in order. That, and I use my precious backpack constantly and never get a good chance to clean it out. I just got back from a vacation where I used my backpack as luggage, so this is also just something I really need to do ASAP anyway.

I first photographed my backpack as it was, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was, but it still needed some help. Mostly everything was fine, but there needs to be some reorganization. My main compartment was fine, because everything in there is too big to go anywhere else. The top pocket was messy and full of trash and things I didn’t need in there. I had empty gum packs, wrappers, and some other miscellaneous waste that I was just keeping in my bag because I couldn’t throw it away or was just too lazy. The front pocket wasn’t that bad, but needed some love.

I gathered everything and put it out on the table, then parsed through and found the trash. I then started going through and reorganizing everything, and even though I went through and tried to identify anything that I might not need, other than trash, I couldn’t find much. I don’t usually carry unnecessary things with me unless I’m on my way to throw it away. The main thing I need to stop carrying around are the postcards I got from my vacation to Chicago, so once I get home I’ll need to take them out of my bag and hang them on my wall. Now everything is where it should be and the things I don’t need I’m not carrying around anymore.

← Trash All my stuff →



After this challenge, it would be amazing to continue this in my life. I do

really like the idea of not having that much to worry about in my life, and I want to prevent the accumulation of junk in my life. I’ve been living in my new apartment for a couple months now, and it’s still pretty clean and clear, so I want to get rid of the things I already have that I don’t need. In my past dorms I have had so much stuff I didn’t need once I moved out at the end of the academic year, so my goal will now be to prevent that accumulation of useless stuff. This was a great start to a good process of minimizing my junk and my impact.



Day 27 - Ripple - Greener

Rippling Ripples I had to convince other people to help me out! This was a little hard to

think of good things to have people do that would have an effect on the environment, but since I was at my mom’s house with my family, I knew they would help me out regardless. I had to keep it pretty simple, since they don’t usually think of environmental issues like I do, so I asked my sisters, one of their friends, and my mom to do some pretty easy things, but I explained to all of them that these little things make a bigger impact than they think.

First, I told my older little sister about how when she keeps all her lights on, it wastes energy, and if we turn them off, it save energy. She has a huge room, so she doesn’t need all the lights on all the time. I convinced her to turn off one of them, and she appreciated the photo op. Now, she tells me that she’ll do a better job of keeping her lights off when she doesn’t need them on.

Next, I went to my mom, who always leaves her charger plugged in when she isn’t using it, so I convinced her to unplug it when it isn’t being used. I told her that despite what she might have been told, when you unplug it, it saves energy, which then can lower her electricity bill. I told her that this happens with anything that can be plugged in, so if she does this to all of those things that don’t need to constantly stay plugged in, the energy saved can make a big change, especially when combined with the appliances at her home and at her office.

Last, I talked with my youngest sister and her friend about PGC, because her friend hadn’t heard of it. Apparently, though, my youngest sister had been promoting my Instagram to her friends because she really liked all the stuff I had been posting about PGC. I realized my sister had been drinking from a single-use water bottle, so when she finished it, I asked her to recycle it, and then both her and her friend switched to reusable bottles. I told them how those reusable bottles would prevent them from needing those single-use bottles hundreds of times over, and when I explained it that way, they understood how good those reusable bottles really are.

My sister turning off her light



My mom unplugging her phone charger

My sister and her friend recycling a plastic, single-use water bottle and exchanging it for reusable ones.


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