Cesia Velasco

Sustainability Action Spring 2018

"My passion to alleviate poverty drives me to seek out opportunities to work alongside the church and nonprofit organizations. I aspire to be a well-rounded individual who is able to empower impoverished societies through economic development, and come alongside the marginalized with encouragement and love. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,378 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1,035

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

28

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

2,040

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

810

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

48

people

met

Cesia's actions

Energy

Adjust the Thermostat

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Dining Hall Waste

I will carefully fill my plate in the dining hall and take only what I can eat. I'll also inquire about ways to improve composting and use of recyclable foodware.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) per day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Animal Free Diet

I will enjoy vegan meals each day, eliminating all animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Become and Equity Leader

I will join a group on campus that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 41
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Grow Your Community

I will introduce myself to 1 new classmate(s) or academic professional(s) per day.

COMPLETED 48
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Watch A Water Documentary

I will watch a documentary about water and the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Connect with a Nonprofit

I will connect with a local nonprofit and find out how I can get involved.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

I will limit my social media use to once per day.

COMPLETED 44
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk each day.

COMPLETED 46
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Study Outside

I will replace 60 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 34
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Drive Less

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 56
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Avoid Disposables

I will not use any disposable plates, cups, or cutlery.

COMPLETED 60
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

I will enjoy the sunrise and/or sunset each day.

COMPLETED 49
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 43
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Needs vs. Wants

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 53
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Buy Nothing But Food

I will not purchase anything but food during the challenge.

COMPLETED 49
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

Cesia Velasco 4/08/2018 11:44 PM

I recently learned that a membership at the OB Co-Op is $15 annually, and for an extra $1 you can add someone to your membership. So my friend and I decided to split the cost and it has been pretty great. I personally love how they have already prepared food there, because I am not the biggest fan of cooking for myself. I am also a big fan of the fruit that they had!

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- Rima Antous 4/13/2018 7:48 PM
  
  wow, I knew about the $15 annual fee, but I did not know its only an addition $1 to add someone to the membership! what a great deal, especially if you split the membership cost!
  
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- Michelle Picca 4/11/2018 2:39 AM
  
  Wow, I need to do this!
  
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- Myra Tumlos 4/10/2018 2:43 PM
  
  Splitting the cost is such a good idea!
  
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Cesia Velasco 3/25/2018 8:54 PM

One thing that I have been working on is having the thermostat set to a lower temperature in the dorms. Being an RA, I have a lot of influence over the thermostat settings which is really helpful. Overall, I have slowly been convincing my residents to use more blankets if they get chilly, and try to keep the thermostat off during the day.

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- Harry Watkins 3/25/2018 9:06 PM
  
  That's awesome, Cesia! You are spreading your good influence in many ways! :-0
  
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Cesia Velasco 2/25/2018 3:52 PM

I have been trying to find effective ways to time my showers. The first way I tried was setting an alarm, but the problem with that is that I could not easily turn it off. What I am currently doing is using a short playlist that is around 10 minutes long, so I know when I am nearing the end of my shower. So far it has been working.

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- Nancy Johnston 2/25/2018 9:31 PM
  
  I've done this too. Make a short playlist of 3 songs or so, and when done, you're out! Nice job. You can also set a stopwatch setting.
  
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Cesia Velasco 2/14/2018 4:13 PM

Katie once brought up in class how sustainable it would be to carry your own eating utensils to not use plastic ones from PBC. I decided to try this out and overall it has been an interesting experience. Sometimes I question whether or not a single disposable fork or spoon will make a difference. Usually I would use around 3-5 spoons a week but I haven't used any since our conversation in class.

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- Michelle Picca 2/19/2018 12:06 AM
  
  That's awesome Cesia! By doing this you're creating more of an impact than you think! You are also positively influencing those around you to make strides in being mindful stewards for our planet.
  
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Cesia Velasco 2/06/2018 9:52 PM

This semester, I have really been committed to driving less. I have really gotten more intentional in planning my outings when I do drive, so I can do everything in one outing. This has been a real time saver for me because I am able to get everything done in a couple of hours, rather than forgetting something and having to go back and get it the next day. I make lists on my phone of what I need and were I am going and overall it has been amazing. I also have been carpooling a lot with friends. This experience has been very enjoyable because it is really fun to run errands with people and we are going to the same place. By making this a part of my lifestyle, I have only had to fill my car with gas once in the 5 weeks we have been in school! My car is also pretty fuel efficient, but still, the money I am saving is great.

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Cesia Velasco 1/30/2018 10:33 PM

This weekend, I went to Fashion Valley Mall with a friend and we ended up in the Lush store. As I looked around I noticed that a lot of their shampoos and conditioners were bars of soap, rather than the traditional bottles. I began talking to an attendant who told me how many people don't realize how sustainable it is to buy products such as shampoo that use a minimal amount of packaging. The attendant even pointed out that most of their products that do come in bottles or containers can be brought back to the store to be recycled. I had never thought about how much packaging and plastic goes into regular household items such as soap and shampoo. I decided that I want to be more ecofriendly in this way so I am really working towards being more self conscious in the products I buy and how they are packaged.

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- Harry Watkins 2/04/2018 3:31 PM
  
  That is awesome! My wife, Carol, has begun making some of our own deodorant and shampoo. It is easy and you know exactly what the ingredients are...and it avoids packaging!
  
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- Katie Hibbard 1/31/2018 10:49 AM
  
  Right on gal! Such a good idea and I never thought about the containers that I use to hold my shampoo...
  
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Cesia Velasco 1/23/2018 9:57 PM

I decided that I was going to wake up early every morning to watch the sunset this semester. The first two days, I woke up, made some tea, and went to Alumni Lawn and had a really good time journaling and just enjoying creation. I quickly realized that I am not a morning person, and since then I have been setting my alarm 5-10 minutes before sunrise (usually 6:40) and watch the sunrise from the comfort of my bed and my ocean view window. Then I go back to sleep for another 30 minutes. I realize that I have really loved looking out into the ocean and noticing the different colors. I also have seen a whale with some binoculars I borrowed from a friend.

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Cesia Velasco 1/17/2018 1:53 PM

I have been studying and eating more meals outside rather than indoors, and it has been pretty great. I went up to Julian this weekend and I planned a picnic with my friends rather than going to a restaurant to eat which was really fun. I really enjoy being outdoors so eating outside just gives me another reason to do something I love.

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