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October 7 - October 28, 2020
Lena Grover's avatar

Lena Grover

PCC SOC 228 - Environmental Sociology

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 748 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    60
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    135
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    925
    minutes
    spent outdoors

Lena's actions

Food

Reduce Animal Products

Do at Home

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 2 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Support Native Communities

Do at Home

I will use the resource links provided and spend 30 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Forgiveness

Do at Home

I will begin, or continue, on the journey of forgiving myself and/or other(s). I may do this through journaling, meditation, prayer, and/or talking with a licensed healthcare professional.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Practice Gratitude for Earth

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minute(s) per day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and my natural surroundings.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Watch a Documentary about Racial Injustice

Do at Home

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about systemic racism.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Reduce Animal Products
    Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?

    Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/28/2020 5:59 PM
    People in wealthier countries eat more meat because they can. Meat production is an expensive and timely process. It provides protein, but a cheaper and faster protein is beans and rice. Meat production is also not a very sustainable process. This affects our planet by raising air pollutants and water pollutants. It affects other people because we need clean air and clean water to survive. It is unjust that Americans are 5% of the population but use 25% of the earths resources. This desire for meat protein is just that, a desire. Not a need for survival or a pivotal protein. During this challenge, I have felt this craving for meat at times, but I also realized that the taste of tofu or fake meat is about 95% as satisfying. I don;t think I can go vegan (at least yet) but I think I am going to try to be vegetarian. Not eating meat has felt decently natural and very very doable, so why not!?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Healing and Renewal Practice Gratitude for Earth
    Kathleen Dean Moore says that a sense of gratitude leads to a sense of moral obligation. Do you agree? How can we cultivate a sense of gratitude as individuals, and as a society?

    Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/28/2020 5:52 PM
    I do agree that when you feel grateful for something or rely on something, it gives you more of an urgency to give back. At least that has been true in my experience. Whenever I spend time outdoors I try to take in and appreciate nature. All my time spent in nature has lead me to a better understanding of it as well as a personal devotion to do what I can to leave the earth cleaner and healthier than before. 

  • Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/28/2020 5:49 PM
    Today I set up my hammock in the park and finished my class reading. It was a gorgeous fall day, and the grove I was in had the best scent of trees and fallen leaves. It was a perfect way to end the eco challenge, but certainly not my last day spending quality time outside. 

  • Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/27/2020 8:21 PM
    The dairy product that has been the hardest to avoid has been butter! For my tastebuds its been cheese. But overall there is butter in a lot of products that I didn't really think about until this challenge. Sneaky butter...
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Support Native Communities
    Indigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?

    Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/27/2020 8:18 PM
    Balance is so important to sustainability and nature as a whole. Indigenous people used the land in ways that benefited their society, but also for survival. They understood the importance of taking in moderation to preserve the resources for future generations. I have always admired the way indigenous cultures respect their environment. It was really important that I did this research and dug deeper into the history behind the land I live on today.

  • Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/26/2020 7:06 PM
    Yesterday was our last day at the coast. I spent the morning on the balcony, feeling the cold breeze, and listening to the birds. All of a sudden I see two bald eagles above. I watched them soar for awhile and one even flew about 20 feet from the balcony. It was a fabulous nature moment. I felt grateful that I was paying attention to Gaia and her offerings that morning. Later I took a walk on the beach and watched my friend surf for awhile. I couldn't stop thinking about how cold the water must be. I'm jealous of her bravery to endure the cold and the powerful waves. I know its not my thing, but its a lot of fun to watch her surf and enjoy the oceans patterns in a different way!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Healing and Renewal Forgiveness
    How has the process of forgiving, or contemplating forgiveness, benefited you?

    Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/26/2020 6:59 PM
    This activity benefited me because I realized that the biggest person I need to forgive is myself. I can be really hard on myself and over analyze a lot. I just need to let that go. Or at least work on forgiving myself for just growing, and learning, and changing. I need to remind myself that change takes time, persistence, and kindness. And so does forgiveness. It really helped me to address these feelings and journal about it all. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Watch a Documentary about Racial Injustice
    What did you learn about racial injustice in the documentary(ies) you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of sustainability?

    Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/26/2020 6:54 PM
    I watched Knock Down the House on Netflix which is about the 2018 primaries for congress. The film followed four women that were new to politics and running for the people on grassroots campaigns. This movie focuses on racism within the political system as well as sexism, classism, and power big corporations have over the government. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the only person they followed who won to the incumbent. I learned about the daily battles that these women had to fight just to get their name on the ballot. And not just them, but the daily battles so many americans, especially people of color, face. They suffer the consequences of american politicians negligence. Cori Bush ran for house representative in St. Louis Missouri in 2018 and lost. Cori Bush and her community took to the streets after the murder of Michael Brown by the police. She is fighting to change the system that has dominated for far too long. She is running again in 2020 and I am hopeful for her to rock the vote. People like AOC and Cori Bush will help us build a more sustainable future. Getting the right people in those pivotal roles of government is the most important thing I think we can do right now. Policy would change so much and help the globe address the climate crisis. Getting local officials who will stand up for their communities, for sustainability, for justice. This is key right now. I'm really glad I watched this to deepen my understanding of how deep the system goes and the blockades created for working class people to have their voices heard. Not only that, but for proper and just action to be made by the person who is supposed to represent you. 

  • Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/23/2020 6:52 PM
    My friend is staying at the coast with me and she's been vegan her whole life. I've been enjoying getting recipes and cooking tips from her while trying to eat more vegan/vegetarian. Tonight we made a fall squash soup with some crunchy bread on the side. It was delicious! I'd never made a squash soup from scratch, and butternut squash soup has always been a favorite :) Its exciting to learn how to cook with new ingredients! 

  • Lena Grover's avatar
    Lena Grover 10/22/2020 6:35 PM
    I did one of my one time actions today of forgiveness. By spending 30 minutes reflecting and journaling about forgiveness, I knew this was really not a one time action. It is something I need to remind myself to do more. I am at the Oregon coast for a long weekend and chose to journal outside watching the sunset on the beach. Being by the ocean makes me feel more connected to the earth and myself, its rejuvenating. I needed to forgive myself for a lot of different things, and remind myself everyone needs to make mistakes to grow. I need to forgive people for how their growth has affected me and I need to forgive myself for how my growth has affected others. All life is constantly adapting to our ever changing environments. Its okay. We're all just doing our best.