Kim Smith

PCC SOC 228 - Environmental Sociology

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
719 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

230

minutes

spent learning

Kim's actions

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Support Native Communities

Do at Home

I will use the resource links provided and spend 120 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

Waste

Research Local Waste Sites

Do at Home

I will spend 90 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home

Do at Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?
Kim Smith 10/27/2020 11:38 PM
I really need to be more brutal with myself and not collect memoribilia from travels. I have just spent another hour sorting a bag of brochures and maps from 2003!

I have also put a moratorium on any new books. I have to read the ones I have and donate some before getting any more, partially for space but also to reduce the production treadmill.

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Kim Smith 10/24/2020 7:26 PM
It was an incredible opportunity to learn about historical indigenous tribal lands, languages, and treaties, as well as current efforts to restore tribal rights and build their communities. Definitely worth checking out the map - https://native-land.ca/ - and the Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde - https://www.grandronde.org/. Plus, consider how you can make a difference with "4 Ways to Honor Native Americans Without Appropriating Our Culture" - https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/08/honor-native-americans-without-appropriating/

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

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?
Kim Smith 10/24/2020 7:13 PM
There are so many layers here.... Having recently attended the Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education (https://www.aashe.org/conference/), I was deeply moved by the lessons of Robin Wall Kimmerer, in her profound book "Braiding Sweetgrass." Her book has taught many how to find balance between traditional indigenous wisdom and scientific knowledge.

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- Kim Smith 10/24/2020 7:30 PM
  This lovely "Reciprocity Mandala", by my dear friend and artist, Amy Livingstone, was inspired by "Braiding Sweetgrass." Check out all of the images embedded in Robin Wall Kimmerer's book. You can learn more about this piece at: https://www.sacredartstudio.net/shop/prints/reciprocity-mandala/
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

In what neighborhoods or areas of your region are landfills or other waste sites located? Which communities are most affected by these locations?
Kim Smith 10/16/2020 3:48 PM
It was really intense to learn about all of the hazardous waste sites, including Superfund sites, that exist in the greater Portland region. While I am familiar with the Metro transfer stations, I am embarrassed to have not realized that all of our trash goes out to Arlington. Clearly, poorer urban, industrial, and rural neighborhoods are most affected by our actions.

On a brighter note, it was big news to learn yesterday that the Boardman coal-fired energy plant has officially closed. The costs to build more coal-fired plants or to retrofit the Boardman plant were more expensive than to invest in renewable energies. What a huge shift in the energy sector, thanks to environmental economics and community action.
https://oregoncub.org/news/blog/cub-reflections-on-the-closing-of-boardman/2269/?fbclid=IwAR36_NZvXqrQMcTtpgo6ogbrKxvPJyZbIOXEDJeHbW8EjvgJKHht_ys5GCU

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Kim Smith 10/07/2020 11:48 PM
It is so helpful to have these daily check-ins. I might lapse a couple of times, but the EcoChallenge structure helps me make a commitment to stick to my actions. It is interesting how the social-psychological model works.

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