Sustainability

Sustainability is the ability to be conscious and thoughtful of your daily actions and the world around you, including what you buy, eat, drive, wear, etc. Additionally, this word also means the thoughtfulness of today. We need to take care of today to make a better tomorrow. As we move forward with environmental justice, we must choose sustainability in all our lives.

This semester, I have learned much more about how I can alter my life to practice sustainability. We recently visited the Ohio State House to advocate for HB197, advocating for a sustainable new community solar plan. We advocated for something that would benefit the community and individual lifestyles. Sustainability is the future.

Evidence of Learning

2A: Policies, Systems, and Institutions

EJ Changemakers know that structural change drives, and will heal, the environmental crisis. They are informed on how government, business, and social structures are the primary drivers of the environmental crisis, and envision how to revise and reimagine them to restore environmental justice.

2B: Lifestyle

EJ Changemakers make informed choices in their day-to-day routines to sustain and regenerate our planet, while also acknowledging that individual-level choices are necessary but insufficient to restore environmental justice.

2C: Well-Being

EJ Changemakers have strategies and dispositions to healthily manage the complex, challenging work of changemaking.

Letter to Mayor Bibb

To create systemic change, we, as EJ students, recognize that we have to contact those who vote for a change to be made. A small group and I wrote a persuasive letter to Mayor Bib to gain his support and advocacy for Environmental Justice problems prevalent in Cleveland.

Farmers event at waterwood

The agriculture industry has skyrocketed in the past centuries. However, the farms that have thrived use advanced technology, creating a larger supply, which leads to more significant profit and growth. However, smaller local farms are growing out of business because of the need for more demand. The farmer's event I attended was a new hospitality resort networking with the local farmers. This created less fossil fuel admission and supports local farms. I will start making—the conscious decision to buy from local farms to help those farms and ultimately help the world.

An Evening with Journalist Alden Wicker, Author of To Dye For How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick – And How We Can Fight Back

I got the opportunity to join Alden Wicker's information session on the toxicity of dyes and their effects. This affected how I think about the clothes I wear and where I buy them from because I know it directly impacts my well-being and health.

Visiting the State house for HB197

We joined Lakewood school and Cleveland Metropolitan School District to travel to the state house to advocate for HB197, allowing community solar panels. A small group and I met with Senator Smith and explained the importance of this bill to him. This trip showed me how bills are passed and gave me a glimpse of what goes on in the state after votes are received and decided.

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