Andrew Aldana

CSUMB Furry Otters

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
439 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

813

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1,949

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

68

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

91

minutes

spent learning

Andrew's actions

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 50 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org and download the app to commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Visit the Coast

Macroalgae Protection and Restoration

I will visit a coastal or ocean site to experience the ecosystem and look for the presence of macroalgae/seaweed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Practice the 5 Rs

Recycling

I will practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Research Cement Alternatives

Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

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?

Andrew Aldana 10/30/2024 11:31 PM

A lot of people don't know that there's a lot of rules to recycling - if you don't follow them, the stuff you think you're recycling will be sent to landfill from the sorting line. Here I am washing out this can of beans because any organic residue will make it trash - recycling plant workers don't have the time to clean it for you.

Read More
- Chris De Young 10/31/2024 6:13 AM
  
  This is another example of how recycling varies from town to town, county to county, and state to state. Where I live there can be food residue on certain items (i.e. cans and aluminum foil), but not on paper products.
  If we need to "wash" all recycling, this is a lot of water use.
  
  Read More
Andrew Aldana 10/29/2024 11:10 PM

I went on a walk in the UC Fort Ord reserve today with other CSUMB students for about an hour. It's a really nice area to be outdoors in and we're privileged to have access to such a well kept nature reserve. Saw a deer.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Research Cement Alternatives

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but its carbon footprint may not be obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

Andrew Aldana 10/29/2024 11:02 PM

Other everyday materials that have a large carbon footprint are wood and sand. To learn more about construction wood's impact, I found the site 8billiontrees.com which talks about the ecological impacts of construction wood materials and even includes a calculator. For sand, I found 2 articles that seem to be from good sources: Sand Mining Impact on Climate Change Explained and The Hidden Environmental Toll of Mining the World's Sand.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Smart Seafood Choices

Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

Andrew Aldana 10/29/2024 10:15 PM

Seafood watch states that on the West Coast, the best choices are: arctic char, bass, catfish, clams, and many others. My diet does fall within these guidelines because I haven't eaten seafood in a while. However, after learning that it has a relatively low environmental impact, I would like to incorporate it into my diet. When I go grocery shopping, or when at a restaurant, I will use the seafood watch guidelines to make sure I minimize environmental impacts.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Visit the Coast

What coastal site did you visit and what did you learn while there?

Andrew Aldana 10/29/2024 9:27 PM

I visited the Marina state beach. While there, I was able to observe the pattens of coastal erosion and sand dune formation as well as see lots of kelp that had washed onto shore. I took note of the moon phase as well and thought about how that affects the tidal zones. I was happy to see that there was no litter or anthropogenic waste of any kind on the beach, at least that I could see on a macro scale (there's probably a ton of microplastics).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Andrew Aldana 10/29/2024 9:06 PM

On walks I like paying attention to the sounds of wildlife. I enjoy hearing birds like crows and jays and it's always really cool to hear a raven which has happened once this month. The infrastructure changes that could make walks more possible or enjoyable would be having a better route through lot 71 on campus as that is the least safe and enjoyable part of walking around school. In general, it would help to have less 4-lane stroads.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Practice the 5 Rs

What are some more "Rs" you could add to your daily practice to reduce your waste?

Andrew Aldana 10/29/2024 8:34 PM

Recycling is not 100% effective, but knowing how to effectively recycle can make a big difference in your personal carbon footprint. Knowing what recycling numbers mean, properly cleaning your recyclables, and knowing what simply can't be recycled is all very useful to know and employ.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?

Andrew Aldana 10/29/2024 8:30 PM

My eating experience improves when practicing mindfulness because I am able to enjoy my food more - it also allows me to eat more as I am not distracted and focused on the task of eating.

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