Aanchal Kasargod

This past week, I also learned more about expiration dates and what each different type means. I've commonly been confused between "Best by", "use by" and "sell by" dates, so I went to the USDA website and navigated to the "Food Product Dating" page, and read the articles they had on the meanings and differences between the dates. I now know that none of these dates are safety dates for typical food products, and that "best by" refers to when the food will be of best flavor/quality. "Use by" indicates the last date recommended for peak quality food. Finally, "sell by" tells the store about food display for inventory purposes. However, what surprised me is that none of these terms indicate a need to throw away food past these dates. Rather, the USDA recommends that people inspect food for signs of spoiling, and be extra vigilant past these dates. Using this information, I will refrain from throwing food away just because one of these dates has passed, and instead inspect my food more carefully to ensure that I am limiting my food waste.

This week, I made a commitment to doing some more walking and really taking advantage of the mostly walkable city/community that we have here in Westwood. Normally, I will take my car to the store to be able to easily transport my groceries, but this week I decided to try to only walk to the store rather than use my car. I noticed that it was very nice to get some fresh air post-class, and get some exercise carrying my groceries home. However. I also noticed places around Westwood where we could really benefit from some sidewalk restoration, which would likely make it easier for more people to engage in walking as opposed to driving.

Hi! My name is Aanchal Kasargod, and I am here because I recognize how important it is to educate both ourselves and others on the climate crisis, and take tangible actions. Sometimes, I find it can be daunting to implement eco-challenges into my daily life, and I think being a part of a community who is working towards the same mission is a great way to get started. Something that makes me really nervous about the current state of our climate is the lack of education on environmental topics, and the resistance of our general public to make changes as a result of this lack of knowledge. I hope to educate both myself and those around me, and challenge myself to make choices that will help keep our planet habitable.