Aniket Saigal

"My mission is to continue living a lifestyle that is healthy for both myself as well as our planet, by incorporating more sustainable practices into my day-to-day living. Sustainability is not a novel concept to me. For instance, I walk/use my bicycle to get to the UCLA campus from my apartment, spent over 15 years of my life eating a vegetarian diet, organized a petition in my hometown Gurgaon, India to help curb air pollution and have always been a proponent of recycling household waste. However, there is still a long way to go, and I look forward to contributing more on a personal level in order to lessen my environmental impact. "

Points Total

35 Today
175 This Week
247 Total

Participant Impact

up to

4.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
up to

4,650

pounds of CO2

have been saved
up to

400

minutes

being mindful
up to

7.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
up to

340

minutes

spent exercising
up to

10

more servings

of fruits and vegetables

Aniket's Actions

Action Track: Building Resilience

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bioplastics

I will avoid buying and using 5 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 60 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Stay on the Ground

Telepresence, High-Speed Rail

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

Completed
One-Time Action

Feed

Reflection Question
Action Track: Building Resilience Forest-Friendly Foods 2

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Aniket Saigal 1/24/2023 12:19 AM

I usually have about 3 cups of coffee in a week; which means about 1 cup every alternate day. I did not have coffee or chocolate yesterday, so for the purpose of this goal, I was able to complete it. It wasn't very difficult as I am not dependent on any of these substances; however, I do indulge in them once in a while simply because I like them.

Read More
Aniket Saigal 1/23/2023 2:32 AM

My drawdown eco-challenge is going well so far. Over the past few days, I have continued taking the following actions:
1. Along with my roommates, we have reduced the amount of waste our apartment produces each day; and consistently segregated recyclable waste from the non-recyclable trash, and gotten rid of them accordingly.
2. I ride bird scooters and my bicycle more frequently around UCLA/Westwood, in addition to walking everyday.
3. Most of my meals in a week are plant-based. I do consider milk and eggs to be healthy in moderation and I continue to eat those as well.
I shall try to keep up with my other goals as well and track my progress along the way :)

Read More
Aniket Saigal 1/17/2023 1:09 PM

My dad taught me how to ride a bicycle when I was about 6 years old. This was a skill that has been my companion for all my life since then. Throughout middle school and high school in India, I often used to ride my bicycle to school early in the morning - this used to make me feel energized as I would start the day off with a light exercise that was fun as well as environmentally friendly.

Fast forwarding to 2022-2023 in Los Angeles, where I study Molecular Biology at UCLA - I walked/rode my bicycle to get to campus for the majority of my Junior and Senior year so far, which has been a good exercise for the most part, except for the one knee injury I suffered due to an accident I had.

In addition, I have biked to Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Century City, West Hollywood/Beverly Hills to name a few, and have seen many interesting sights and sceneries along the way. I hope to keep this hobby alive in the future as well :)

Attached here is a picture of my bicycle.

Read More
- Maeve Lohnes 1/17/2023 4:25 PM
  
  Hi Aniket, this is such a great alternative to driving, and sounds like it has great health benefits as well! What a wonderful way to experience the city. The one thing that concerns me about biking is how crazy the drivers here can be... so please be safe and wear a helmet!! I would love to start biking here, I think it would make the hills a lot easier as opposed to walking to class!
  
  Read More