Tianai Zhang

Bruins For the Future

POINTS TOTAL

30 TODAY
30 THIS WEEK
126 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

110

minutes

spent learning

Tianai's 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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn About Aquaculture

Improved Aquaculture

Each day, I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about sustainable aquaculture.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 120 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Food Waste

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation, and commit to reducing my food waste throughout the challenge.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

Indigenous Peoples' Forest Tenure

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by participating in a training, workshop, or presentation.

UNCOMPLETED
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are just three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons? How could/does regenerative agriculture positively impact you and your community?
Tianai Zhang 6/02/2025 8:11 AM
It is indicative in its name that one of the main benefits is in the "regenerative" and sustainable nature of this practice. It helps sustain the soil and water and prevents over-exploitation and over-tilling of the land. I found it really smart that regenerative agriculture uses technology to do the straw throwing, tillage, and fertilization at the same time. The increased efficiency benefits the farmers by saving them time and effort, while increasing yield. This efficiency also means less carbon emissions and water waste throughout the process, which directly tackles the fundamental cause of the global warming trend. It positively impacts us by providing us with safer food and safer environment (since part of the regenerative farming practice is using organic fertilizers); it also provides direct economic benefits for farmer if they gett certifications for their organic products, which could give them additional profits from the labor they put in.

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- Lauren Edwards 6/02/2025 10:33 AM
  Hi Tia, I totally agree with how amazing it is that regenerative farming methods replace several steps of traditional farming with one or tow different methods while reducing the harmful effects of traditional farming. I found in my research that consumers play a large role in regenerative farming but creating demand for sustainably grown foods. By demanding better foods that are grown without harmful additives farmers are incentivized to change to regenerative farming methods. In doing this communities can reduce the harmful effects that comes with traditional farming such as nitrogen fertilizer run-off. I recently went to a farmers market in search of organic and local produce and was very surprised to find some variety of options and felt good about my choice knowing that I'm supporting these positive methods and consuming foods that are better for my health. I like how your post covers the economic side of regenerative farming.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Tianai Zhang 6/02/2025 7:58 AM
Realizing that none of those dates is the "deadline" for use or consumption was a little surprising for me. Because sometimes I don't taste the food to check if it's spoiled before I throw it out, rather, I rely heavily on the "best by" date. One good example is yogurt. I usually throw a pack of yogurt out around a day after the "best by" date. But after realizing that the expiration date would have been way after because "best by" dates are literally just an indicator of when the food is "best" by, I would at least open it up and check the taste and the smell before I ever decide whether to throw it out. 3 out of 3 times I found that the yogurt is good to consume even a few days after the "best by" date. Considering that it is a dairy product, and it takes a lot of carbon footprint (as you need to raise cows first) to produce, I was glad that I didn't waste those packs of yogurt and that I successfully prevented additional carbon emissions that would've been produced if that yogurt goes to landfill.

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- Nala Son 6/02/2025 11:07 AM
  Hello, thank you for sharing this! It’s eye-opening to realize how much food waste is tied to our misunderstanding of those dates. I used to be very wary of the dates when I was younger, but learned fairly early on that those dates are moreso recommendations as my family stores/cooks with so much food that are beyond their expiration dates. Living away from family now, I’ve started doing the same thing and while it’s mostly been a win, I’ll admit there’s been a learning curve (like that one time I was a little too optimistic about some leftovers and paid the price...) Let’s just say my stomach reminded me that some “experiments” are better left in the fridge. 😅 But hey, it’s all part of the process, right?
  Your example about yogurt especially resonated with me. Dairy does have such a heavy carbon footprint, and it’s great that you’re now taking that extra step to check the food before deciding to throw it out. It’s such a small shift in mindset, but it really adds in reducing waste and in respecting all the energy and resources that went into producing the food in the first place. Thanks again for the insight, your post is a great reminder to trust our senses (with a dash of caution)!
  
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- CHARLOTTE GAYNER 6/02/2025 9:56 AM
  Hi Tianai! I have also been more conscious of what foods I am throwing away, after learning about best by dates. My issue now is around produce, since I am buying it for myself and having to go through it before it goes bad. So now, I only purchase produce I know I will be able to consume in a week, making sure I preserve everything the right way. Take carrots, I now put them in a jar filled with water and they last so much longer and don't dry out! Give it a try!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?
Tianai Zhang 6/02/2025 7:51 AM
Personally, I would rather spend that money either on education, donation, or maybe on a time out with my friend. Personally, keeping a good log really helps me reduce that spending waste, as when I went grocery shopping, I would realize that if I couldn't finish this dozen of eggs or that pack of broccoli, that is not only a waste of my money but it would also be a mark on my food log where I remind myself that I unnecessarily wasted food which would be harmful for our environment. I was glad to pay less when checking out at Trader Joe's realizing I've made mindful purchasing choices, but I was also glad when I found out a week after that if I were to get those additional food, I wouldn't be able to finish it because I mostly eat at dining halls due to a packed schedule, and those foods would have been wasted.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?
Tianai Zhang 6/02/2025 7:45 AM
I always thought that eating time would be the most relaxing if I watched videos on my phone, or most efficient if I organized all my to-do list items in my head before I head back to my room. However, after I tried practicing mindfulness, I found that focusing on my meal is actually the most relaxing practice. By simply focusing on the food in front of me, I eat more slowly (which helps with digestion and prevents overeating) and make more mindful choices about the next dish I get at the dining hall. When I eat more slowly, I tend to eat less unhealthy food like pizzas and cakes because slow chewing makes me feel like one slice is enough; as I eat less unhealthy food, I also get more healthy food as my brain has the time to think and realize that salad is what I need for dinner instead of salty hotdogs that would easily raise my blood sugar and make me drowsy when I'm still supposed to stay up for my essays.

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- Nala Son 6/02/2025 10:47 AM
  Hello! I really resonated with your post. It reminded me of how often I find myself rushing through meals between classes or while cramming for exams. Most of the time, I eat with my eyes glued to my phone/laptop or while mentally juggling assignments and deadlines. It’s so easy to treat mealtime as just another task to check off. Reading about your experience with mindful eating made me reflect on how disconnected I often feel from the food I consume and how that probably contributes to some of the waste I see around campus. In the dining halls, I’ve noticed how much food gets thrown away, including my own leftovers when I overestimate what I need or grab things out of habit rather than hunger. I’ve definitely had those moments where I’ve rushed through something like pizza and gone back for seconds before even realizing I was full. If more of us adopted this kind of mindfulness, I think we could make a real impact on both our campus culture and the environment.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?
Tianai Zhang 6/02/2025 7:40 AM
Eating in smaller portions definitely helped me establish a better eating habit. It is tempting to put more than what you could finish on your plate when you eat in a dining hall; sometimes it's just about making your swipe "worth it" by eating more. However, in fact, it feels extremely uncomfortable when you overeat. It not only makes my stomach hurt but also makes me more drowsy when I'm supposed to do school work. The habit of getting smaller portions simply helps me to eat more mindfully, and that includes wasting less food, picking vegetables over meat or fried food when getting a dish, and focusing more on the food or my food choices rather than other things (taking quinoa salad and eggs one at a time instead of scrolling my phones while gorge myself on burgers and brownies)

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Tianai Zhang 4/10/2025 7:49 PM
I have been conscious about saving energy and resources since I was little. This awareness was reflected through simple actions like turning off the lights and AC before going out or using a basket to save some running water before the shower heats up, then using it to flush the toilet. By "little", I mean something like 7 years old. It wasn't about me being a young environmentalist, but simply my perfectionist tendencies of doing things in ways I like. I always have this disturbing feeling when I see food piling up on the returned plates in the dining hall, lights left on in public areas during breaks, and dozens of pieces of paper thrown into the trash after being used once in a class.

I didn't practice my responsibility perfectly, though, despite my compulsion to get things right. I didn't throw my cardboards and plastic bottles in recycling bins outside (back home, there's no recycling bin in our trash station) because the 5-min walk seems to be too much effort for me; I order take-out as often as I want and do nothing about the indecomposable packaging despite the guilt; I have no restraint whatsoever with tap water, the best I've done is to turn it off when I'm brushing my teeth. Still, without being too critical, I am pretty much on the side of practicing pro-environmental behaviors.

However, it has been a lonely journey on the path of environmentalism as almost everyone around me- friends, family, schoolmates, or random people in a restaurant- seems concerned about the amount of electricity, water, and food we waste. The social-psychological tendencies simply prevent me from speaking up or doing anything further as it would make me look foolish.

As a result of this avoidance of pressure, I have not paid much attention to climate change. I don't have any further understanding of the climate crisis other than knowing that humans continue to emit carbon emissions, the world population continues to grow, that extinctions resume, and we still dump trash into the sea, leave piles of food on the table, pollute underground water and cut trees, making little effort in changing those behaviors. In the last 5 years, however, natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, droughts, and historically high temperatures are getting unignorable. The humanitarian tragedies that followed these disasters seem to be giving a final call for immediate action.

For this reason, I am glad that I got the chance through Project Drawdown to move one step forward after 10+ years of staying in the same place. It means a lot to apply the tools of social science to studying the technicalities of green actions. My college studies have been centered around observing human behavior, and it's fun to study means that incentivize people to protect the earth. It is also fun to look into the creative ways that people came up with to slow down the climate crisis.
Hopefully, by spreading efforts like Project Drawdown and increasing collective actions, we can take on individual responsibility and make meaningful changes to the current climate crisis.

(Below: an image of the glaring lights around Drake Stadium turned on at night when no one's on the field- a common phenomenon of excessive power consumption)

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