Gabriella Baldonado

CSUMB Climate Solutions Online Team

"Happy to be here! "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
663 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

955

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

260

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

16

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

955

minutes

not spent in front of a screen

Gabriella's actions

Economy & Communities

Create A Readiness Plan

SDG #9 Industry & Infrastructure

I will develop a readiness plan for my household in the event of an emergency.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Mend Clothing

SDG #9 Industry & Infrastructure

I will mend a piece of clothing for myself, family or friends.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Take 5-Minute Or Less Showers

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will save up to 6 gallons (23 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers. Tip: Use a timer to practice or count to 60 a few times.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Health & Equity

Spend Time Outside

SDG #3 Health & Well-Being

I will replace 45 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside exercising, enjoying the sunrise/sunset, gardening, journaling, or practicing gratitude for nature.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Education & Livelihood

Share My Positive Actions With My Community

SDG #4 Education

Each day, I will make my sustainable actions visible through a lawn sign, bumper sticker, pin, t-shirt, social media or other ways.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Basic Needs & Security

Reduce Animal Product Consumption

SDG #2 Zero Hunger

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Education & Livelihood

Engage In Active Listening

SDG #17 Partnerships

I will practice actively listening to a friend, family member, co-worker, peer, or someone who has a different experience/identity for 1 conversations per day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Education & Livelihood

What was it like to actively listen to someone? How did both people and the conversation benefit from active listening?
Gabriella Baldonado 4/28/2022 8:11 AM
When you focus on active listening, you realize how often we don't actually listen to each other. Very often we are just coming up with our response rather than listening, absorbing, and reflecting on the other person's words before responding.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Education & Livelihood

What was the most fun or joyful way you have seen others share their positive sustainability actions and habits?
Gabriella Baldonado 4/26/2022 12:26 PM
I love to see people create group activities centered in sustainability, like this challenge! Sharing with and caring for each other and our environment is such a wonderful way to recharge, and it always leaves me feeling happy and hopeful. This week my friends and I challenged each other to eat everything in our fridge (we all cook a lot and shop at the farmers market so we weren't eating old leftovers or anything) and post pictures of our zero waste meals on our instragram stories. It was fun seeing some of my friends go out of their comfort zone and eat meals they wouldn't have thought of before. I have been trying to eat as low waste as possible the last couple years and have gotten pretty good at it so it was fun to share what i've learned and also learn new ideas and tricks from the people around me.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security

What was the tastiest meatless or vegan meal you ever had or had recently? Did you make it? Can you share a recipe?
Gabriella Baldonado 4/21/2022 8:27 AM
The tastiest vegan dish I made this week was a cauliflower "ceviche".
I will share the recipe below!
I ate it as a tostada with avocado, a homemade habanero turmeric salsa, and micro greens with a cucumber salad on the side.
From the cookbook "Decolonize Your Diet; Plant-based Mexican-American recipes for health and healing" (highly recommend)
Ceviche de coliflor
1 large head cauliflower
1 bunch cilantro
1 small onion, chopped
1-3 fresh jalapeños or serrano chiles
2 garlic cloves
3 tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup lime juice
salt
Working in batches, use a food processor to mince cauliflower, cilantro, onion, chiles, and garlic. Don't try to process too much in one batch. Process until vegetables are pea-sized, or use a sharp knife to mince. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with tomatoes, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving
Serve on tostada shells, with tortilla chips, or in lettuce cups.

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Gabriella Baldonado 4/20/2022 8:43 AM
Starting the morning by getting outside rather than immediately logging on to my computer makes a huge difference in my day! Sometimes it feels difficult to prioritize getting active and doing things for your own health, but the truth is we always have time for things we think are important. I don't mind that in a "hustle mentality" way, actually just the opposite. I want to find more time to just exist, appreciate all the beauty around me, and reflect on my own internal processes. As students we are taking in so much information, we have to find time to decompress and actually digest all of this heavy stuff.

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Gabriella Baldonado 4/15/2022 10:42 AM
Being more mindful of my own water usage at home has made me realize how easy it is to waste, especially when showering. It's so nice to take a long hot shower after work or getting out of the ocean, but there's other ways to relax that don't waste gallons of water. Another way that I realize I waste water is doing the dishes. I've started filling a big bowl with soapy water and using that to scrub the dishes, then running the water quickly to rinse them off. Also I realized that doing the dishes immediately after making a meal is an easy way to save water because the bits don't have time to get super stuck to the dish and you don't have to spend as much time and water cleaning it off!

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- Austin Teague 4/15/2022 12:25 PM
  I definitely think that is a good thing to try for washing the dishes. When I do them I try and have the tap running at half to maybe less than half of its full spray speed. It saved water but still does its job alongside some elbow grease with the sponge.
  
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Gabriella Baldonado 4/14/2022 7:16 AM
I love this challenge! It is such a comprehensive way to learn about climate action and connect with other likeminded people.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Equity

What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time inside and on screens?
Gabriella Baldonado 4/14/2022 7:15 AM
I think the implications for a culture that spends most of its time inside and on screens is a disconnection from ourselves and the natural world. TV, social media, and constant communication with other people robs us of our time to reflect and process, which can put us in a constant state of agitation and anxiety. I am lucky enough to live across the street from my favorite beach in Santa Cruz, so it is easy for me to prioritize spending time outside. I recognize that many people do not have this privilege, either due to time constraints or geographical location. I feel really lucky to have access to this natural beauty... it motivates me to learn more about climate action and sustainability in my daily life.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Economy & Communities

What was it like to mend your clothing? If you are skilled at mending, what tips do you have for others?
Gabriella Baldonado 4/11/2022 9:01 AM
Mending my own clothes was pretty simple and also fun. I learned to sew when I was younger but I am in no way an advanced sewer. It just takes a little time and patience, which makes it a good opportunity to take a break from school, work or whatever is going on your life and just enjoy doing something sustainable.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security

With 5-minute or less showers reducing your water footprint, what do you plan to add next to your water conservation habits?
Gabriella Baldonado 4/05/2022 11:58 AM
Filling a large bowl with water to wash dishes to reduce the amount of water used

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