Team Ramblers

Balance is important to sustainability because we are part of nature and society's exploitation of nature is disrupting the balance, which negatively affects everyone in it. Sustainability is about living in balance with nature, which is the only path if we want to go forward.

I would like to invest more time in reflecting on compassion for other people, especially those I disagree with, and compassion for the world around me. I think it is important to not get stuck in a loop of negative emotional reactivity in situations we dislike, and to instead channel our energy into creating a more positive world from within....

A few times I deleted Instagram and Snapchat on my phone. I feel less distracted and more focused on the things that matter to me. Spending less time on social media helps me to stop comparing myself to others and to be more intentional and purposeful when I am on online. 

We come from nature, we are nature, and we are drawn to nature. I haven't met anyone who didn't find a natural landscape beautiful. Spending time in nature helps us to realize, and perhaps rediscover, our interconnected place in this world. A culture that spends most of its time indoors develops a mindset of separation from nature and from each...

I watched "In Defense of Food" which is based on a book of the same name by Michael Pollan. The main takeaway was: "Eat Foods. Mostly Plants. Not too much." What he meant by that phrase was that it's better for our health to eat less processed and more whole foods, eat mostly plants (less meat), and do not overeat. The most...

Other easy things to save energy include washing your clothes in cold water, air drying your clothes, unplugging unused electronics, and turning down the heat and putting on warmer clothes when it gets cold. 

Weekly meal planning has definitely helped me with conserving food as well as saving money.

During my shower I wet my body, turn off the water, lather up with soap, and then rinse. Using a timer helps the whole process consistently take less than 5 minutes. My next step will be to reduce the flow of the water.

Just wanted to note that while this is a challenge has caused me to think a little bit in greater depth about my actions and the reactions they have. While I greatly want to live in a sustainable fashion, I often get very overwhelmed by the all the tasks and changes I should be doing. I found this challenge really helpful in providing me a...

Advocating for sufficient access to public transportation that is also using an environmentally friendly means of energy is probably the most impactful.  Access to direct public transit can be life altering for individuals without the means to own a vehicle.  In many Chicago neighborhoods on the far south side, the proposed extension of the red...