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Energy

How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?

Mehdi Firozvi 2/16/2026 2:38 PM

From what I understand, most of the electricity generated in my area comes from natural gas. Although natural gas is still a fossil fuel, it emits much less carbon dioxide than coal. I've heard a lot about the fracking that results from natural gas production, and this often leads to contaminated groundwater and habitat fragmentation. I think, overall, it has a positive impact on humans because it provides extremely cheap electricity and produces far fewer air pollutants than coal.

Summer Jin 2/15/2026 10:32 AM

Since the temperature has finally gone up this weekend, my friends and I went to practice golf at a range yesterday. It feels really nice, both mentally and physically, to be out on the field again and be able to do an outside sport without worrying about freezing

Energy

What are other ways you could use the power of the sun to reduce your own environmental footprint?

Mehdi Firozvi 2/14/2026 3:37 PM

One immediate idea is using solar panels to replace fossil-fuel electricity with renewable energy. Another thing you could do is use solar transportation, specifically electric vehicles. These are fairly difficult to implement, so one that seems simple is air-drying your clothes instead of using a machine.

Energy

How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?

Saki Saito 2/13/2026 10:07 AM

Electricity in DC mostly (>95%) comes from other states, with around 5% being generated locally, most of which is renewable. This lines up with what I discovered about 55 H St while doing research to fill out the carbon footprint calculator, which said that 5% of our electricity came from the solar panels on our roof.

It seems that most of the energy from outside states is non-renewable, which would release a lot of pollutants such as CO2 into our atmosphere. This causes global warming which has severe effects on animals such as habitat loss, and impacts humans as well through increased intensity of natural disaster events.

Mehdi Firozvi 2/12/2026 5:08 PM

Water consumption has been something I've always struggled with, so today I was very mindful of how I showered and brushed my teeth. I greatly shortened my shower time and made sure to turn it off while I used soap. Also, without even realizing it, I usually keep the faucet on when I brush my teeth, but today I made sure to keep it off. Hopefully, over the course of the challenge, these actions can become a habit for me

Simplicity

Do people with economic privilege have a responsibility to consume and own less? How can the concept of “reduce” be presented to those who may be struggling to have enough food, clothes, shelter?

Summer Jin 2/12/2026 5:02 PM

In my opinion, I don't think people with economic privilege should all have a responsibility to consume and own less. However, I do think no one should overconsume, as this is definitely not sustainable. For those that have economic privilege have the right to buy more clothes as long as they can make sure all clothes will be used properly and not go to waste. I think the concept of "reduce" for those who may be struggling shouldn't necessarily be to reduce in daily basis. It could be seen that whenever they have the chance to gain a lot of food and clothes all at once, they should also make sure not to overconsume and make sure nothing goes to waste.

Saki Saito 2/11/2026 7:48 PM

I feel that some of the daily actions, such as turning off the lights and electronics, are starting to become habits at this point into the month. In the same way that small actions that save just a little bit of energy add up over time to save a lot, I think each small action each day adds up into making it a habit over time.

Emma Manetta 2/11/2026 6:41 PM

My zero-waste meal doubled as my meatless meal for today.

Emma Manetta 2/11/2026 6:40 PM

Today, I made another yogurt bowl for my zero-waste cooking.

Angelina Zhao 2/11/2026 12:47 PM

Even though it's a small decision, I convinced myself not to buy boba on my walk today. My mom has been telling me to drink more water and fewer sugary drinks, which I agree I need to be more mindful of. Also, I think this drink consumption, like many coffee drinkers, creates a lot of waste from the cups and straws we use, as well as spending a lot of money on a drink. There are so many alternatives, and definitely water is the healthier option. This makes me think about how, if people did not buy coffee from a store or chain every morning, how much money would they theoretically save? Although I rarely even buy boba once a week, the prices still slowly stack up. I wonder if there is a way for me to gauge the finances related to my drink consumption.

EJ and Ecospirituality, Spring 2026 Feed

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