The people most affected in my area tends to by the native Hawaiians. An example of environmental injustice on the native Hawaiians is how they are disproportionately affected by pathogenic Leptospira when they are trying to practice traditional wetland farming.

Spending time outdoors allows your brain more time to think away from screens. this time to think contributes greatly to your brainpower as well as your mental and physical health.

Before helping out at the Kaha Native Plant Garden multiple times, i did not know too much about the area besides what stores and restaurants were around but after joining the project, i learned a lot about the common plants and different invasive insects in the area. knowing the place you are is very important because you can not successfully help and benefit a place if you do not know it.

I toured the Center for Marine Debris Research facility that is also a recycling facility. this facility collects fishing nets and other plastics from the ocean, tests them to see where they came from, and uses them to make asphalt. From this tour, i learned all of the different ways we can reuse plastics rather than just disposing of them in a landfill.

Food sovereignty addresses the transition from globalized food systems to localized ones by prioritizing local control over food production, emphasizing ecological sustainability, social justice, and cultural preservation. It advocates for decentralized, community-driven food systems, empowering small-scale farmers and marginalized groups while promoting agroecology and food diversity. By challenging corporate-driven global food systems, food sovereignty seeks to build resilient, equitable, and environmentally sustainable alternatives that reduce dependency on volatile global markets and support local economies.

What I found most interesting was the amount of energy still being used by certain appliances even when I was not actively using them. Because of them, I am now trying to unplug appliances and electronics when I am not using them.

What inspires me is the knowledge that this is a necessary transition if we want to see the continuation of life as we know it on earth. Mnay people view the subject as optional but in reality it is not.

I plan on using my money saved to by more organic and locally grown foods that I normally cannot afford.

One thing I can do to help my community become more sustainable is to encourage and help with the establishment of a community garden. these gardens become useful green spaces, provide a place where people can learn, and help give people resources. I think more of them should be implemented.

I regularly use plastic straws. This is mainly because i do not like how easily paper straws disintegrate and how cold metal straws get. Since I understand how bad plastic straws are for our environment, I try to stock up on biodegradable straws which act like plastic and our better for our environment. besides plastic straws, I do my best to avoid other plastic products by using reusable bottles and containers.