Editorial staff holds ourselves accountable:
How we will live more
SUSTAINABLY art by Natasha Arnowitz
Grace Griffin
I’ve been a vegetarian for over three years now, but I recently made the switch to eating almost fully vegan! I’ve been more conscious of what I’m eating and where it comes from, something I found myself not doing once I fell into a diet-routine surrounding vegetarianism. Veganism has also has forced to start cooking more at home instead of eating out, which means I’m using more tupperware and less disposable containers or utensils.
Stella Drews-Sheldon: Like many others, I always try to limit my environmental footprint. I’ve stopped using plastic bags, straws, and I’ve been a vegetarian my entire life. I do still see this pursuit as an ongoing one, and I think there’s always more we can be doing as individuals to do our part, however, I also think that the biggest perpetrators of climate harm are large corporations. The most environmentally conscious thing anyone could do is to advocate for change, to spread environmental mindfulness, and to educate yourself before voting for people or policies.
Monica Petrucci: I already cut out meat, recycle, and bring my reusable tumbler pretty much everywhere I go. But there’s so many other things that I don’t even think about! Ordering Lyfts, using plastic cutlery, eating cheese—my weakness—are all things I should be limiting. To practice sustainability, the most important thing is to be aware: how much plastic you buy at CVS, where your food comes from, how much energy you use. Being mindful is the key to adopting more sustainable practices, and I think we can all make that change.
Hannah Ebanks:
I made the switch to not eating red meat as a New Year’s Resolution in 2018, so I am a pescetarian. I don’t eat fish often, usually only when I’m out for a fancy dinner, but I feel like I need to pay more attention to where my fish is coming from. Going forward I’m going to make sure the restaurants I’m dining at use locally caught fish/seafood and use the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch app to identify restaurants that meet specific sustainability standards.
Elise Sanchez:
To me, sustainability is all about the little things you do. I have been trying to hold myself accountable to take a little extra time to be sustainable. It starts by just taking the time to recycle your water bottle or box that you got from Amazon. Or making sure you unplug everything and turn off your lights before you leave. Something I have become really passionate about is sustainable fashion. This issue really opened my eyes to the severity of fast fashion and how hard it is to find brands that are sustainable and affordable. It is so hard to buy sustainable clothes as a college student, but one thing that we can do is thrift shop. In the future, I am striving to incorporate more thrifted clothes in my wardrobe and in Atlas magazine.
Lily Bump:
Like many others, I recycle and use reusable cutlery & tupperware — in situations where I can’t, I also save that plastic tableware to use in the future. I’ve also been slowing down my meat and dairy consumption, and avoid fast fashion companies after learning so much about how detrimental to the environment that industry is. In Boston, I used public transportation for 99% of my endeavors, but now that I’m in LA it’s pretty much impossible to not use my car, so I’ve regressed in that aspect. When my internship is over I definitely want to limit my mileage.
Carly Thompson: Right now, I try to be as mindful as I can be when it comes to throwing things away. Whether it’s food, a plastic cup, a paper towel I barely used, or a piece of clothing I no longer want, I try my best to find a way to use it again, recycle, or repurpose it in some way. I think what I’m going to try my best to do in the future is to be more mindful about my consumption and the waste that might result from things I buy and make. Do I really need that $12 top from Forever 21 or the prepackaged individual hummus servings? The answer is usually no.
Anna Moon:
Like most people, I’ve made the switch from plastic straws to metal and from plastic bags to reusable. The problem I usually have is forgetting to actually bring them with me when I go places. I’m trying to get into the habit of thinking ahead and bringing these items with me because I have them, so I should put them to good use! I also drink a lot of coffee, so I’m hoping to invest in a reusable tumbler very soon.
Unearthly
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