Earlier this year, I was offered the opportunity to work with Elayna Cary, the Social Media Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at WWU, on a running series entitled “Sustainable Humans of Western”. This was a great opportunity to reach out to fellow WWU students to teach them about my personal sustainable outlook as well as about the sustainable goals of WWU. The following is the transcript from my interview on March 5th, 2019:

 

What does sustainability mean to you?

“In my opinion, sustainability means acting in a way that allows future generations to enjoy the same natural resources we have access to today.  We tend to have a bad habit of viewing sustainable action as something only activists vouch for instead of daily actions the any consumer can take part of.”

Why is it important to you?

“I grew up in a state where natural resources and beauty are abundant, so people weren’t aware of the environmental impact they were having on a larger scale. There was almost no education being done around sustainability and very little legislation being passed. Sustainability has become so important to me because I have grown up in an area where it wasn’t important to anybody else. We only have one planet and we really have not been treating her right. We need to start caring more so we can turn that around.”

What work/research/case studies/workshops/etc. do you do or have done related to the four pillars sustainability (ecology, human health, economic vitality, social equity)?

“Back home in Alaska, I was president of my high school’s environmental club where we hosted charity events for organizations such as Stand for Salmon, Save the Bees, and Stop Pebble Mine. Additionally, since moving to the WWU campus, I have been able to take part of many LEAD work parties where we remove non-native species and replace them with native ones, as well as becoming a Sustainability Representative. Through the SReps, I have been able to be a part of putting on community events such as multiple clothing swaps, documentary showings, compost education, and even drafting SEJF grant proposals.”

Do you personally adhere to any sustainable living practices? (Examples of such are recycling, composting, alt transportation, fair trade, activism, etc.)

“I try to live as zero waste as possible. This means using only reusable containers and utensils, composting/recycling, taking public transit, and, of course, avoiding single-use packaging at all cost. I also work as a Sustainability Rep where we partake in environmental activism and education.”

What is your ultimate sustainability related hope for the future?

“I would say my ultimate sustainability related goal is better educate people about sustainability and environmentalism at a younger age. If we really want to make change, we’ve got to educate people about why changes need to be made first.”