How to be a positive force in the sustainable culture

Today I gave my first lecture about sustainability to a group of freshman for a Johns Hopkins inter-session course on guess what... SUSTAINABILITY!

It was really great to talk about things that matter to me and how I view the sustainable lifestyle. I really focused on three aspects of environmental responsibility and those were:

Awareness - take stock of the impact you have on your environment, be aware of the actions you make, choose to make a positive impact instead of a negative one by recycling. Conscious thought is not as easy as it seems. There are ways to help yourself though.

Immersion - Immerse yourself in the sustainable culture. Surround yourself with friends that support your good habits of alternative transportation, reducing consumption, and recycling/composting. Build a network of support and connect your different networks to create an unstoppable force of climate change reversal.

Lifestyle - We have the power to create so many things. "With great power, comes great responsibility." We have the responsibility as the most intelligent life forms on this planet to be stewards of our environment. Sustainability efforts today will pay off in a livable future tomorrow. Gradually adopt these changes so that they stick with you. Get a little help from your friends. Bring a water bottle, shop with cloth grocery bags. Be the change.

I also talked about the importance of sustainable practices in medical research. It would be paradoxical to study health and wellness and way to treat cancer if we are creating waste and contributing to the environmental risk factors for cancer with our research. Reducing research supplies and making more efficient use of our energy and resources will create a more complete idea for that which we strive achieve.

My association with the LIFE organization has opened a lot of doors and I will be a part of this group until I'm done with graduate school. Davis Bookhart is a really cool guy and has great ideas about sustainability.

Till next time folks, keep up the good fight.
Stay green my friends.

Introductions

Tomorrow I'm giving a talk for an inter-session course on Sustainability, taught by Davis Bookhart, director of Sustainability at Johns Hopkins University. This is an awesome opportunity for me because: 1) I have never done something like this before, 2) I get to talk about myself, 3) I get to influence people younger than me (undergrad freshman) about living a sustainable lifestyle and joining the cause.

What is my cause?

I have embarked on the path of sustainable living and promoting good habits and lifestyle choices to keep this planet and this people that live on it alive. I have realized some time ago that I can make a difference, and the things that I do matter. We as individuals have a responsibility to the planet that we live on to keep it clean and safe. Like a mother would her child, we are responsible, like it or not. The things we do have an impact and the way we live our life today influences the way we will live our lives tomorrow. I am a scientist. I understand cause and effect. If we do not take action now to clean up our act, we will regret it later. I'm here to share with people my journey and hopefully it will resonate with some. Not everyone has the same comfort level with sacrificing the easy life. But by being aware of your actions, and your impact on the Earth, you can make a difference too.

What changes have I made in my life after becoming an advocate for sustainable living and environmental responsibility?

1) Using less water for daily activities like dishes, morning routines, showers, etc.
2) Recycling plastics, paper, and doing so with minimal contamination.
3) Taking the stairs when possible.
4) Riding a bike as my main source of transportation.
5) Using less paper products.
6) Using a water bottle instead of buying bottled water.
7) Telling my friends to recycle and reuse items.
8) Fixing broken things instead of throwing them away.
9) Getting my family to recycle.
10) Using cloth towels instead of paper towels.
11) Donating clothes, electronics, etc.
12) Uploading sustainability related material onto Facebook.
13) Joining and leading an Environmental organization at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine campus called Leadership Initiative for the Environment.

This is a good thing. I'll keep blogging, and hopefully someone will keep reading and share the message.
Stay green my friends.