Net Zero Hero Archives - The Austin Common

Net-Zero Hero: Reza Cristián

Amy Stansbury — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 16:23:10 +0000

This post is sponsored by the City of Austin Office of Sustainability. (It was originally published on the city’s website on October 19th.) All Austin Common sponsors are screened by The Austin Common team to ensure they’re doing good for their employees, customers, our community, and the planet.

Meet Reza Cristián, founder of SUSTAIN THE MAG, co-founder of the Slow Fashion Festival, and our newest Net-Zero Hero. Through her everyday actions and community organizing, Reza is helping others understand that living a sustainable lifestyle can start small. From the clothes you wear to the ways you engage in community, Reza understands that there is a place for everyone in the sustainability movement — but especially for those whose experiences have been historically left out of the narrative.

We met with Reza at the Slow Fashion Festival and at her home in East Austin to talk about climate and mental health, her online publication SUSTAIN THE MAG, and how growing up in a Mexican-American family shaped her sustainability journey.

What inspired you to take action?

I was inspired to take action through the way I was raised. My parents — often unintentionally and just by default of being frugal and Mexican-American — shared ways for us to save money. They would have us recycle our cans and water bottles or take us to swap meets and thrift stores to purchase clothing items.

I also truly loved animals. When I was in middle school, I was inspired by my mother, who became a vegetarian first after reading and watching docs on animal abuse in the U.S. This led me to also become a vegetarian at age 12. I’ve since turned pescetarian.

I became more inspired to take action when I went to college in NYC. I was a first-gen college student in my family and met so many new friends who showed me the world of sustainability. From there, it was all uphill!

How did you do it?

While attending college in NYC, I was studying journalism, my dream major. It was then that I came up with the idea to start SUSTAIN THE MAG, a sustainable inclusive magazine. We’re currently only online with hopes of having a print version one day.

Before I started SUSTAIN, I saw a lot of magazines and blogs at the time that did not talk enough about sustainability since it wasn’t buzzworthy. The sites that were talking about sustainability didn’t showcase inclusivity and diversity. I wanted to change that and create a community that was the opposite of what high fashion profile magazines were.

That was five years ago. I brought that same community and mindset to Austin when I moved here four years ago. I’ve since hosted many clean-ups, mutual aid fundraisers, community fridge activations, and now co-organized a Slow Fashion Festival right here in Austin.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

Truly, it’s been rewarding seeing how I could use my connections with brands to raise funds for mutual aid. For instance, this past SXSW, I hosted an eco-concert and raised over $1,500 to help buy groceries for the local ATX Free Fridge Project. I enjoy hosting experiences for folks while also raising funds and bringing awareness to issues that many people may not think about in their day-to-day life. All of this can help shift the narrative of what sustainability looks like.

What’s been the toughest part?

The toughest part has been doing all of this while not having enough funds to allow me to work on these projects full-time. It can be challenging to also juggle other priorities. For this reason, I am looking to turn SUSTAIN into a non-profit, as we work strictly as a grassroots organization now.

In recent years, we’ve started to hear more about climate anxiety, especially among younger generations. What are some of the strategies or practices you use to avoid burnout and stay optimistic?

I have general anxiety already, and it’s gotten worse over the years since the pandemic. I have been so proud of my journey as I have asked for help and gone to therapy. I also try to work out as little or as much as I need to and gain movement in my body so I am not chronically online. I try to find the time to read or meditate more often.

Since moving to Texas, I have experienced more climate anxiety from seeing the dramatic weather events here — from the winter storms to extreme heatwaves. But again, I try to do my best to ease my anxiety as much as I can, and also have learned to live through the anxious thoughts and not let them overwhelm me.

Our interview will come out during Latine Heritage Month. Through all of your platforms, you’ve been vocal about the need to lift BIPOC voices in the climate space. Have you seen shifts around this since you started SUSTAIN THE MAG, and what do you hope the future of climate storytelling will look like?

With it being Latine Heritage Month and with myself being half Mexican- and Iranian-American, I have felt it necessary to push BIPOC voices in sustainability in the media. I also do this work through the Slow Fashion Festival by being conscious of who is participating as panelists, designers, models, etc. I had the idea for SUSTAIN THE MAG in 2017 and launched in 2018. As I’ve mentioned previously, inclusivity and diversity weren’t at the forefront of media or the environmental space until just recently, really in the last couple of years. I am glad it’s changing, but of course, it took a while to get here when, in fact, it has been BIPOC — specifically Black and Indigenous folks — who have been teaching and living sustainability for centuries.

I hope the future of climate storytelling continues to push more everyday change makers in this space — not just influencers with large platforms, but the BIPOC & Queer folks on the ground in their own communities actively doing the work without an agenda.

Is there a book, documentary, or other piece of media you would recommend for folks wanting to learn more about these topics?

This is a shameless plug, but I would like to plug SUSTAIN THE MAG. We have so many great writers from all around the world who have such incredible insights to share. We dive into multiple, intersectional sustainability topics in each edition.

What advice do you have for others?

I would tell people to not feel defeated by all that is going on and to do as much as they can. And if they have the privilege and money to do so, try to put in more work to provide for their neighbors, communities, etc. Sustainability isn’t just about small personal lifestyle choices but also about sharing resources and giving back to our communities as well.

The Slow Fashion Festival takes place every spring and fall. Learn more at slowfashionfestival.com.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero goal and the actions you can take to support a greener community, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

Share your Net-Zero contributions with us on Twitter or Facebook, and use #NetZeroHero. If you know a Net-Zero Hero (or heroes!) who should be recognized for their efforts, send your nomination to sustainability@austintexas.gov.

The post Net-Zero Hero: Reza Cristián appeared first on The Austin Common.

Net-Zero Heroes: Eileen McGinnis & Lizett Sanchez

Amy Stansbury — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 21:39:28 +0000

This post is sponsored by the City of Austin Office of Sustainability. All Austin Common sponsors are screened by The Austin Common team to ensure they’re doing good for their employees, customers, our community, and the planet.

In the past few years, we’ve seen many examples of youth organizing for climate justice. From the global Fridays for Future movement to young Austinites organizing with the Austin Chapter of Students for Climate Action, the efforts of young people have been rightfully elevated.

Our newest Net-Zero Heroes, Eileen McGinnis and Lizett Sanchez, were inspired by these stories and by the young people in their lives. Together, with a team of fellow volunteers, Eileen and Lizett lead The Parents’ Climate Community, a local Austin group dedicated to “putting love for our kids at the heart of climate action.” Eileen started the group in the summer of 2019 and Lizett has been involved since the very first meeting. Through their efforts, The Parent’s Climate Community supports local parents and caregivers in their efforts to engage in climate action by sharing resources, hosting events, and creating ways for them to connect.

We met with Lizett and Eileen at Waterloo Greenway to discuss how The Parent’s Climate Community began, how to talk to kids about climate change, and what advice they have for other parents and caregivers.

What inspired you to take action?

Eileen: Youth climate activists! In Spring 2019, as I was beginning to get involved in local environmental action following the devastating 2018 IPCC report, I attended a youth-led protest at the Texas State Capitol. I realized that young people were shouldering so much of the burden around climate. As an adult spectator, I felt saddened and ashamed. On the bus ride home, I googled “parent climate groups” but couldn’t find anything local. It took a few months to put the idea into action, but The Parents’ Climate Community was born that day.

Lizett: For me, the climate crisis has always been a big concern, but when I had my children, the crisis became much more alarming. I now have my children’s future to worry about, and that is what drives me to become more active and push for change. I also want to instill an interest in sustainable development and activism in my children. What better way to teach a child than by setting an example?

Eileen: There are many reasons why caregiver voices need to be a part of the climate movement. We are natural allies to stand in solidarity with youth. We have a deeply personal motivation to ensure that the future is livable for kids. And we’ve seen historically that when parents get fired up on issues — from drunk driving to gun control — we can make a powerful emotional appeal for change.

How did you do it?

Eileen: In Summer 2019, I set up an account on Meetup.com and announced our first Parent’s Climate Community event. I recall sitting at the coffee shop nervous that no one would actually show, but now, over three years later, two of those original attendees, including Lizett, are active volunteers!

While we’ve had to adapt many times in various stages of the pandemic, our overall approach has been to focus on doable, local actions that make sense for busy parents. This came out of my own early experiences in the Austin climate movement. I would look around at meetings and observe that caregivers like me were missing from the conversation because those meetings took place during dinner and bedtime on weeknights. I wanted to create a group that was more accessible to caregivers.

We schedule meetups on weekends, and we design events that either actively engage kids or take place at venues like playgrounds and parks where children can easily be in the mix. Through our Facebook group and newsletter, we also link members to actions, like online surveys or petitions, that they can complete on their own time.

Lizett: Eileen is the driving force behind this group. I joined the group from the beginning. Despite launching shortly before the pandemic, Eileen did a great job keeping the group together during the shutdown. She continued to schedule virtual meetings during this time, which helped members to not lose sight of our purpose.

Social media has also been a great tool in letting others know about this group. Slowly, we have built up a small following on Facebook of dozens of parents and caregivers. Keeping an active schedule and collaborating with other local, non-profit organizations has helped tremendously in getting exposure and increasing our membership.

Eileen: As Lizett mentioned, collaborations with local non-profits like Ghisallo Cycling Initiative, Families in Nature, Austin Allies, Ecology Action, and Rethink35, among many others, have been crucial to growing our visibility. These partnerships help us connect parents and families with the already robust nature education and environmental advocacy movement here in Austin.

I know the word “community” can sound cheesy or be used in shallow or even misleading ways, but being a community has been key to keeping our group active and growing. Without the volunteer hours, energy, skills, creativity, and connections of my Parent’s Climate Community teammates — Lizett, Zephyr, Lesa, Olya, Denise, and Kate — I would still be that nervous meetup organizer waiting alone in a coffee shop, wondering if anyone would show up.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

Lizett: Having the opportunity to participate in our activities and events with my children. Seeing them develop an interest and ask me questions about our group brings such a feeling of satisfaction and motivates me even more to keep it up.

Eileen: The feeling of connection and the relationships that have come out of organizing around kids and families. Aside from new friends like Lizett here in Austin, I’ve also gotten to know parent climate organizers in places like Missoula, Montana, and Cape Town, South Africa through Our Kids’ Climate, an international network of parent-led climate groups.

Raising kids can be an incredibly lonely and isolating endeavor. The Parents’ Climate Community believes that coming together for climate action can also be a means of addressing our own needs as adults for socialization, friendship, and support.

Lizett: Connecting with other parents that share the same beliefs has also been really enjoyable for me. Talking about the climate crisis at playdates and birthday parties isn’t exactly a social norm, so meeting other parents that understand and feel the same way helps me feel that these beliefs are valued and important.

What’s been the toughest part?

Lizett: Well, certainly the pandemic didn’t help, but luckily we were still able to meet virtually.

Eileen: Yes, we were a very young group, less than a year old, when the pandemic started. So many demographic groups, of course, were challenged by the pandemic, and caregivers were certainly among them. I remember one low point in 2020 when Lizett and I were the only attendees at a virtual event we’d planned on kids’ public health and climate, and we both had a moment of doubt about whether or how to keep going.

The pandemic surfaced systemic issues and inequalities that were already present around raising kids in the US. The challenge of organizing parents and guardians is that we are already so slammed with the day-to-day realities of keeping kids alive and helping them thrive. We need universal childcare, better parental leave policies, and livable wages for professional care workers, along with a culture shift to make raising kids a more collective endeavor and to free up the space for parents to engage in civic life.

Lizett: Time is always an issue. Parents are so busy, so it can be a little bit of a challenge to get a large turnout at some events. Our Facebook group has been instrumental in our ability to continue communicating with our members when they are not able to make it to events.

Recent studies have shown the impact of climate anxiety on our world’s youngest generations. Are there tips you can share for parents on how to talk to their children about climate change or other tools that can be used to help children cope with this topic?

Eileen: Yes! The topic of youth eco-anxiety and the impacts of extreme weather on young people needs so much more discussion! The Parents’ Climate Community did a couple of workshops this year with Austin-based eco-aware therapist Dr. Anna Graybeal. Her advice, riffing on the airplane safety announcement, was to “put on your own mask first.” In other words, we as adults need to process our own emotions — grief, anger, sadness, powerlessness — around climate change. This will cultivate a spirit of openness and invitation when it comes to talking with kids and teens. They need to know that the climate crisis is not a taboo topic at home.

Lizett: I agree. Developing and maintaining an open line of communication with children is important. We need to give children a safe space to express themselves, ask questions, and allow them to share their feelings.

I also think that it’s important to teach our kids that there are steps they can take to help the environment and the cause. That is where this group comes in. Teaching about activism and providing caregivers with educational resources can make them feel less helpless and actually empowered to get involved. There are also a lot of resources online that provide parents with tools and strategies to help children with anxiety over the climate crisis.

Eileen: For those looking to learn more, I would encourage families to check out The Parents’ Climate Community’s Guide to Talking with Kids About Climate Change (available in English and Spanish).

Is there a book, documentary, or other piece of media you would recommend for folks wanting to learn more about these topics?

Eileen: The one book I would press into all caregivers’ hands is The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution. Mary DeMocker, a climate organizer, writer, and consultant based in Eugene, Oregon, offers a collection of 100 easy ideas, often organized by time commitment, for engaging in climate action as a parent or guardian. A phone conversation I had with Mary early on really encouraged me as The Parents’ Climate Community got started.

Lizett: An Inconvenient Truth was a very powerful documentary on the climate crisis. It presented such an impactful message that it became a blockbuster, international sensation — a status most documentaries don’t typically reach. If you haven’t watched it already, you really should.

2040 is another great documentary. It gives amazing stories of people and organizations from around the world that have actually developed ways to reduce emissions and supported other actions to help the environment. It made me feel hopeful — there is still so much to be done, but our actions today will determine how much can actually happen.

Eileen: I would also recommend checking out the documentary Youth v Gov on Netflix. It tells the story of the 21 remarkable youth plaintiffs involved in Juliana v. United States, the landmark climate justice case.

What advice do you have for others?

Lizett: SMALL STEPS. If all parents and families just take small steps towards becoming agents of change, it could lead to bigger accomplishments in helping the cause of climate change.

But we can’t take small steps if we don’t know the facts. Try to educate yourself a little bit on the climate crisis. Learn about organizations that you can volunteer for or donate to. There are lots of ways to really build up this movement.

Eileen: Connect with others! While individual household actions around sustainability certainly have meaning and instill important values in our kids, we need more grassroots engagement around climate solutions in our schools, neighborhoods, and cities. Find a local group or a local chapter of a national organization and get involved. If they don’t have a family-friendly set-up, advocate for change: ask them about providing childcare at monthly meetings, or offer to help plan a playground event that would be inclusive of families with young kids.

Acting together doesn’t only lead to system-level change — it also feels good! A lot of parents are worried about the climate crisis, but that can sometimes manifest as lying awake at 2:00 AM in a panic. It helps not to be alone with those worries. Talking about our fears with like-minded adults and taking action alongside our kids and community members can shift the narrative and provide a sense of agency.

Are you interested in joining The Parents’ Climate Community? Find them on Facebook or Meetup.com. You can also sign up for their newsletter.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero goal and explore actions you can take to support a greener community, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

Share your Net-Zero contributions with us on Twitter or Facebook and use #NetZeroHero. If you know a Net-Zero Hero (or heroes!) who should be recognized for their efforts, send your nomination to sustainability@austintexas.gov.

The post Net-Zero Heroes: Eileen McGinnis & Lizett Sanchez appeared first on The Austin Common.

Net-Zero Hero: Dr. Rosamaria Murillo

Amy Stansbury — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 23:24:34 +0000

Meet Dr. Rosamaria Murillo, Chief Executive Officer at El Buen Samaritano (El Buen) and our newest Net-Zero Hero! Dr. Murillo is a public health advocate, immigrant, and changemaker who strives to support the physical and mental well-being of her community.

Dr. Murillo began at El Buen in late 2019, shortly before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. From providing food to over 700 families weekly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to bridging the digital divide for youth through access to technology and the internet, to setting up El Buen as a COVID-19 vaccine distribution site, Dr. Murillo has worked to center community resilience throughout her time at El Buen.

We met with Dr. Murillo during one of El Buen Samaritano’s drive-thru food pantry distribution days to talk about her journey to this work, her experience of leading through the pandemic, and the connections she sees between spirituality and sustainability.

What inspired you to take action?

I am inspired by people and experiences.

First of all, I am inspired by my lived experience as a first-generation English learner and immigrant in this nation. Every day, I get to work with others that have that same experience — it is what drives me. I’m inspired by the thousands of families we work with, who, despite unimaginable injustices, find a way to provide and thrive. Their strength makes me stronger and inspires me to give all I can to the service of others.

I’m also inspired by youth. I am inspired by their ability to dream and their courage, especially right now. The youth that we serve have experienced so much unimaginable loss and so many challenges. And yet I see them becoming all that they want to be without fear. Every moment that we invest in their well-being is a moment that we make this community and this nation a better place.

Many years ago, there were individuals working to make our nation a better place by providing my family and me with tools, information, and access to resources — very similar to what we do at El Buen with families today. Their actions back then were like pebbles tossed in a lake. They created a ripple effect into my future. I am here because of the actions, dreams, and visions others had for a stronger community. They believed that I belonged here and that I could make our community a better place for others to thrive.

How did you do it?

As I get older and think about this question, I think it’s not about how I did it but rather how others surrounded me with love, resources, and information to allow me to be here. Our society has us believing that we alone can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, but it could not be further from that. Many of us don’t have boots to begin with, and others have arrived here barefoot. This concept of individuality is incongruent.

I used to answer this question by starting with the challenges I experienced as an immigrant and English language learner. Now I see that all that I have is 10% me and 90% the support and connectedness of others — the sacrifices of my mother and father, the people who gave me a place to stay when I first arrived in Austin, the people who fed me. Those experiences of love, belonging, and connectedness are what has gotten me here.

I started at El Buen Samaritano a few months before COVID started. When the pandemic began, like everyone, we didn’t know what to do. The main thing that I held onto was the experience of connectedness. We were a very small team of about 15 people. As an organization, we knew we could not respond to the community by ourselves. We needed to be connected with other nonprofits and local and state governments to have a powerful response to the crisis we were facing.

We set up an incident command structure to support emergency response operations with and for our community. We went from serving food to about 100 families each week pre-COVID to serving 700 families weekly. We could not have done that without strong connections and support — organizations sourcing food for us, volunteers willing to distribute food, and funders. Since the start of the pandemic, we have also distributed close to $8 million in financial and rental assistance. This would have been impossible without organizations and local government having faith in us as a little organization to complete this work.

Before COVID, our community garden had plots for families to grow their own food, and plots for us to use for our food access programs. This largely paused during the pandemic, but we are now working with volunteers to revitalize the gardens. In the near future, we are looking to expand our gardens to make them more accessible to community. We’re also looking to plant fruit trees throughout our 11-acre campus so that anybody who passes by can access fresh fruit.

Right now, food is extremely expensive, especially fruits and vegetables. We have an opportunity to figure out how to sustain ourselves with the land we have. We use the gardens as a tool and a lab for educating others. Through the gardens, we can talk about sustainability, nutrition, and feeding ourselves from the land. Through these strategies, we hope to create a current and future community of individuals that can help us to sustain ourselves.

The actions I take every day are driven by my personal mission to be a path for the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of others. It’s a blessing for me to be able to follow my mission, and it aligns so closely with El Buen’s: to create access to health, education, and essential needs. Through this, we envision a future where we all belong and thrive.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

What could be more rewarding than having the privilege to live a mission-driven life? I get to live my mission at a point in my life where I’m not worrying about where I’m going to get my next meal, if I’m going to have a place to live, or if I will be able to get health care if I need it. I no longer have those needs because somebody invested in me.

Addressing injustice is not a one-and-done thing — it’s a lifelong experience. I get to give back by supporting the next group of leaders that will take this on. It is rewarding for me to see the generation coming up. They are stronger and even more committed to mission-driven work and they teach me a lot about how to have a sustainable home. The young people who work with me are committed to a sustainable world and creating a healthy environment for humans and animals. They are constantly creating awareness for me and the organization about the ways we can reduce waste.

What’s been the toughest part?

On a very personal level, as a woman of color, there has been a retraumatization that has happened during the pandemic. Seeing so much pain and loss experienced by my community through the pandemic and the winter storm brought up my own traumas. I don’t think this is unique to me. I think about other organizations at the frontlines of serving the community throughout this pandemic, many being led by people of color, people who themselves have experienced acts of discrimination and racism. It can be a really tough experience to have and can retraumatize those of us who are serving community. It is very personal to acknowledge that I myself feel sad and tired. There is a feeling of not wanting to let anyone down, which can be rooted in the trauma itself. Like: if not us, then who? Who is going to be here for the long term?

I’m also leading a team of individuals that can be feeling this same way. How can I reenergize and nurture them so we can move courageously through this experience together? It’s a commitment I make every day. I couldn’t do this work without my team.

So, being human is the toughest part. I have a tendency to be a hero. If something’s wrong, I want to be on the frontlines trying to figure out how to fix it. One of the toughest parts for me, especially throughout the pandemic, has been how to stay healthy and take care of myself so I can be here for the ultramarathon that we’re running right now.

Your work at El Buen Samaritano is rooted in a spiritual practice. What are ways in which your faith and sustainability intersect?

We are a mission of the Episcopal diocese which puts us in the category of being a faith-based organization, but at El Buen Samaritano, it’s not about any one faith. We work to create a space where everybody belongs, independent of beliefs. When we work to support the physical and mental well-being of individuals, we believe that nurtures their spirit.

My spirituality is about hope. It is the hope that the seed we plant today becomes a huge tree that provides oxygen and nurturance for others. This hope for a better world drives me. Hope that by not putting plastic out in the world, our oceans will be cleaner. Hope that teaching youth today will lead them to leave the world a better place than they found it. This is how sustainability and faith intersect for me.

Is there a book, documentary, or other piece of media you would recommend for folks wanting to learn more about these topics?

There are three recommendations that have felt most powerful to me. First, a book called Enrique’s Journey [by Sonia Nazario]. It is about the journey of immigrants taking trains that come from South America into the U.S.

Second, there’s a documentary called The End of Poverty. The documentary talks about how we can undo 500 years of oppression on Indigenous land. It’s very powerful and overwhelming.

Finally, I would recommend the documentary series Unnatural Causes. This talks about the connection between health and wealth and the experience of racism in our bodies and its impact on our health. It was made in 2008, but when you see it today, it’s like it could have been made yesterday.

What advice do you have for others?

Attitude, attitude, attitude! How I see the world gets me through both challenging and happy times. I choose to see the world as a place of opportunity, possibility, and love. I believe that how you see the world matters.

You also have to listen. Spend 90% of your time listening and the other 10% taking substantial, courageous action. I have to say this to myself all the time because I love to talk! And more than just calling out the injustice in the world, work for justice. Take actions that leave the world better than you found it.

You can help advance the mission of El Buen Samaritano by becoming a volunteer. There are opportunities to support adult or youth education, the food pantry and distribution programs, or during special events.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero goal and explore actions you can take to support a greener community, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

The post Net-Zero Hero: Dr. Rosamaria Murillo appeared first on The Austin Common.

Net-Zero Hero: Frances Acuña

Office_Of_Sustainability — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 01:59:18 +0000

In 2022, Austin experienced record-breaking heat during both May and June — a fact that may not have surprised our newest Net-Zero Hero: Frances Acuña. In her role as Climate Resilience Lead Organizer with Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin (GAVA), Frances mobilizes community members to combat climate stressors like flooding and extreme heat. Frances’s interest in this work runs deep — she’s a longtime Dove Springs resident who served as a first responder during the October 2013 and 2015 floods.

We met with Frances at her home and traveled to the Williamson Creek Greenbelt to talk about heat, community resilience, and what drives her work.

What inspired you to take action?

Our communities have been through so many inequities that there comes a time when you say, “I have to take action.”

I started taking action when my neighbors got displaced by the 2013 and 2015 floods. I felt the need to get involved knowing that heat, flooding, and infrastructure issues, as well as displacement and gentrification, are impacting our communities more and more as time passes.

I feel inspired to take action when listening to residents’ stories on how climate shocks and stressors affect them, their children when they go to school, and their husbands, who are construction workers. I know that heat temperatures are affecting residents’ health drastically.

I am energized when residents are being listened to and when they are wondering how they can do a better job of being responsive in a constructive way. I love seeing the smile on peoples’ faces when their work pays off. I really enjoy seeing how proud they get about their accomplishments in their neighborhood.

How did you do it?

I did it by believing in myself and using the anger I get when I see inequities and unfairness happening to my neighbors. I have worked to gain the advocacy skills needed to help build community power and speak up for basic needs.

Since 2017, I’ve worked with GAVA and partnered with the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability, UT Health, and TreeFolks, from whom I have learned a lot. Together, we have worked on heat mapping in some of the Eastern Crescent communities, which provided us data on the hottest areas of the city. I’ve interviewed residents on how heat impacts their home life, community, and health in order to build strategies for heat mitigation projects that are led by the communities most impacted by climate shocks and stressors.

When I speak with residents, I listen to the struggles and stories about heat and how it affects their daily lives, such as taking their children to school or going to a doctor’s appointment. That right there is a motivator to take action. I try to turn all barriers and challenges into opportunities to make change

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

The most rewarding thing is seeing residents gain the confidence to speak up or advocate for themselves. It’s fulfilling when they get small wins around their needs, such as a tree-planting event or a park they advocated so hard for to take their children for safe physical activity.

I think the greatest reward of all is the facial expression of satisfaction — knowing that I have gained their trust and seeing that they have a little hope of getting some relief in their lives from the extremely hot summertime days.

What’s been the toughest part?

The toughest part about my work is when residents are expecting a positive action they have been working so hard for that doesn’t happen. It’s the worst feeling for me to see residents take part of their day to advocate for a cause that gets voted against.

My life is very hard, because I take my work very seriously. People’s lives and health are at risk. I want to make sure that when I advocate or involve residents that I don’t cause any negative impacts and that residents are not taken advantage of because of my advocacy.

Our interview will be released during one of Austin’s hottest months. Can you share any tips for Austinites to combat extreme heat both as individuals and within their neighborhoods?

As the summer gets more intense, we all need to know about ways to help ourselves and others in our community:

Know your neighbors and learn if there are any people that might need your help during a heatwave.
Know where to go to cool down.
Make sure that you are drinking enough water.
Share information with your neighbors.

What advice do you have for others?

I advise others to take action now.

Learn as much as you can. Technology and climate change are taking control and we are staying behind. Heat, flooding, and winter are becoming more intense with time and you never know when you might need to evacuate or take shelter from the impact of extreme weather events.

My advice is to learn about heat and options we all have to mitigate climate shocks and stressors, such as renewable energy, planting trees, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, rainwater catchment, and more.

Recycle as much as you can. We all need to take care of our world.

Make an emergency kit with things you might need for you and your family in case of a disaster.

Meet your neighbors and make a list of seniors in your area that might need to be checked on.

Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin works to mobilize community members to support a more equitable and resilient Austin. There are many ways to get involved.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero goal and explore actions you can take to support a greener community, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan. Find out how to prepare for the effects of climate change.

The post Net-Zero Hero: Frances Acuña appeared first on The Austin Common.

Net-Zero Hero: Leatha Floyd

Office_Of_Sustainability — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 01:33:18 +0000

At the 51-acre Community First! Village, a development of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, sustainability is woven into the fabric of daily life. From enjoying free, hyper-local food to engaging in opportunities for dignified and sustainable income, neighbors in Community First! Village live firmly at the intersection of the three pillars of sustainable living: people, planet, and prosperity.

Our newest Net-Zero Hero, Leatha Floyd, is one of these neighbors. In 2018, Leatha began volunteering at the village. At the time, she was living out of her car. Leatha’s dad was a resident of Community First! Village and encouraged her to come explore the neighborhood. By early 2019, Leatha was also calling Community First! Village home and, in 2021, was hired on as a staff member with Mobile Loaves & Fishes as part of their 10-acre Genesis Gardens program.

Today, Leatha lives at Community First! Village with her two-year-old daughter and works as the Genesis Garden Coordinator. In this role, she oversees a team of fellow residents and volunteers in tending Community First! Village’s organic fruit and vegetable gardens, caring for the chickens, ducks, and bees in the pastures, and supporting the Farmers Market held at the village every Saturday.

We met with Leatha at Genesis Gardens to learn more about her journey, work, and life at Community First! Village.

What inspired you to take action?

I found out about Community First! Village from my father, who spent time in prison and then spent ten years on the streets. Alan Graham [Founder of Mobile Loaves & Fishes] saw him on the side of the street one day, came up to him, and said, “You look like somebody that really could use some help. Want some help?” Alan got my dad into a halfway house and then transitioned him to Community First! Village. My dad was volunteering out here before the first house was ever built — he got to be part of the groundbreaking.

My dad found out I was living out of my car and told me about living here. When I first came down to the property, it was for a house blessing. I didn’t know anybody except my dad and my dad’s friend, Pops. When I stepped foot on this property, I felt God for the first time in a very long time. He’s here, and this is an awesome place.

Alan gives a speech about how a house is not the cure for homelessness — community is the cure for homelessness. It’s true. I’ve seen a lot of people, including myself, that couldn’t stay still, jumping from one place to another. They come here and they work here. They put their blood, sweat, tears, and everything into this place. As long as we do our part, we have a home and a family as long as we need it.

Me and my dad are the only ones still alive in my family. To be able to have somebody or a group of people to rely on and be there for you if you need something is nice. It’s really nice.

How did you do it?

I’ve always liked working in gardens. I always had a garden and used to help in my grandmother’s garden every year. My dad introduced me to working here in the Genesis Gardens. He came in one day and said, “Get off that couch. Let’s go!” I worked in the gardens just two days a week for a while, and then three days a week, and then four. Then, I started working with the animals in the pastures and it felt really natural to me.

My boss at that time, the gardens coordinator, came out one day and told us she was leaving. She let us know that her job was going to be open and anyone could apply for it.

After her announcement, I said to the Genesis Gardens director, “I hope we like the new boss. I don’t want anyone coming in where I know more than them.” I was encouraged to apply for the job, so I did. There were a bunch of interviews. Apparently they all liked me! It all just fell into place. Things just fall into place here for some reason.

I work the gardens and the pasture. Our team is responsible for everything out here: the animals, vegetables, harvesting. I pretty much go where I’m needed. I’m pretty flexible — that’s the glory of being able to work where you live. It’s a blessing. With the things I’ve done in my past, I never thought that I deserved any good. But this place, they really make you realize that you do deserve good, regardless of what you’ve done in your past. It feels so good to be with the animals, in the garden, and able to provide for our farmers market.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

To be able to get out there and put my hands in the ground, I get a personal feeling of being able to communicate with God. To be able to go spend time with our chickens and our animals, to get dirty and sweaty, to be one with the earth that God put here for us.

I get to work with some really awesome people. We have our drama, we have our ups and downs, we have our loopy loops and turnarounds, but we’re all family here. That’s the biggest thing for me.

It’s so tranquil. I have the best job in the world. It’s my favorite job. Most people in their lifetime don’t ever get to do a job that they love. But I actually have a job that I love. This is my dream job.

What’s been the toughest part?

The toughest part has been building close connections, because you really come to care for and love people here. Watching people relapse or do something that’s not good for them and knowing that there’s nothing you can do that will make the situation change, it’s hard.

When you care for somebody and they lose their home because they don’t want to provide for themselves, that’s the hardest thing.

People come here with different problems, but there is always somebody here to help. It’s a give-and-take relationship. Many people look at homeless people and think all they want is money or that they are selfish. That’s the last thing in the world that homeless people are.

The Mobile Loaves & Fishes model is built on providing a dignified income to residents. Can you talk a little bit about what that means for you?

It is a huge relief. There are a lot of people here that have a hard time finding a job, let alone having decent things to wear for a good job. Our residents who work in the gardens work short shifts that they couldn’t do elsewhere. It’s good pay and they don’t have to go far. They don’t have to be judged for who they are, what they’ve done in their life, or what they’ve been through. None of us are judged for that here.

It’s good to come to work and not be thinking, ‘I’m better than you,’ or, ‘you’re better than me.’ Here, we’re all the same. We’ve all been through the same steps. It’s comfortable and reliable. There’s always a job for you here to help you pay your rent and there is always somebody willing to help you find a position.

There is a lot of support. I think that’s what a lot of us need at times — the support and the love.

How does it feel to be able to provide free and healthy food to your neighbors?

It makes me feel overjoyed. That’s what I get up for everyday: to provide something that’s healthy and something that’s good for them. A lot of people aren’t able to go buy vegetables. They’ve gotten super pricey at the market or grocery store. Our residents are able to just come and get what they want. My being a part of that — of being able to give back — is so good.

When they come to the market, they’re able to go home and make a salad, or eat a cucumber, a watermelon, or a peach — it does my heart really good. That’s the reason why I’m here.

What advice do you have for others?

If you have access to land, you’ll never go hungry — there’s always something you can grow or something you can raise to sustain yourself. You need to rely on the land and people. There’s no way our four team members could run the garden and pastures ourselves without the wonderful people that work with us. We all need to lean on each other. We have to rely on each other.

If you would like to support the work of Leatha and the Community First! Village’s gardens and pastures, consider signing up for a volunteer shift.

If you have ideas to support a more just and sustainable food system in Austin, consider applying for a Food Justice Mini Grant. Grants of up to $3,000 are available to support communities in their efforts to grow, sell, and eat healthy food. Applications are open until July 22, 2022.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero goal and explore actions you can take to support a greener community, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

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Net-Zero Hero: David Yeomans

Office_Of_Sustainability — Thu, 05 May 2022 16:11:15 +0000

Our newest Net-Zero Hero may be a familiar face for many Austinites: three-time Emmy Award winner, David Yeomans! As KXAN’s chief meteorologist, David supports our community daily in understanding our local weather. Through all his work, David’s passion for climate action shines through, whether he’s reporting on Austin’s wildfire risk or sharing the local impacts of climate change.

We met with David at the KXAN studio on Earth Day to discuss his journey, his passion for meteorology, and how he became interested in climate change.

What inspired you to take action?

I was fortunate to study under a world-renowned climate change researcher at the University of Miami and published peer-reviewed literature on the topic, so climate change has been an interest of mine for 17 years.

As the only scientist many folks allow into their living room every evening, I realize the importance of using my platform on television to bring scientific facts to viewers to cut through the political noise.

How did you do it?

I try to bring little bits of climate research into the daily weather forecast when relevant. Climate Central is enormously helpful. It’s an organization led by climate scientists who do city-specific research on how local temperatures are warming, rainfall patterns are changing, and allergies are getting worse right here at home — not for some polar bear in the Arctic. For example, on a record-hot April day recently, I presented a Climate Central graphic showing that spring temperatures have warmed by nearly 3 degrees in Austin over just the last 50 years.

Since doom and gloom climate news can lead to hopelessness and inaction, on KXAN, we also frequently discuss things that people can change in their everyday lives to help mitigate climate change. This includes actions like changing to LED lightbulbs and taking advantage of the City of Austin’s composting pickup.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

Sometimes it feels like I am shouting into the void, but it is rewarding knowing that we are doing our part as scientists to bring facts to the forefront so people know that there is no disagreement in the scientific community — only in the political realm. It is also very rewarding to hear from people who appreciate the climate coverage, or to have the opportunity to have an earnest debate with someone who genuinely wants to learn more about the topic.

What’s been the toughest part?

It is often the naysayers who speak the loudest, even though they are in the minority. It can be tiring to hear the same climate myths regurgitated in defense of their views, and to have people who have educations or backgrounds in unrelated fields be convinced that they know more about your expertise than you do. I’ve learned the importance of knowing where my efforts are best-served versus when I’m never going to change someone’s mind.

As a meteorologist, you have a unique perspective on weather patterns and our changing climate. What is something you wish everyone knew? What gives you hope for the future?

I wish everyone knew how basic the science behind global warming is, and how impossible it is to refute. John Tyndall discovered that carbon dioxide is a heat-trapping gas in 1859. The more fossil fuels we burn, the more CO₂ we put into the atmosphere. The higher the CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere, the warmer global temperatures get. That’s it!

I recognize that changing the way we have always done things is scary. Transitioning to clean, renewable energy will take time, resources, and a leap of faith. But ultimately, how can we expect an infinite future on this planet living off of finite resources?

What advice do you have for others?

Do the little things in your daily life to lower your carbon footprint — every little bit helps. But also recognize that 71% of all greenhouse gases ever emitted can be traced back to just 100 major corporations. Changing the course of our warming world will take much larger changes than you changing your lightbulbs.

To learn more about climate change in Austin and explore actions you can take to support a greener community, visit our website.

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Net-Zero Hero: Gaby Benitez

Office_Of_Sustainability — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 20:57:46 +0000

In celebration of National Poetry Month, we’re excited to introduce our newest Net-Zero Hero, Gaby Benitez! Gaby is a poet, nature advocate, and born-and-bred Austinite. Nature is at the center of so much of what Gaby does. She worked for years on the education team at Keep Austin Beautiful, is currently one of the tri-chairs of Austin’s Cities Connecting Children to Nature Youth Leadership Working Group, and served as an editor of The Winter Storm Project. As a poet, Gaby writes about how we relate to others, the earth, and the cycles of life and death.

We met up with Gaby at Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park to talk about her many passions and how nature helps weave them all together.

What inspired you to take action?

I grew up with a love for being outside, and my relationship with nature has been instrumental to my mental health and overall wellbeing. But I also grew up with an understanding of the structural racism that created a multitude of barriers to accessing the outdoors, making it nearly impossible for people of marginalized backgrounds to make their way into careers in the environment.

I honestly think that the reason I do so much of the work I do today around advocating for the removal of barriers to access to nature and careers in the environment for BIPOC youth is because I could have seriously used the resources, connections, and mentorship as a young adult that I hope we’re building up in collaboration with the phenomenal youth I have the privilege to work with these days.

In addition to this, I have also always written poetry and prose as a tool to process my own understanding of the world and my emotions. Following the traumatic February 2021 Winter Storm, writing and sharing stories with friends and family was the only way to process the feelings of shock, fear, and abandonment that came with being hit by climate and infrastructural disaster. When local poet KB decided to start The Winter Storm Project, an anthology dedicated to compiling accounts of the experiences that people had in Austin during the “snowpocalypse,” I was excited to come on as an editor for the project along with some fellow friends and poets. Our whole team believes in the power of community storytelling and art. We see these practices as tools for connection, advocacy, and change.

I have a fundamental belief in power-sharing, and I actually think there’s an obligation to take action, or to share the power you may hold, if you have the opportunity to do so. My work has been guided by this idea.

How did you do it?

This is a tough question to answer, as I am always in the process of doing so many things! I am a very team-driven and collaborative person, so long story short: I would say that everything I have done on my own I owe to the support, care, and reciprocity of my loved ones and the people I have been able to work with throughout the years.

For much of the past five years, I worked at Keep Austin Beautiful, starting out as a part-time educator (my first “real job” after graduating from college in 2016). At the time, I was working seven days a week with two other jobs until I was able to take on a full-time role with KAB. First, I worked as a program coordinator teaching watershed-based education to youth throughout AISD, and then ended up as the manager of their education team. This work led me to the Youth Leadership Working Group with Austin’s Cities Connecting Children to Nature initiative. Within this group, I work with my fellow tri-chairs and collaborate with young folks to advocate for equitable pathways to employment and leadership for youth of color in the Austin area and beyond.

With the Winter Storm Project, having a supportive team was integral to the project. As editors, we all spent time reviewing the submissions that came through. We also led individual workshops to facilitate writing sessions on and discussions about the anthology’s theme, climate change, and Austin’s approach to climate resilience. We were lucky enough to secure sponsorship funding from the City of Austin’s Sustainability Office, which made it possible for us to pay the folks whose submissions were selected, and for all proceeds from the anthology to go towards local organizations PODER, GAVA, and BASTA, which do incredible work around community-building and addressing local climate impacts.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

Working with youth is always incredibly rewarding! I learn more from listening to their experiences and perspectives than with just about anyone else. I find it incredibly rewarding to be in rooms with young people and other adults — sharing knowledge, challenging white supremacy as it shows up in the environmental field and throughout the systems we all live, work, and play in, and actively working to uncover and dismantle the many barriers that prevent BIPOC youth in particular to have equitably paid jobs and the same quality of life as their white counterparts.

The artistic involvement I have is also incredibly rewarding — firstly, just being able to share in the art of others is a joy, but also art is such a powerful tool for processing emotion, traumatic events, lived experience, and for communicating with one another. Being able to connect with other people in these ways gives me the energy I need to keep moving forward.

What’s been the toughest part?

Pandemic and snowstorm aside for a moment, the toughest part is working with people who are resistant to understanding their own complicity in these problematic systems that we are a part of. I am forever grateful for all the folks who are willing to learn, and are excited to challenge their own thinking and biases — and for those who challenge me to do and be better in all of that myself!

On a similar note, it is very tough to work against what sometimes feels like a collective surrender to climate change. When I was a child, I remember adults telling me that it was up to me and my generation to save the planet. Now I see people of my generation and above doing that to the youth of today. We all have a role in this climate movement, and it is not something that should be placed on those who were born into it to somehow fix or deal with the consequences of previous generations’ actions. I frequently go back to a quote from abolitionist Mariame Kaba, where she reminds us that “hope is a discipline” — it takes work and practice — and that’s how I try to move through the world!

Every March we celebrate World Poetry Day. As a poet yourself, what role do you think poets, authors, and other artists can play in the climate movement? How does this show up in your own work?

Poets and artists of all mediums can show up in all ways for the climate movement! There is such a long history of art — whether visual, poetry, song, or otherwise — in social justice movements across time and across the world. The Winter Storm Project Anthology is just one example of how we can grieve, celebrate, question, and share experiences through art in a way that calls for political change while also uplifting human connection and mutual aid networks.

As someone who has worked for a long time in environmental education, I can say that using art as a teaching tool and as a medium for processing information around climate change is incredibly valuable. By including different forms of art, we open up the ways in which we relate and communicate with one another. Through this practice, I think we expand the vast opportunities we have to learn from one another and the diversity of human experience.

In my own work, I use poetry to write about climate anxiety, climate change, and my relationship to nature and the more-than-human. More recently, I have been writing a lot about gentrification and my memories of Austin, which is my hometown. I draw a lot of creativity from nature and being outside. Much of my free time includes nature journaling, writing outside, reading in my hammock, and spending time in and near water when I get the chance.

What advice do you have for others?

I think most importantly, my advice is to start thinking critically about how to center Black folks, Indigenous folks, and both racial justice and disability justice in any approach to climate, sustainability, net-zero work, etc. It’s absolutely essential that we’re always centering the most marginalized, making sure that we’re paying them, and paying them equitably for their contributions. And pay youth! It’s about time we start recognizing different experiences as valuable.

Also – try to recognize when you’re hoarding power or acting as a gatekeeper, and share that power/open that gate! It’s not something that always comes naturally and can take work to recognize and act on.

Other advice I give is the reminder that anyone can create art. Coming from a background in education where there’s a fundamental understanding that multiple ways of knowing and learning are necessary, I think we forget sometimes in the “adult” world that people receive and share information in different ways. So making sure we’re being accessible and engaging folks through different mediums, whether it’s visual art, poetry, storytelling, hands-on learning, etc., is so important!

Last but not least, rest when you need to! Listen to your body, listen to your community, and take breaks. Make time for joy, fun, connection, grief, all the emotions and experiences! We forget the power and impact that slowing down has on our collective wellbeing.

Is there a book, documentary, or other piece of media you would recommend for folks wanting to learn more about these topics? What inspires you about this or why did you choose to share it?

Since I mentioned the work we’ve been doing, I would definitely recommend grabbing a copy of The Winter Storm Project’s anthology, which is now available to order. Again, the proceeds go directly to local organizations doing on-the-ground climate and social justice work, so it’s money well spent, and such a great way to hear directly from community members about their experiences.

Besides that, I’d recommend Octavia Butler’s Parables series and literally everything she’s ever written — her work is so visionary and touches on climate change and social justice issues! NK Jemisin’s books as well, I recently read The City We Became, and was blown away. I frequently go back to Natalie Diaz’s poems The First Water is the Body and The American Museum of Water. I also recommend following “Intersectional Environmentalist” on social media and learning from their work. And watch Hayao Miyazaki’s films too — they have such a beautiful reverence for nature and humanity that certainly influenced me as a kid!

I could go on and on but I’ll stop there.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero goal and explore actions you can take to support a greener community, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

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Net-Zero Hero: Olaniyi ‘Akirash’ Akindiya

Office_Of_Sustainability — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 19:45:46 +0000

Meet Olaniyi Rasheed Akindiya, the artist and changemaker known as Akirash and our newest Net-Zero Hero! Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Olaniyi’s work has been shown around the world — in Capetown, Yangon, Toronto, and our very own Austin.

An important part of Olaniyi’s mission as an artist is to use upcycled materials in his pieces. From shipping packages to old furniture, Olaniyi breathes new life into the forgotten or discarded items that surround us every day.

We met with Olaniyi at his studio in Pflugerville to learn more about his process, the stories he hopes to tell through his art, and what excites him about using repurposed materials.

What inspired you to take action?

I was born in a society that had nothing. The environment was often forgotten. Our government only remembered these areas when they needed votes. They would make countless promises and, after the election, everything would remain the same.

A few other kids and I decided to take action. We chose particular streets, painted the walls, and created benches to sit. We found pen pals abroad, and we would ask them to send us magazines, books, and VHS tapes — anything we could use to educate ourselves about the world we didn’t know.

We started to have interests in subjects like health, art, history, engineering, architecture, and sports. We incorporated these ideas into the streets we worked on. We debated one another street to street. Since my family didn’t have money, I used anything I laid my hands on to create artwork and beautify my area. We were always improvising.

As I got older, I was interested in becoming a bio-pharmacist. I was tired of how many people I knew that were sick or dying, and I didn’t see anything being done about it. I got my first degree and worked as a pharmacist for two years, but I returned to school to study Fine & Applied Art. I spent all my savings paying for school and art supplies. An important lesson I learned was that hunger could be a change for good or bad. For me, when my hunger was exposed, it inspired me to create. Art became an opportunity to make money to solve my hunger.

How did you do it?

The wake-up call for me as an artist was to start developing my own paints, creating my own brushes, and introducing repurposed or vintage materials into my work.

My work focuses on time — fleeting moments that can be easily forgotten or transformed. It is a reflection on rural versus urban life, the accelerated pace of development and infrastructure. My performance art centers around themes of trauma and social subjectivities like identity, immigration, gun violence, race, history, and religion. Through all my work, I try to break down conventional barriers.

In exploring the invisible systems of power that govern our everyday existence, I use a lot of different techniques and materials. An important part of all of this is using repurposed objects. I incorporate these objects into mixed media paintings, sculptures, installations, video, photography, sound, and performance art. These objects become part of my overall composition and speak to the complexity of our past and present.

When I choose my subjects, titles, themes, and issues to work on, I always enjoy the process. While my works can be complicated to make, through the use of repurposed materials, I enjoy bringing the past into the present. I think everything that is happening now has happened before, or similar forgotten occurrences have happened. I want my works to educate kids and adults, create dialogues between them, start conversations, and invite them to practice reasoning and common sense.

The use of old things and vintage materials allows us to quickly connect to the works on view. Seeing these items in new ways makes us pause. It gives us a reason to spend more time with the artwork. The items bring up a memory. A conversation can start from there.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

Being sustainable in this way encourages me to read more about the specific history of the repurposed materials I choose to use. I learn how to make them durable, safe, and sustainable in my art and for whoever may decide to acquire them.

It’s rewarding to see reactions on the faces of viewers when they notice these materials, how they are used, what they’ve turned out to be, and how they blend in with the other new materials they are incorporated into.

This has given me exposure to the world — I’ve met people I’ve never dreamt of meeting or talking to. I get to travel the world just to present my works while making money to sustain myself and the people around me. Most of it all, it’s rewarding to give back to communities wherever I find myself with the power of my art.

What’s been the toughest part?

The toughest part is debating with myself in my studio on how to use the repurposed materials. For each piece, I ask myself how to incorporate the materials in the best way possible for people to understand the message that I am trying to convey in my work. I’m curious about what questions my art may bring up as people see it.

Another tough part is making sure the repurposed materials I plan to use are safe, clean, durable, and sustainable as I put them together.

What was your inspiration for using found and repurposed items in your art? As an artist, how do you connect to the climate crisis?

My work is about today, yesterday, and the future.

Repurposed items are our past and our history. Someone somewhere bought those items as new, used them, and decided one day that they were not good anymore or were damaged. Often, the items are not damaged, but we decide to retire them because we live in the time of fashion — every day of our lives, new things come. We want to be current, so we go with the latest fashions.

To me, repurposed materials have a story to tell us. They remind us what happened during the moments when those items were still shining. They show us what we saved and remind us how happy we were when we were able to have them. It is a reminder that will bring a spark to an adult’s face. Seeing these items again brings back memories that we want to share, especially if we have our children around us.

For youth, seeing the repurposed items that I use is like sending them back to school or into the library. They start asking questions. They have the chance to understand what the world looked like before today, before the invention of the first cell phone, for example.

The climate crisis is a big problem. We all are responsible, and many of us still don’t get it. Almost everything we use is manufactured with many polluting substances. We use them until they may become damaged beyond repair, or we retire them because there is a newer version out and we want to be current. All this contributes to the climate disaster. As an artist, my works move beyond beauty. They remind us, create opportunities to start a conversation, and serve as a wake-up call on the climate crisis — while also giving us a chance to enjoy the creativity of art.

What advice do you have for others?

In every situation we find ourselves in, we need to just pause for a second and look at ourselves from head to toes. We need to look around ourselves as we walk or drive. Then we can start to know that everyone feels what we are feeling at different levels to one another.

We need to do better and have to stop waiting for the government to solve every problem. We need to start with our family, our street, community, county, and so on. Start with a little contribution — it will reduce the problem of the climate crisis. We all have to come together to solve this with all the small powers we have.

Is there a book, documentary, or other piece of media you would recommend for folks wanting to learn more about these topics? What inspires you about this or why did you choose to share it?

What I will say is that we don’t need a book or documentary — we should look at what we put in our trash bin every week. Do we ever ask ourselves where it is going? Or what happened to it? Or how can we reduce it from our own home? This is an example of the wake-up call we need.

Olaniyi’s artwork BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD, which incorporates solar-powered elements, can be seen at the Howson Branch Library as part of Art in Public Places’ 2021 TEMPO Program. Visit Olaniyi’s website to view more of his artwork and learn more about his process.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero goal and explore actions you can take to support a greener community, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

The post Net-Zero Hero: Olaniyi ‘Akirash’ Akindiya appeared first on The Austin Common.

Net-Zero Hero: Diane Grodek

Office_Of_Sustainability — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 21:03:52 +0000

Meet Diane Grodek, our newest Net-Zero Hero! As Executive Chef with the Austin Independent School District (AISD), Diane influences the health and eating habits of more than 74,000 Austinites! From embracing the Good Food Purchasing Program to supporting schoolyard gardens, Diane has centered sustainability in all of her work. Her efforts are helping to bring a healthy and just local food system to AISD and the city at large.

We met with Diane at Lively Middle School to talk about food programs at the district, her passion for sustainability, and tips she has to help all of us be a bit more green every day!

What inspired you to take action?

In the sixth grade, I had an inspirational teacher who started an Environmental Awareness Club, and I was the first President! This was in the ‘90s, so our main goal was to teach “reduce, reuse, recycle” slogans to our classmates. Ever since then, I have had an interest in sustainability. As the world becomes a warmer, more plastic-filled place, my interest in sustainable practices continues to intensify.

How did you do it?

I started working for AISD six years ago as a Cafe Manager. During my first year, I collaborated with my director to see how the garden at my school could safely serve the veggies grown there to the students coming through the lunch line. With that small goal in mind, we started the official Garden to Café program!

Soon after, I was asked to start a Catering program for the district. It was important to me to make that sustainable as well. I didn’t want to be another caterer using single-use aluminum trays and disposable bowls that get wrapped up in a plastic table cloth and thrown in the trash at the end of lunch. I purchased durable, reusable serving containers, chafing dishes, real serving utensils, and used the compostable items (plates and forks) that were already procured for our department. I traveled with compost bags so, wherever I was, I could properly dispose of the food waste. I often brought home the compost bags from events to dispose of in my curbside bucket. I did a lot of dishes, and my car usually smelled like food, but it was a nearly zero-waste operation!

When I became Executive Chef a year ago, one of my first projects was to create a way to pack 14 meals “to-go” for our curbside meal program, with minimal packaging and limited food waste. Another project I am proud of is writing monthly training modules about our department’s sustainability efforts, so our staff understands the “why” behind our hard work in this area. I try to be a voice for sustainability within our department, always pushing for more self-service with tongs, squeeze bottles, and fewer single-use containers, which reduces waste and saves our department money. I am working on getting our dishwashers operable so we can offer reusable trays, working with Keep Austin Fed to reduce food waste from our kitchens over the holiday breaks, and adding new plant-based dishes to each seasonal menu. I also love finding ways to incorporate more local products into our meals and to make use of fresh, non-frozen products made close by. Working with our local bakery (New World Bakery), we have added four new locally produced items to our café menus and three new items to our concessions menu this year.

The goal is for AISD students to recognize how to be sustainable not just in the classroom, but also in the cafeteria. Our youngest students learn to compost and recycle in our cafés every day and, sometimes without realizing it, are introduced to plant-based meals that are good for their health and good for the Earth.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

The most rewarding part of working on sustainability in my department is having the support, resources, and connections to actually bring ideas to life. When I set out to get composting and recycling set up at all of our stadiums this fall, I knew who to ask and how to get it all set up in a reasonable amount of time. I also love seeing our employees get involved in sustainability. The best thing is visiting a cafeteria and seeing the team there taking small steps and coming up with their own ideas to be more sustainable and prevent waste. I often see small changes that I may not have even considered and can then share them with the rest of our team!

What’s been the toughest part?

The toughest part is having the ideas, the support from my department, and the plan to do great things — but having them during a year and a half plagued with supply chain issues and labor shortages! Functioning dishwashers ready to go with reusable trays are of no use if we don’t have the employees to run them. It is discouraging to have to procure compostable forks sold in individual plastic baggies because that is all that is available. I started my role as Executive Chef at the same moment the world turned to non-stop plastic glove use and single-serve, individually packaged everything as a means of survival. I can’t wait to move past Covid and really get things right!

What are some ways for people to build more sustainable practices into their diets? Do you have a favorite sustainability-focused recipe you could share?

One way people can work sustainability into their diets is to reduce their meat consumption and eat more veggies. It sounds intimidating, but in many ways, it is so much easier to eat plant-based. Canned beans are very easy to prepare, compared to cutting up raw chicken!

I always advise friends and family trying to increase the number of plant-based meals they prepare each week to start with beans since they’re so easy and versatile. There’s pinto bean tacos, three-bean chili, Caesar salad with garbanzo beans, and baked beans served over roasted potatoes. Yum!

What advice do you have for others?

Remember that to be “green” and make a difference you don’t have to do ALL the things, ALL at once! Start with small, impactful actions:

Consciously compost your food waste at home — the city does all the stinky hard work. We just have to wheel it to the curb!
Add two veggie-based meals a week and prepare enough for leftovers.
Purchase reusable table napkins and use old clothes for cleaning rags.
Try out a bar soap or shampoo to trade out some plastic bottles.

To learn more about Austin’s net-zero Goal, including goals around food production and consumption in Austin, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan. Want to start a vegetable garden or begin composting at your school campus? The Bright Green Future Grant program provides funding for school-based sustainability projects up to $3,000.

The post Net-Zero Hero: Diane Grodek appeared first on The Austin Common.

Net-Zero Hero: Sheridan Ray

Office_Of_Sustainability — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 22:20:13 +0000

Meet Sheridan Ray, our newest Net-Zero Hero! At only 19, Sheridan is becoming a fixture in sustainability circles across Austin. Inspired by a high school practicum course with Austin’s Park Rangers, Sheridan has sought out opportunities to raise her voice — and those from her community — to support Austin’s environmental movement. In 2019, Sheridan joined a team of twelve Community Climate Ambassadors to support the creation of the newly adopted Austin Climate Equity Plan. She continued exploring her passions by becoming a member of the 2021 Youth Forest Council with the City of Austin’s Urban Forestry team.

These experiences helped Sheridan choose her course of study: she’s now a sophomore at UT majoring in Sustainability Studies.

We spoke with Sheridan about her journey to sustainability, what it means to work in intergenerational spaces, and what advice she has for others.

What inspired you to take action?

As a black 17-year-old female in my Austin community, I had seen inequalities in my own area and wanted to bring justice to these issues. My knowledge of these issues deepened when I became a student in the Park Ranger Cadet Practicum at Akins High School. I entered the class my junior year, and before the class, I had never had a passion for the outdoors. As a child, my family never really participated in recreational activities, such as kayaking, slacklining, etc. Although I knew I liked nature, I never actually found a passion for it until I joined the class. During the class and through continuing internships with the Rangers after, we developed skills in fishing, rock climbing, caving, digital media, Leave No Trace principles, kayaking, archery, and more. Additionally, we gained conservation knowledge, led youth programs, developed skills in native plant and animal identification, and learned about ecosystem factors such as watershed, soil, atmosphere, and energy. We also talked about significant history involving the equity that Austin lacked for decades.

As I went on into more environmental internships, I came across the opportunity to become a Community Climate Ambassador with Austin’s own Office of Sustainability. Throughout this opportunity, I learned how to represent my community and improve the Climate Equity Plan by bringing racial equity to natural areas and diminishing climate change. This is where I really was able to connect with people who were actually experiencing inequity firsthand, including my mother and I. Moving during high school to another area of the city provided a culture shock for me. Seeing areas with no sidewalks, gentrification, and poorly taken care of apartments made me realize that the playing field needs to be leveled so that everyone has the same access to resources.

How did you do it?

My duties as a Climate Community Ambassador with the Office of Sustainability included:

gathering and sharing information about climate issues with my community
participating in workshops to learn more about climate-related issues
contributing my thoughts to the conversation
working with City staff to design and develop an interview guide
and much more.

My biggest takeaway from the experience had to be that out of people from different ages and ethnicities, a majority of people knew of environmental issues, but only a few actually knew what sustainability is and how climate change affects more than the environment. It reaches into communities as well.

After this experience, I was inspired to become an intern with the Youth Forest Council in Austin, Texas. Here, I am currently working on a project where I have built and placed a little free library in my mother’s neighborhood. I’ve had support on the project from members from the Park Ranger and Youth Forest Council teams, including Karl Loftis, Lydia Gomez, Patrick Chaiken, and Kerstin Johansson. My hope is to encourage mostly kids, but also everyone of all ages, to read about nature and tree-related topics, learn to take care of books, learn how to use a tree guide, and be encouraged to plant wildflower seeds. Additionally, kids will learn about trees and nature as a whole. I hope this project will encourage people to pay attention to their communities and possibly inspire future projects that anyone can accomplish.

What’s been most rewarding about getting involved in this way?

The most rewarding thing about getting involved as a Community Climate Ambassador was being able to contribute to the 2021 Climate Equity Plan and be a voice for my community. I’m very grateful that I was able to be involved in the discussions and listen to professionals and regular everyday people give their input, as well as provide my own.

With the little free library, I’ve had fun being able to get some experience with woodworking, painting, and applications such as Canva. However, the most rewarding part had to be when I showed my nephew the painted version, and his mouth opened wide. Seeing the excited look on his face made me so proud to be impacting so many young minds for the future.

Another way I have gotten involved recently has been becoming a new Tri-Chair for the Youth Leadership Working Group of the Cities Connecting Children to Nature Initiative. In this position, I am able to collaborate with other Tri-Chairs and facilitate discussions involving equity, inclusion, and the environment. The most rewarding thing about this position has been being able to spark important discussions with youth like me and hear meaningful perspectives.

What’s been the toughest part?

The toughest part of working on the little free library has been time management with getting everything done. Unfortunately, building the little free library took more time than expected, and deadlines would be set back frequently, but I am still on track to completing it on time. Another challenge, in the beginning, was feeling like I had taken on a bit too much. However, with help from others and my supervisors, I’ve been able to come a long way and hope to continue contributing to my community in many ways.

The only challenge I faced as a Climate Ambassador was the feeling of intimidation because I felt like I wasn’t qualified enough. This imposter syndrome came from working with very intellectual adults who had much experience and ideas to give. Getting over this took realizing the importance of youth-adult partnerships and understanding that I had a voice to give and could contribute just as much as anyone else.

It seems like you’ve had the opportunity to work in a lot of intentionally intergenerational spaces. Why do you think it’s important to work in this way, and what qualities do you think are needed to make intergenerational collaborations successful?

Working in intergenerational spaces is very important to give young people a voice and diminish the idea that young people don’t have much experience or something to contribute to conversations and projects. Additionally, youth are the ones who will be able to enjoy what’s left after adults, so they should definitely be a part of the change.

Both youth and adults can benefit from one another and gain new insight, knowledge, and perspective on ideas. For intergenerational collaborations to be successful, everyone involved must be willing to engage, give others a voice, stay supportive, be respectful, and focus on the goal of collaboration without judgment.

What advice do you have for others?

Networking will come in handy! If you ever need a job, reference letter, or a mentor, the professionals you meet along the way will always help out! Don’t be afraid to reach out and meet others that might be able to refer you to other organizations and possibilities.

To learn more about Austin’s Net-Zero Goal and the Community Climate Ambassadors, view the Austin Climate Equity Plan.

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