Elnora Hawley

I have often thought about how grateful I am for VM's ORCA annual passport benefit; $50/year to ride unlimited transit to commute to work... if I drive to the Metro building, park for $28/day, that's about equal to 2 days of parking!! Not to mention costs of gas, car wear and tear, and frustration of driving in traffic.  Bussing is a no brainer for me.

It should come as no surprise (sadly) that there are many barriers to women's equal participation/representation in practically all areas of life, around the globe.  Just googling this topic presents a wide array of articles about all of these different inequities.  The most compelling information I found was about the various groups that are being established globally to promote women's equal participation and representation in the political process, where women can have a strong influence.  This was a great starting point to learn more: https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment/addressing-gender-programming/strengthening-womens

I was surprised that I already knew a lot about the practices of regenerative agriculture, because I shop at my neighborhood farmer's market weekly and have relationships with a lot of the farm vendors.  They are always knowledgeable and willing to share information about their farming practices, and it feels great to know where your food is coming from as much as possible.  I did some research on this site and here was one of the best summary descriptions below:

Regenerative Agriculture includes systems of farming that reverse the loss of biodiversity, enrich soils, store carbon, restore watershed health, and increase ecosystem services, while eliminating the release of toxins and pollutants. Regenerative Agriculture increases yield efficiency, resilience to climate fluctuation, and strengthens health and vitality of all the members of our communities, now and for generations to come. These systems draw from decades of scientific and applied research by many global communities, including those working on organic farming, agroecology, Holistic Management, ecological restoration, and agroforestry. –Paul Ceregrino http://www.regenerativeagriculturedefinition.com/

There are some great resources out there - which I read this morning while riding the bus to work!  One great article has a lot of links to other great resources on how food choices contribute to climate change, and alternative solutions to reduce the impact: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorinfries/2019/01/09/reversing-global-warming-through-our-food-choices/#3aeaef054c2b

There's a link to a Ted talk which is informative, a link to learn more about regenerative agriculture (the answer to modern day agriculture which produces greenhouse gasses) as well as ideas for dietary modifications that can all help this cause.

During my weekly grocery shop, I pick up a bag of coffee beans to make my coffee for the week (I say NO to plastic K-cups and am sad that this is our only coffee option at VM HR).  I found this great brand - Ethical Bean - at PCC, and it is also available on Amazon Prime!  They are fair trade certified, have a lot of amazing sustainability programs that they do - including a bag return program:  http://www.ethicalbean.com/coffee-bag-return/
Check it out! 

Even with the plastic bag ban in Seattle, many retailers still give you paper bags, some with a glossy coating and string handles that can't be recycled.  I have made it a point to carry around 1-2 foldable, reusable bags in my work bag in case I decide to do any shopping downtown on the way home.  I also keep reusable grocery bags and produce bags in my car for shopping trips.  Then, you don't even need to use paper at all.