Sustainability Q&A: Abigail Folchi

What is your year and major?

I am a soon to be junior double majoring in biology and environmental sciences. This summer I have a paid internship with Plumas Corporation, a non-profit organization, which focuses on repairing degraded mountain meadow ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

What does sustainability mean to you?

In its intrinsic sense sustainability means the capacity to undergo, to survive. Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist harmoniously to support life on Earth now, and for many generations of organisms to come.

How have you been involved in promoting sustainability on campus?

On campus I walk or ride my bike everywhere, to class, to the store, because I do not have a car at school. I only use reusable containers for food and beverages. I minimize paper waste by using my computer as much as possible over paper notes. I use natural light to do homework and study, and often work by candle light.

What are some things you do in your personal life to live sustainably?

I limit my meat consumption to 1 to 2 times a week to reduce my carbon footprint. I buy little to no processed foods to avoid plastic packaging and consume mostly raw fruits and vegetables. I spent most of my time outdoors, hiking, kayaking, swimming to enjoy and utilize the outdoors. I think that is the most important aspect of sustainability, to appreciate the outdoors and the wildlife right outside your door. Acknowledging your surroundings, learning about the needs of organisms outside of humans helps people care. I hand wash and air dry all of my clothes. Lastly, I have started a home compost pile this summer that my immediate family and grandparents use.

How could Gonzaga continue to improve its sustainability efforts?

Limit processed food, so much trash is generated from food packaging. Encourage composting and have a site available for students to put their composting materials. Offer students clothes lines and drying racks in the laundry rooms to encourage air drying rather than using the dryer. Remove washing machines in suits to encourage hand washing dishes, which can save almost 5000 gallons of water per year. Our campus should ultimately strive to use all alternative energy to fuel all our energy needs. Use wind, solar, geothermal whatever as long as it isn’t coal or oil.

How will you continue to promote sustainability after you leave Gonzaga?

I am going to continue the steps I have taken in my personal life to be more environmentally friendly. I am planning to join the environmental club where I will have a bit more say, and a louder voice for the student body to hear. Also, I think encouraging your friends to live more sustainably is a great way to promote sustainability. For example, my best friend used to always brush her teeth with the water flowing. It always bothered me, so one day I spoke up and said nicely,” Bridge, shut the faucet off while you are brushing your teeth, you’re wasting water” she laughed and I said “no really, think about it.” To this day she shuts off the water when she brushes her teeth. Little wins are wins, and though we need large action and policy to change the course us humans are currently on, progress is progress and as long as we are all striving to continually live more and more sustainable with each passing day those minuscule moments add up to make really big change. We all must take measures to cut our consumption, to save this planet, to live more sustainably. We must do this in our daily lives, thinking through it all during every election. We must all act upon it.

Sustainability at Gonzaga

We advance a rich practice of sustainability consistent with our Jesuit and institutional values.

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