Maddy Yarosh

Professor Milazzo

RPTM 220-001

28 April 2024

Sustainability Personal Statement

Throughout my life, I have always tried to be mindful of the effects that my activity has

on the health of the Earth. I make efforts to reuse grocery bags, recycle plastics, collect trash in

nature and properly dispose of it, and use biodegradable products. My Sustainability, Society,

and Well-being class has shown that while my efforts are important, there are still more

opportunities to live my life more sustainably as well as advocating for others to adopt those

ideals/practices. Climate change is a consistent theme throughout this course that has long-

lasting implications for the health of the Earth. The different aspects of how climate is affected

by human activity have opened my eyes to different short- and long-term steps I can take to try

and make an impact. One short-term step I can take is a change in my food consumption. I am an

open-minded person and willing to try new types of food. A way to reduce my consumption of

animal products would be to use alternatives such as tofu, tempeh, and other substitutes. This

change will help reduce the amount of CO2 being released as a result of my purchase of animal

products. The manner in which I travel is through a gas-powered vehicle. This is an area where I

would like to switch to a hybrid or an electric car as it would limit the use of gas and CO2

emissions. As of right now, I am unable to afford the purchase of a new car making this a long-

term goal of mine. The idea of sustainable tourism has become another important topic of mine

as I have a passion for travel. I was fully aware of the impacts that flight travel has on the
environment but was not aware of the acute and local impacts of tourism. For example, the idea

of leakage was a new term and now it hurts the local economy centered around resorts and other

foreign tourism companies. Leakage occurs when revenue earned by a resort is cycled back into

themselves and the foreign shareholders of the company without giving it back to the country it

is established. This creates a cycle of exploitation of these destinations and builds a further

divide among people. A way to combat leakage is to support local businesses in the area a tourist

visits. This ensures that the local economy is being stimulated through monetary efforts and

allows for support for the community and the betterment of the people who live there. The

urgency that is present throughout the course has provided a source of further motivation to

continue and develop a more sustainable life.