Sustainability Q&A: Anna Belinski
What is your year and/or major/position and department?
I am an incoming senior double majoring in Sociology and Environmental Studies.
What does sustainability mean to you?
To me, sustainability means living/creating/producing in a way that is harmonious with the natural environment. It means being able to sustain both what it is you are practicing and the health and well-being of the environment indefinitely.
How have you been involved in promoting sustainability on campus?
On campus, getting involved in promoting sustainability was a priority of mine from when I first stepped on Gonzaga’s campus. I have been involved in the Fossil Free Gonzaga divestment campaign since my freshman year, I worked as the GSBA Sustainability Chair my sophomore year, and I now work in the Office of Sustainability as a Student Engagement Coordinator. I also founded Mend it Monday, a bi-semester pop-up of volunteers who mend people’s clothes for free with the intention to combat fast fashion and encouraging people to use what they already have. I also run the Instagram account @zerowastezag in an effort to promote and share my experiences living a zero waste life and inspire the Gonzaga community to reduce their waste.
What are some things you do in your personal life to live sustainably?
In my personal life, the biggest thing I do is live zero waste. This means that as I go through my days, my goal is to send nothing to the landfill (or incinerator plant, in Spokane’s case). I love the challenge it adds to my everyday life and the excitement it brings whenever I’m in a new situation and I need to figure out how to get through it without producing trash.
I also work hard to reduce my carbon footprint by walking or biking everywhere. As a general rule of thumb, if something is within 2miles, I’ll bike or walk instead of drive. So my daily work commutes, most grocery shopping, and most social outings for me I do without my car.
How could Gonzaga continue to improve its sustainability efforts?
I think it is important for our university to “put its money where its mouth is” and divest our endowment from fossil fuels. Through the efforts of our Office of Sustainability, Gonzaga is doing well and continuing to grow in its environmental awareness and practical applications of sustainability. But our university continues to generate revenue from the exploitation of natural resources that contribute to climate change; the effects of which disproportionally affect the poor and vulnerable populations, exactly those which Gonzaga it committed to supporting.
How will you continue to promote sustainability after you leave Gonzaga?
I plan to dedicate my career and life to promoting sustainability. After graduation, I hope to attend law school and go on to become and environmental lawyer. As well, I plan to continue living as sustainable life as I can and promoting environmental awareness and sustainability in my personal life.
