Taking Action, Making Change Panel
While research shows the importance of awareness as a necessary first step for behavioral change, research also shows that awareness is necessary but not sufficient. The complexity of issues such as climate change, the immensity of our waste problem, and the prevalence of systemic environmental injustices happening on a local, national, and global scale often prevents people from acting. These issues can create a "feeling of deep lethargy," people wondering "What's the use?" or "What can we possibly do?". However, some individuals decide to take action and initiate change in their own communities and organizations with the goal to create broader changes at the societal level.
We were thrilled to be joined by a panel of four passionate changemakers and innovators, who are all working to make change happen. Our panelists have taken on the challenge of “designing waste out” through their work with community fridges, youth programming, creating recycling pipelines, zero waste education, and community organizing in order to create a more sustainable, equitable, and inclusive future for all.
Thank you to our panelists: Zenat Begum (Founder of Playground Coffee Shop & Playground Youth), Brigitte Vicenty (Founder of Inner City Green Team), Monalisa Prasad (Director of Sustainability for NYU Eats, Chartwells Higher Education), and Daneille Foster-Russell (Emergency Fresh Food Box Program Manager at GrowNYC).