By Katie Koenig
Introducing Homa Sarabi
Homa Sarabi is the Director of Production Safety and Sustainability on campus. Although I spoke with her for less time than I did with other staff and faculty members, just like everyone in this series, she still had plenty to say.
Work with Emerson
Homa has had the opportunity to work with the Engagement Lab’s new initiative, Transforming Narratives for Environmental Justice. She teaches courses directly focused on environmental justice within the Engagement Lab and also connects the topic to her other classes. As a staff member connected to film production through the oversight of student productions, she emphasized the importance for her and her department to create a platform that supports student engagement with sustainable practices.
One of the major ways for students to engage in production sustainability is through the Green Production Program, which offers certifications for general works, and even prizes for Capstone projects if they adhere to the sustainable guidelines when producing.
Homa also sponsors the Teach-In on Sustainability. She herself presented during this year’s Teach-In, and also has collaborated to get other speakers for the event. Homa also mentioned that, by providing various workshops and talks for students and other members of campus to discuss sustainability in their work and projects, good energy and momentum for sustainability practices will naturally result.
Work Outside of Emerson
A personal anecdote Homa mentioned to me was her current film project focused on Crystal Lake, a pond in Massachusetts that has been a battleground between legal policies, economic justice, and environmental movements.
Depending on where you live, and the infrastructure and businesses available to you, you have different access to sustainable practices. Often, low-income and marginalized communities face significant impacts and challenges from climate change, and have less access to sustainable practices, even as simple as public transit access. Although I won’t fully go into the details in this article, I strongly encourage you to read this Princeton article that explains it in more depth, if you are interested.
Personal Strategies
Another thing Homa mentioned was consumer culture. She explained that she finds it important to shop only when necessary. She mentioned that it was a combination of inflation and avoiding hyperconsumption, for her. Still, even just by limiting excessive buying, it can give you time and energy to focus on activities rather than objects. Rather than buying clothes you end up donating at the end of the semester, practically unworn, you could take a walk down the esplanade, go out with friends, or any number of activities. Even activities that do have a price tag may be more interesting than shopping, like seeing a movie at the AMC.
Homa also relies heavily on public transportation to get wherever she’s going. Despite the issues with Boston’s public transit, it still allows a wide range of movement throughout Greater Boston. Still, it’s not as useful as it could be, especially recently with constant Green Line shutdowns. There are shuttle buses that travel across the areas that are shut down, but they can still be confusing and difficult to navigate. For me, if I have time and it’s not too far, I often walk instead of taking the bus.
These transit issues aren’t the kind of thing that individuals can directly change, however. Homa mentioned the importance of getting involved in state politics to increase support of public transit infrastructure. Whether through voting, protests, or just calling your representative, there are many ways to get involved and encourage change on a local level. For Emerson students living in the dorms, their Massachusetts representatives are Senator Nick Collins and Representative Aaron Michlewitz. For those in the Paramount dorms, however, those are Senator Lydia Edwards and Representative Michlewitz.
Suggestions for Students
Homa mentioned several things that I’ve already explained that students can implement in their own lives on and off campus—getting involved in both local politics and public transit being a couple of examples. However, she also brought up the importance of minimizing food waste. Rather than leaving it as a secondary thought after your eating habits, you can turn it into a more central part of your daily habits. Even just by getting less food than you need—instead, getting into the habit of going for seconds when you are hungry for it—such habits lessen food waste by design.