I attended the advocacy training presented by the Coastal Conservation League that focused on understanding how to advocate for laws that would limit plastic pollution. They explained how their group fights for or against certain bills to ensure that Charleston’s waters are being safeguarded against plastic pollution. It was emphasized how they could not do this alone. Fighting for or against a bill requires a large group of people who care about the issue to show government officials that more people beyond the Coastal Conservation League believe in this issue and want change. We were told different ways we could show our support to this group and their mission. Sending emails and calling our representatives seems to be the most successful way in ensuring government officials know that people do want to change their communities. This was very helpful advice to me as I have begun to make changes in my life in hopes of lessening my impact on the environment. Advocating for laws that would force businesses and citizens to adopt some of these changes as well would be a way I can continue to help the environment. This event informed me about laws that are currently being debated and how they could potentially affect the future of Charleston. This group will provide me with a way to access useful information now and in the future allowing me to be more informed and involved with the environmental movement in Charleston. I am majoring in Marine Biology and hope to one day be involved with marine conservation, so this information extremely relevant to my interests. This group showed me that anyone can make a difference by doing something as simple as calling or emailing their representative to ensure they understand the beliefs of their constituents. I plan to put these actions into use to help advocate for a more sustainable Charleston. I’ve realized how important this is since learning more about climate change and being introduced to the idea of the Anthropocene. We are living in a world that has been greatly altered by humans. It’s now time that we alter the planet for the better. Supporting laws that do things, such as ban plastics bags, is a step in the right direction. Economy largely influences the environment, so forcing big businesses to adopt more sustainable practices will help limit our negative impact on the world. Forcing big businesses to make more sustainable decisions also relates to social equity another big influencer on the environment. By banning the use and creation of goods that are toxic to the environment, fewer people will be exposed to pollution from these businesses and their products. It is often those with a lower socioeconomic status that suffer the most from things like pollution. We saw this in Flint Michigans water crisis. Holding businesses to a higher standard will hopefully limit this exploitation. Looking at the issue of plastic pollution we can see the tree aspects of the triple bottom line working together. Understanding this system has allowed me to better understand environmental issues and how they should be handled.