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October 7 - October 28, 2020
Andrew O'Toole's avatar

Andrew O'Toole

Hennebery Eddy Architects

"learn how to be a better resident of my new neighborhood"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,142 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    286
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    10
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    22
    miles
    not traveled by car
  • UP TO
    22
    miles
    traveled by foot
  • UP TO
    225
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    12
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    3.9
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    22
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    30
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    22
    whole food meals
    consumed

Andrew's actions

Waste

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

Do at Home

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Whole Foods Diet

Do at Home

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

Do at Home

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Go Paperless

Do at Home

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Support Native Communities

Do at Home

I will use the resource links provided and spend 30 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Learn About Trans, Femme, and Nonbinary Experiences

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the experiences of trans, femme, and/or nonbinary people.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Sign Up to Vote

Do at Home

I will make sure I’m registered to vote. While I’m at it, I’ll sign up to help others register too!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Do at Home

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

Do at Home

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Eco-Friendly Gardening

Do at Home

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Core Values

Do at Home

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Family Game Hour

Do at Home

I will spend quality time with family and friends by playing low-tech game(s) and/or through the spirit of imagination.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those around the world who produce my food in order to make better choices when I shop.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Walk Instead

I will walk 1 mile(s) each day instead of driving and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

Do at Home

I will reduce food waste and save money by prepping for 1 meal(s) each day, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Compost Food Waste

Do at Home

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Support a Sharing Economy

Do at Home

I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

Do at Home

I will replace 10 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
    How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/28/2020 8:16 AM
    I have been particularly intrigued by visible mending. The idea is that once you rip, tear, or wear through a piece of clothing, instead of replacing it you find a way to fix the damage in a beautiful or intentional way. You can make the repair contrast with the clothing, or make it blend in. This creates a story for your clothes, kind of like a cool scar! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Support Pollution Reduction
    What environmental factors affect human health in your region, and how do they affect it?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/28/2020 8:04 AM
    The effects of climate change became painfully evident during this summer's wildfire season. We also have a lot to do in terms of water quality in our city's waterways, winter air quality, cleaning up trash from our streets, noise, and light pollution.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Find Local Recycling Depots
    Our ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors, including market demand for recyclables. Luckily there are places that accept uncommon things to recycle or dispose of in a less harmful way. What did you find when looking for places to recycle items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/27/2020 2:49 PM
    I was surprised to learn about the reusable 6-pack holders that you can drop off at the grocery store (they can also be recycled in the bin, but then they don't get reused). There are a number of breweries around town that pick up those holders from those stores to clean and reuse them.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home
    To what extent do environmental factors contribute to your own health or issues with health?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/27/2020 9:48 AM
    With all of the recent wildfires it became clear how much a reduction in air quality affects quality of life. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Learn About Trans, Femme, and Nonbinary Experiences
    How is equality for trans, femme, and nonbinary people important to a just and sustainable society?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/26/2020 3:49 PM
    It's not truly sustainable if it doesn't include everyone.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Go Paperless
    Reducing your paper mail can reduce mental clutter as well as physical waste -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/26/2020 1:16 PM
    The point about mental clutter is an important one. When I was identifying paper bills that I could switch to online bill pay, I also found a lot of emails and physical mailing lists to unsubscribe from.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Support Native Communities
    Indigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/26/2020 11:31 AM
    All living things use resources to survive, but they also contribute resources. When things get out of balance, natural forces come into play that restore that balance. As a species we take more than we give, sustainability is trying to figure out how to bring that equation back into equilibrium.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Eco-Friendly Gardening
    What are the most prominent water concerns in your area? Examples include drought, flooding, pollution, access, security, and privatization.

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/26/2020 9:12 AM
    We just got out of a horrific wildfire season where the climate changed-based effects of drought were put on display. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Fix Leaky Faucets
    Fixing leaky faucets is one of the tasks that we can easily put off until later. Good job on completing this action! How will you use the momentum from completing this action to increase your water efficiency in other ways?

    Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/23/2020 9:07 AM
    The next step is to try to reduce the amount of water used completing various tasks. For instance, rinsing dishes with the faucet vs. using a bowl in the sink and a sponge to wipe things down, taking shorter showers, and watering plants at the right time of the day so you don't lose all of that to evaporation. 

  • Andrew O'Toole's avatar
    Andrew O'Toole 10/23/2020 8:57 AM
    Woo, we're in the final stretch!