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Welcome to 2020 People's Ecochallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an 2020 People's Ecochallenge expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org
2020 People's Ecochallenge
October 7 - October 28, 2020
Tom Peterson's avatar

Tom Peterson

KEEN Utility Sales

"Collective efforts yield impactful results... "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 398 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    2.0
    documentaries
    watched
  • UP TO
    275
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    180
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    408
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    643
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    17
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill

Tom's actions

Nature

Spend Time Outside

Do at Home

I will replace 15 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Healthy Sleep

Do at Home

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 20 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Watch a Documentary about Racial Injustice

Do at Home

I will watch 2 documentary(ies) about systemic racism.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Adjust the Thermostat

Do at Home

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

Do at Home

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Do at Home

Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate. I will keep 3 container(s) out of the landfill each day.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

Do at Home

I will replace 20 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

  • Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/20/2020 10:51 AM
    I was on vacation last week, so didn't log on much.  However, we traveled to Arizona to visit family.  Usually we fly, but this time we drove (750 miles), mostly to avoid the airports during the pandemic, but it also had a benefit of reducing our airline impact.  It's much cheaper to drive to Arizona that to purchase 4 round trip tickets.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Adjust the Thermostat
    Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your ZIP code, region, and/or state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?
    Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/20/2020 10:49 AM
    It still gets pretty warm during the afternoons in my area, but I have found that by opening the house early in the morning and dropping the inside temperature, I can avoid using the AC at all during this time of year.  It's usually in the mid 50s in the mornings and gets up to the 90s in the afternoons.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Simplicity Less Screen Time
    What did you notice in implementing this challenge? Was it hard to choose other activities over screen time? How did you decide to spend your time?
    Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/20/2020 10:45 AM
    I have stopped using my phone right before bed, which saves about 10-30 minutes of screen time and allows for more sleep.  Instead of reading on my phone I will read a magazine or book, but don't make it too far before falling asleep anyways.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Healing and Renewal Healthy Sleep
    Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What are you finding works for you to be successful in this action?
    Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/20/2020 10:44 AM
    I have found so far that not using my phone right before bed helps me fall asleep faster, which equates to about 10-30 minutes extra sleep per night.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Reduce Single-Use Disposables
    What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What did you substitute or could be substituted instead?
    Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/20/2020 10:43 AM
    I use plastic ziploc bags a lot when packing my son's school lunch.  During this time of eco-challenge, I have used tupperwares for some of his lunch items instead, saving anywhere from 1-3 plastic bags daily.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Watch a Documentary about Racial Injustice
    What did you learn about racial injustice in the documentary(ies) you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of sustainability?
    Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/20/2020 10:41 AM
    I watched "A Life On Our Planet," and while it focuses more on the global health of our planet, it also speaks to the impact colonization has had on specific areas - for the people and for the animals that are indigenous to an area.  An example is the oil palm fields in Borneo that have reduced the forests for orangutans so that they're population has fallen by about 1/2.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
    How does food sovereignty address the complex transition from localized food systems to modern global food systems?
    Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/20/2020 10:36 AM
    When food is grown, harvested and purchased locally, it supports a vast web of health and wealth within a specific community.  It supports local growers, it reduces transportation and packing costs, and it's usually healthier for the ground/water nearby.
    Read More
  • Tom Peterson's avatar
    Tom Peterson 10/07/2020 10:15 AM
    Working from home mostly during this eco challenge season, so I will be saving a lot of water bottles and cups.
    Read More