Ecochallenge.org

2020 People's Ecochallenge

October 7 - October 28, 2020

Mary White

West Campus Green Team

"My mission is to continually learn how to better my impact on the environment, and then put that learning to action."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
515 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

pounds

waste composted
UP TO

11

people

helped
UP TO

95

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

12

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

20

conversations

with people
UP TO

5.0

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

125

minutes

spent learning

Mary's actions

Food

Locally-Sourced Meals

Do at Home

I will source 1 meal(s) each day from local producers.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

Do at Home

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

Do at Home

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

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

Community

Help Others

Do at Home

I will offer to help 3 person(s) who are in need each day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

Do at Home

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

Do at Home

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided when I have to print documents.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Calculate the Carbon Footprint of my Household

Do at Home

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Research Voter Suppression

Do at Home

I will spend at least 15 minutes finding out what local laws, policies, and practices keep people from voting in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Offset for Climate Justice

Do at Home

Greenhouse gases found in old refrigerants are up to 10,900 times more potent than carbon dioxide. I will help eliminate these gases through the purchase of offset credits to ensure we all have a planet we can thrive on.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

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

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Learn About Trans, Femme, and Nonbinary Experiences

Do at Home

I will spend 15 minutes learning about the experiences of trans, femme, and/or nonbinary people.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Forgiveness

Do at Home

I will begin, or continue, on the journey of forgiving myself and/or other(s). I may do this through journaling, meditation, prayer, and/or talking with a licensed healthcare professional.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Engage In Active Listening

Do at Home

I will practice actively listening to a friend, family member, co-worker, acquaintance, or someone who I may disagree with in at least 15 conversations.

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

Nature

Explore My Area

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

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?

Mary White 10/28/2020 8:47 PM
I am so proud of all of you! You all stepped up to the plate and maybe tried some new things that you can continue! Keep challenge yourself!!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?
Mary White 10/28/2020 8:44 PM
Taking time to just breathe fresh air or to observe a new outdoor scenery, can give you serotonin and uplift your mood in an instant! Often times we are on autopilot and we don't look up and see our surroundings. LOOK UP AT THE SKY! LOOK AT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU! get your eyes off your phone!

Read More
- madi b-wells 10/28/2020 9:07 PM
  yes mary i agree 100%!! spending time outside can really change my whole mood around, it's amazing :)
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

What are the ways in which voters are prohibited from or discouraged from voting in your region and/or state? What could be done to get rid of these barriers?
Mary White 10/28/2020 7:36 PM
In Beverly Hills, recently, people have traveled over to intimate voters to vote for Trump. They would intimate by saying "We have your plates", "We know where you live" and etc. This woman posted a video of them yelling at her while she was waiting at a stoplight in her car. She then reported them, but she shared how difficult the process is. She shared that the Board of Elections said there was nothing they could do. There MUST be something they can do, they have video proof of the voter intimidation.

Read More
- madi b-wells 10/28/2020 9:09 PM
  oh my gosh, this is the first time i've heard of this ;(. this is so wrong on so many levels
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

Why is voting important to creating a just, sustainable, and thriving world? In what other ways can you actively participate in important decision-making?
Mary White 10/28/2020 7:27 PM
VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! This election is so important to our future, especially the future of our environment! If you can not vote like myself, there are making things you can still do! For example, volunteering at polling booths, emailing your representatives, signing government petitions, and safely participating in protests!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing and Renewal

What was it like to actively listen to someone? How did both people and the conversation(s) benefit from active listening?
Mary White 10/28/2020 7:22 PM
It is very important, especially in this day in age, to talk to people of opposite political views to not only challenge your views and thinking but to not further contribute to the severe divide in this country! Actively listening includes not interrupting, being respectful/civil, and in the end, the two persons' views and ideologies should have grown.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

Choosing two-sided printing can be an easy adjustment on your computer settings. How can you help others make this same switch? Can it be encouraged company wide?
Mary White 10/27/2020 9:25 PM
Due to online learning, most of the assignments I do are online but, sometimes I need to work it out on paper to visualize it. Printing double-sided is literally so easy, just a click of a button and you not only save money but become more sustainable. An easy way to maybe help people make this switch is for double-sided to be the default printing format. I know myself and a lot of people barely think about double-sided printing, and just single-sided print unconsciously. I really only use single-sided print for important essays or projects I have to turn in, which is not much of what I am printing.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?
Mary White 10/27/2020 9:20 PM
It was super easy to go down to the local nursery and either buy a package of herb seeds or already grown herbs. I decided to take these big pots in my backyard that were empty and transplant some basil, rosemary, thyme, and cilantro. These are the herbs most used in my household! Using these empty pots is really easy with my current lifestyle, during lunch or in the morning, I can tend to the plants and get a chance to go outside!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?
Mary White 10/27/2020 9:15 PM
One food choice I can make is by eating fewer animal products, the amount of resources it takes for the animal product industry vs. the plant production industry is insane!!!! Also, not to mention the pure amount of methane that cows produce which is harmful to our atmosphere and the overall environment!!!

Read More
- Leah Karren 10/28/2020 8:28 PM
  GIRL YESSSS PREACH IT TO EM. methane = DX but plant-based meals = XD
  
  Read More
Mary White 10/25/2020 8:15 PM
It's really nice to have a way to have something to challenge myself and see in what areas I can improve on, whether it be waste, energy, or food. The eco-challenge shows us different ways to help the environment we may haven't even thought of!

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