Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Blake Buchanan

PLNU BUS 4075 SP21 Sustainability in Action

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
868 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

15

conversations

with people
UP TO

1,076

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

82

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

50

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

17

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

176

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted

Blake's actions

Action Track: Building Resilience

Learn More about Food Apartheid

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Advocate for Greener Vehicles

I will spend at least 10 minutes assessing the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on fuel-efficient vehicles.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 10 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Talk To My Friends and Classmates

I will decide which social or environmental issue in my community is most important to me and tell 3 friends and/or classmates each day about the issue.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Power Down the Computer

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

COMPLETED 41
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Support A Sharing Economy

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 42
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Adjust the Thermostat

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 38
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 42
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 38
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 37
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?

Blake Buchanan 4/21/2021 8:02 AM

I had the chance to speak with a friend that works at Trader Joe's in Liberty Station. She was pulling food (specifically bread items) off of the shelf due to them being close to expiration dates. After watching the documentary, "Just Eat It", I had to ask... where is this food going if it is being taken off the shelves? I was pleased to hear that they have started donating these items to local humanitarian efforts as well and food banks. They're creating impact through indirect pressure on other chains such as Ralphs and Vons.

Read More
Blake Buchanan 4/12/2021 7:52 AM

I recently looked into some hunting and fishing licenses back home. I wanted to make sure of where the money went so I researched to validate that its true 100% of the profit going directly to conservation and restoration. The license money cannot, by law, be used for any other purpose other than state wildlife and conservation programs. Such a great example of great policy.

Read More
Blake Buchanan 4/02/2021 8:50 AM

Yesterday I ordered Chipotle online and saw a unique new statistic they put in the order summary. They track what they call the "real foodprint" which shows the reduction of carbon in atmosphere, supported organic land, and antibiotics avoided. They show these stats per online order in the app and keep record of the impact of your orders throughout the year. Order some today, wicked cool.

Read More