Julie Cahillane
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 366 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO3.0advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO6.0disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO7.0meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO180minutesspent exercising
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UP TO165minutesspent learning
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UP TO7.7pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO3.3pounds of paperhave been saved
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UP TO3.0public officials or leaderscontacted
Julie's actions
Health
Exercise Daily
Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.
Food
Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
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.
Waste
Prevent Recycling Contamination
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 15 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
Waste
Use a Reusable Mug
I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.
Health
Happiness
I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.
Community
Express My Support
I will find out who in my state makes decisions that impact the environment and express my support for more environmental actions.
Waste
Go Paperless
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.
Community
Support Native Communities
I will use the resource links provided below 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.
Energy
Organize a Course
I will organize one of Ecochallenge.org's discussion courses, such as Powering a Bright Future, with classmate, friends, co-workers, or family.
Energy
Online Energy Audit
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
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.
Health
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?
Health
Eliminate Toxic Plastics
I will avoid buying toxic plastics - including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl - and instead replace them with durable non-plastic options.
Food
Try a New Way to Prep
I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.
Food
Organize a Course
I will organize one of Ecochallenge.org's discussion courses on food sustainability - 'Menu for the Future' or 'Hungry for Change' with my family, friends, co-workers, or classmates.
Food
Smart Seafood Choices
I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.
Waste
Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.
Waste
Find Local Recycling Depots
I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.
Health
Support Pollution Reduction
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.
Health
Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
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.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Energy
Learn About Renewable Energy
I will spend 30 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.
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.
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.
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?
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Julie Cahillane 4/30/2020 12:31 PMIt's been so great to 'see' you all in this challenge learning, doing, and supporting our Northwestern team! It has made our virtual Earth Month more tangible for me. Thank you all! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth HappinessHow does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?
Julie Cahillane 4/22/2020 3:17 PMI think this is one of the more critical things we should all be doing right now. Everyone needs a little kindness, especially when coping with challenging times. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others. Let go of judgement. It is important for our collective emotional and mental health. We are all in this life, pandemic, and this planet, together. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Power Down the ComputerWhat are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?
Julie Cahillane 4/20/2020 8:57 AMA thought on powering down and well-being... when we work from home, it can be difficult to 'turn off' work. But it is important for well-being to separate work from home life, and make sure you are stepping away from work on off hours. Powering down your computer is one way to do this. Turn it off, step away, don't let the pings of email/teams alerts/etc. constantly draw you back to work when you should be focusing on personal time. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Weekly Meal PlanningAn average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four in the US spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?
Julie Cahillane 4/10/2020 8:38 AMThe amount of food we waste is shocking. This time of sheltering-in-place and reduced trips to the grocery store is a great opportunity to get better at shopping and meal planning. Take stock of what you have and make a plan to use it all. This will reduce waste, lower your spend, and limit the number of times you need to be out and about when we should all be doing our best to stay at home. And it's a good way to train ourselves to use what we have instead of running to the store frequently to get that one more ingredient that we can probably do without. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Adjust the ThermostatYour 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?
Julie Cahillane 4/10/2020 8:30 AMTake advantage of daylighting! Remember to turn off the lights when sunlight is streaming into the room. It's good to take stretch breaks when at your desk all day. Use that time to remember to turn off lights you might have needed first thing in the morning but no longer need when the sun is higher and shining into your windows.