ShaSha Kingston
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 616 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO6.0disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO3.0locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO145minutesspent learning
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UP TO59plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO59plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO14plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO10poundswaste composted
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UP TO131pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO5.3pounds of paperhave been saved
ShaSha's actions
Waste
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.
Community
Host A Watch Party
I will host a watch party to screen a documentary about an issue that matters to me.
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
Learn About Renewable Energy
I will spend 30 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.
Energy
Use an Energy Meter
I will use an energy meter to monitor my energy use and identify opportunities to save power.
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
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.
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 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
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
Visit A Local Farm
I will visit a nearby farm to pick my own fruits and veggies.
Action Track: Building Resilience
Support Businesses Owned by People of Color
Racial inequity is both a sustainability and justice problem. I will support businesses owned by people of color in my community whenever I shop.
Action Track: Building Resilience
Support Local Pollinators
At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.
Action Track: Building Resilience
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.
Action Track: Building Resilience
Buy From a Farmers Market
I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.
Waste
Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.
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.
Waste
Carry my Trash
I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.
Waste
Choose Two-Sided Printing
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.
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.
Waste
Compost Food Waste
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.
Waste
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and POC-majority neighborhoods. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.
Waste
Use Reusable Bags
If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
Waste
Use a Reusable Mug
I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.
Waste
Skip the Straw
Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.
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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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Visit A Local FarmHow do our current food growing and manufacturing processes affect our future and the future of Earth?
ShaSha Kingston 5/01/2021 2:13 PMOur food growing and manufacturing processes affect our future greatly. If we deplete soil fertility and continue to erode our Earth, we'll keep having to move to new land and destroy more and more habitat for our crops. However, if we start implementing low-hydraulic/low-carbon farming systems, this could not only help with saving our land and habitats, but also have the capacity to produce more food and address world hunger issues. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Building Resilience Support Local PollinatorsWhy is it important to take care of pollinators?
ShaSha Kingston 5/01/2021 2:10 PMIt's important to take care of pollinators since our crop demand is high and pollinators are essential in the environment as keystone species. Crops provide food for everyone since plants are at the base of the food web, and successful pollination is what is going to help sustain crop yield for years to come. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Building Resilience Support Businesses Owned by People of ColorA recent Keen Independent Research Foundation study found that Minority Businesses Enterprises (MBEs) are more likely to have difficulties in receiving loans or city contracts. In what ways can you work to address systemic racism like that demonstrated in this study?
ShaSha Kingston 4/30/2021 2:26 PMOn an individual level, I can encourage my friends and community members to shop at minority-run businesses to support these people financially. However, in order to cause systemic change and combat issues like racism this needs to be conducted at a policy level, including writing to legislatures, showing up at protests, and advocating as a group to address these larger issues. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Learn About & Practice Sustainable FashionHow can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?
ShaSha Kingston 4/30/2021 2:22 PMUp-cycling and participating in clothing swaps are two things I'd like to do more of. When I was a kid I loved remaking clothes into something new, such as cutting shirts and making accessories out of old socks. Recently I've been embroidering clothes I've gotten bored of to re-excite myself into wearing them and I think that this is a creative option! Also, we just hosted a clothing swap and it was super fun! This way, everything is free and a lot of people benefit by finding new treasures while also clearing out their closets. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Support Native CommunitiesIndigenous 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?
ShaSha Kingston 4/30/2021 2:16 PMbalance is fundamental to sustainability. I view sustainability as obtaining what is needed/desired, but also giving back and not over-taking, so that future generations can also access the same resources. Making sure that the balance between taking and leaving is essential to sustain communities and the environment, since if something is off-balance, the entire system is thrown off. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Go PaperlessReducing 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?
ShaSha Kingston 4/25/2021 5:42 PMReducing waste is definitely the first goal to make in order to help reduce emissions and show support for marginalized communities affected by waste on an individual level. The next step I'll take to get there is to buy less in general. Living in a world of consumerism it's easy to have an impulse to buy, however I want to make sure to reuse what I have before I have to buy anything new, and if I do need to purchase something be conscious of where I get it from and support brands that are combatting climate change and are focused on sustainability.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use a Reusable Water BottleWhile water bottles are needed for health and safety in certain places, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. What are the barriers to you using reusable bottles and tap water instead of bottled water? How could you make this a permanent habit?
ShaSha Kingston 4/18/2021 12:08 PMI always carry my water bottle with me wherever I go. I think some tips and tricks could be to get one you really love or decorate it so you're excited to take it places, buy a lightweight one so it doesn't feel like extra weight if you want to go somewhere, and keep it in a bag or on you all the time so you only have to go fill it up once and a while and you'll always be thinking about it. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use Reusable BagsWhat do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you or aren't allowed to use the one you brought? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?
ShaSha Kingston 4/18/2021 12:05 PMWhile on campus I try to plan out where I'll be eating that day ahead of time since I usually schedule meals with friends. This way I can be aware I'm going to the dining halls and make sure to bring a reusable bag with me. Other times when I may not be in my room or near my things when I decide to go out for dinner, I ask my friends who I'm with if they have an extra one I can borrow and they typically do. One habit I could start doing is just keeping a reusable bag folded up in my backpack so I'll always be prepared. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Skip the StrawHow could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?
ShaSha Kingston 4/18/2021 12:02 PMI think repurposing is really neat and easy to incorporate into my lifestyle. I love arts and crafts and I have a habit of not throwing things away and instead making things out of it. This may not be great from a minimalist standpoint, however it does keep items out of the landfill and makes it so I don't have to keep buying new things. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Support Pollution ReductionWhat environmental factors affect human health in your region, and how do they affect it?
ShaSha Kingston 4/18/2021 12:00 PMBack in Boise, Idaho, the main environmental factors that affect human health are fires since they release an abundance of smoke, as well as people in the city burning wood for heat. In the summer, air quality is poor due to smoke from California and Idaho fires, and in the winter, air quality is poor due to the pollution from people's houses doubled with the yearly inversion.