Thu Pham

Human Ecology Summer 2021

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
214 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

38

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

10

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

40

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

40

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

0.5

pounds

food waste prevented
UP TO

8.0

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Thu's actions

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Drive Less

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

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.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Practice Gratitude for Earth

I will spend 15 minute(s) per day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and my natural surroundings.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Conserve Toilet Water

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 2
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Conserve Toilet Water

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

Thu Pham 8/06/2021 8:19 PM

In my region, I do not believe that we can sustain our water resources as it is in very high demands at all time. So if our reservoir runs low, then we would have to pump even more water from underground. People just need to lessen their water usage.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Weekly Meal Planning

An 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?

Thu Pham 7/27/2021 9:25 AM

No, it does not surprise me that the average family of four spends 1.5k on food that they throw out because of reasons including expiration dates, rot, and other significant problem that might have cause the food to get thrown out. Instead of over buying certain food items that cannot be consumed in that amount of time, we should put that money towards savings and invest in companies that are currently trying to protect our ecosystem by producing reusable items for our household.

Read More
- Ibiyinka Ibitoye 7/31/2021 9:39 PM
  
  The average American throws out a pound of food per day, mostly fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat, a new USDA study finds. That’s a total of 150,000 tons of food per year, enough to feed 2 billion extra people per year
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How do your eating experiences differ when practicing mindfulness?

Thu Pham 7/08/2021 11:02 PM

Eating without any distraction, puts my mind at ease. I don't need to feel anxious about going on social media anymore or distracting myself from thinking about my goal. I almost gave up this week because of how stressful work can be sometimes, but little moments like these helps a lot.

Read More
- Daniela Galvez Cardenas 7/10/2021 9:01 PM
  
  Hi Thu. I enjoy eating without any distractions at home because it makes me feel more calm and I also get to spend more time with my family rather than being on my phone. However, I totally understand you when you say that sometimes it is hard because of all the stress, but I feel like if we just keep this goal up, we will feel much better overall. Thanks for sharing.
  
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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?

Thu Pham 7/06/2021 8:02 PM

I usually turn off the air conditioning, once the house gets a bit cool. I also use a small lamp instead of having the lights on in my room including the living room.

Read More
- Danell Morales 7/08/2021 7:28 PM
  
  Hi Thu,
  That is a great way to save energy. I also do the same plus find energy saving light bulbs for my lamps and ceiling lights. Sometimes I skip the air conditioning and use just a fan.
  
  Read More