Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Ariana Ariana

SBVC Human Ecology

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
537 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

29

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

49

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

175

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

168

gallons of water

have been saved

Ariana's actions

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 4 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY 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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Buy Used Clothes

I will spend 40 minutes learning about the perils of fast fashion and will buy my clothes at second-hand stores when I shop.

COMPLETED 7
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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Explore My Area

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 6 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products

I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home or dorm room.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Drive Less

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 6
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 6
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
Simplicity

Do people with economic privilege have a responsibility to consume and own less? How can the concept of "reduce" be presented to those who may be struggling to have enough food, clothes, shelter?
Ariana Ariana 4/26/2022 8:14 PM
I think people with that economic privilege have that responsibility to consume and not "own less" but own clothes that they will really use and not just keep buying to in the end throw them away. We all should be aware of how our clothes are made and how many people consume from these famous brands and take an opportunity to buy second-hand clothes. On the other hand, the people who struggle to have enough resources (food, clothes, shelter) can still be aware of what they have already and they are the ones who may be putting more effort into this topic since they are really tight on resources and really think about what they need instead of what they want.

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- Dante Cesarman 4/26/2022 11:52 PM
  I think you make a great point in mentioning that it's not necessarily the "owning less" but rather utilizing what has been bought. Being minimalistic in a sense of consuming and purchasing can be beneficial to both ends of the economic spectrum as those with an economic privilege can gain an appreciation for what they own and generally consume fewer unnecessary items and those who may be economically struggling should only be consuming what they need until they're in a better economical position.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

Maybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reusable one, but it's just hard to make the switch. What stands in your way of making this a habit? By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?
Ariana Ariana 4/26/2022 7:38 PM
It is true that it sounds very easy to change from single-use items to reusable cups (in this case) but when I started to do this switch it made me realize that I can be a bit lazy just to wash my reusable cup again or forget to take it with me at work. Besides this, knowing that I'm making a difference just by putting my effort to make it happen, makes me feel empowered and confident that I can set these little goals that it'll be very helpful to our Earth.

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- Dante Cesarman 4/26/2022 11:54 PM
  Besides making an effort for the sole factor of knowing that you're doing good, I believe that switching from store-bought coffee to homemade could be an improvement both in lessening waste and even in coffee quality if made correctly. Washing a mug isn't that difficult and preparing this coffee at home can save time, and money and generate a lot less waste than buying coffee from a store branch that utilizes single-use coffee cups.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

What is the main water source in your region? If you don't know, how could you find out?
Ariana Ariana 4/11/2022 8:01 PM
The main water source in San Bernardino comes from the underground aquifer "Bunker Hill Basin". I read something interesting about our main water source on the San Bernardino Water Department website, that the water is refilled with rain and also snowmelt that is filtered through the San Bernardino mountains.

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- Dania Ramirez 4/14/2022 10:55 PM
  Wow. I always wondered where our water supply comes from. That's good to know, & how cool that some of it comes from our mountains.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

What 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?
Ariana Ariana 4/11/2022 7:39 PM
If I were in that case, where I am not allowed to use the bag I brought and at the same time try to maintain my habit of not using plastic bags, I think I would ask for paper bags which are a good alternative instead of plastic bags, if the shop sell eco-friendly tote bags then I would buy one or grab the cart/basket and take it next to my car to transport the items.

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- Dante Cesarman 4/15/2022 4:59 AM
  Hey Ariana, I agree that looking for alternatives is the next best option but I wouldn't completely discard plastic bags. We've been accustomed to using plastic bags for so many years that I believe making the drastic change from plastic to reusable overnight is too unrealistic and demanding so it's not entirely a bad thing if we make the change more gradually while not overwhelming ourselves with the idea. While I am against the use of plastic bags, if I had no other alternative I would use one and then reuse it at home although ideally there wouldn't be a need, and paper bags and reusables should be sold at stores for the convenience.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?
Ariana Ariana 4/03/2022 5:49 PM
The electricity in San Bernardino, comes from conventional hydroelectric. This type can affect our environment by the dams that are built since it blocks the flow of the river and also blocks fish migration.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?
Ariana Ariana 4/03/2022 4:49 PM
Hello everyone,
Some of the human activities that impact the health of water systems are overfishing and building dams across rivers. For example, overfishing is a problem because it depletes ocean populations and creates an imbalance. I think a good way to improve the health of water systems is by buying fish from sustainable fisheries since this can boost their business and people can recognize or encourage the importance of sustainable fishing.

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