Elizabeth Ensslin
"I love avocados. That is all. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,408 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0locally sourced mealconsumed
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UP TO675minutesbeing mindful
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UP TO900minutesof additional sleep
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
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UP TO675minutesspent exercising
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UP TO10minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO1,409pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO450minutesnot spent in front of a screen
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UP TO15minutesspent learning
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
Elizabeth's actions
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.
Health
Exercise Daily
Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.
Simplicity
Go For A Daily Walk Outside
I will take a walk outside for 15 minutes each day.
Simplicity
Needs Vs. Wants
I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
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.
Simplicity
Limit Social Media
I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 30 minute(s)
Simplicity
Eat Mindfully
I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.
Health
Healthy Sleep
Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 60 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.
Food
Buy From a Farmers Market
I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.
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.
Health
Go get a check up
I will make an appointment for my annual physical.
Health
Eliminate Toxic Plastics
I will avoid buying toxic plastics - including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl - and instead replace them with durable non-plastic options.
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.
Waste
Advocate For More Food Packaging Options
I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus to reduce pollution in the environment and in local communities.
Community
Join my Student Government or Local Group
I will join my neighborhood association, student government, or another local group of decision makers.
Transportation
Car Share
I will sign up for a car-sharing service or organize car sharing with my neighbors or classmates to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.
Transportation
Improve a Bus Stop
I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or some other small improvement.
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.
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.
Nature
Explore My Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Health
Know My health
I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).
Transportation
Choose a Carbon Offset
If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.
Health
Take Control
Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.
Food
Meet My Local Farmers
I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those around the world who produce my food in order to make better choices when I shop.
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 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?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 8:59 PMGoing paperless is obviously great for the environment, but it's also actually so much easier. Trying to ensure that documents are transferred online instead of filing papers (that may end up getting lost anyway) helps me to keep track of finances, bills, subscriptions, etc. I also got my mom to unsubscribe from 2 magazines that she receives in the mail, but are online - she's already cutting down on her environmental impact, too! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Online Energy AuditWhat most interested or surprised you about your own energy footprint? What changes did you make or will you make?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 8:59 PMI'm participating in an online research audit on campus, and I think I'll be surprised by how much electricity I use. You don't really think often about how many things are always plugged in at the same time, so it will be interesting to see if I can cause a significant decrease in my consumption. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Meet My Local FarmersWhen you know who produces your food, you are connecting personally to your complex regional food system. What are the advantages of knowing who produces your food and where it comes from? How can knowing their food producers enable someone to advocate for a better quality of life for those who produce their food, both near and far?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 8:15 PMKnowing who produces your food can be extremely influential — having a personal connection to food allows you to enjoy and appreciate food more because you're more aware of the effort that went into producing your meal. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Take ControlHow do environmental health, community health, and your personal health intersect?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 8:14 PMBeing good to yourself mentally can also help community and environmental health because feeling happier can lead to doing good for others! -
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 8:12 PMIt's been really incredible to see how much of an impact someone can make by simply being more conscious of the decisions that you make during the day. Not making any waste is pretty easy to do on campus — dining in the caf or places where plates are used is an easy way to have no food trash, and being conscious about other wrapped items also allows you to have no trash. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Explore My AreaHow might spending more time outdoors enhance your brainpower?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 8:01 PMSpending time outdoors is a great way to enjoy nature, but it also definitely makes me calmer — I've noticed that walking unhurried really makes me take in my surroundings and realize what is on my mind. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Know My healthHow do you deal with the physical and emotional stress of the big problems we face? How can you help others cope?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 7:59 PMMindfulness/ meditation can help a lot and making sure to allocate self-care time such as listening to music uninterrupted, or even just drinking tea and writing. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportation Choose a Carbon OffsetA round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2—per person. That’s a lot of carbon! What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 4:08 PMI can take the train for longer trips where I have enough time to spend on travel! -
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/15/2018 4:06 PMI've been using a lot less napkins lately, and have been using my straws instead of plastic straws! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportation Improve a Bus StopIn what ways can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?
Elizabeth Ensslin 10/10/2018 8:09 PMThe buses around my home are fairly dirty, so doing something as simple as leaving a box of Clorox wipes on the bus, encourages people to keep the seats clean so more people feel comfortable riding.