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Karen Hurtgen's avatar

Karen Hurtgen

Viterbo 2022

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 2,696 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    90
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    163
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    343
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    100
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    2,460
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    1,180
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    648
    gallons of water
    have been saved

Karen's 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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 91
DAILY 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.

COMPLETED 88
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 91
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

I will replace 60 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 41
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED 90
DAILY ACTIONS

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 81
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Buy Used Clothes

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the perils of fast fashion and will buy my clothes at second-hand stores when I shop.

COMPLETED 40
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 79
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 79
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 80
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?


  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 3/22/2021 6:34 AM
    Pledge to Go Green!
    30 day Eco-Challenge Kickoff Today.
    10:30-1:00pm in Viterbo Court.
    Signup or post to already existing account to receive free bamboo utensils and a bar of soap. 

  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 11/05/2020 9:26 AM
    March 22, 2021, the Pledge to Go Green team will recruit more members and push hard for one month to try to live a more sustainable life, and promote sustainability to others. On Earth Day April 22, 2021 we will celebrate our sustainability efforts with a raffle for those who participated. (Photos from our event in fall 2019)

  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 10/14/2020 8:28 AM
    On Oct 6, 2020 Viterbo had a Promise to Humanity Farmers Market. We signed up 120+ students and employees to promise to wear a mask, wash her hands, practice social distancing to help the global Coronavirus pandemic. I also signed up 60 more individuals to the Pledge to GO Green Eco Challenge! 

  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 2/20/2020 7:50 AM
    Good Job Viterbo University! In 2019 we reduced printed sheets by 77,000, resulting in using 1 less tree, consuming 350.7 less CO2, and using 22,000 less bulb hours, from 2018 measurements.

  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 1/16/2019 7:49 AM
    By saving 8.4% of paper usage in copiers and printers on campus during 2018, we also saved the number of trees consumed by 2, CO2 produced by 704.8kg and  bulb hours used by 44,377.9 hours.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Go Paperless
    Reducing 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?

    Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 1/16/2019 7:44 AM
    As a campus, we reduced our paper usage in our copiers and printers by 8.4% in 2018 compared to 2017.

  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 11/02/2018 8:25 AM
    Viterbo is in 4th place! We need everyone to check in and earn more points. A student from the Student Sustainability Club made a video to show how to check in and earn points. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZOvbplYXq0 


  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 10/22/2018 9:28 AM
    Viterbo moved up to 5th place! Keep up the good work. 

  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 10/10/2018 8:34 AM
    GO VITERBO! 6th place in the world, 1st place in Wisconsin!

  • Karen Hurtgen's avatar
    Karen Hurtgen 10/09/2018 6:14 AM
    What a great start for the Pledge to go Green! Go VITERBO!