I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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
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 1
DAILY ACTION
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 1
DAILY ACTION
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.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Water
Eco-friendly Gardening
I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Simplicity
Work-Life Balance
I will not work more than 8 hour days each day to practice work-life balance.
COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS
Waste
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
I will keep 10 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
Food
Plant an Herb Garden
I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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
Waste
While 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?
Barriers: Many people do not understand the effects of their actions, including the use of single-use plastics like water bottles. Also, many would opt to use-and-trash rather than use-and-clean.
Success: Show people images of what happens when the world uses single-use plastics to combat the "out of site, out of mind" mentality. Incentives help too!
Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?
Absolutely!!!! Spending time inside disconnects you from your natural environment and steers you towards finding enjoyment in activities and items that undoubtedly require energy to produce and use.
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?
