Tya Pope

Washington College Center for Environment & Society- Fall Flock Together Challenge!

"To become more aware of my impact on the environment and to make changes in my daily behavior to have a great positive impact."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,390 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

8.0

whole food meals

consumed
UP TO

7.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

65

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

36

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

5.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

328

gallons of water

have been saved

Tya's actions

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 7
DAILY 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.

COMPLETED 43
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home or Dorm Room

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home or dorm room.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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 33
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 41
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 20 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Work-Life Balance

I will not work more than 8 hour days each day to practice work-life balance.

COMPLETED 32
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Whole Food Lifestyle

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 8
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

What is the main water source in your region? If you don't know, how could you find out?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 4:04 PM
I honestly have no idea. I will do some research on my area. I just moved so I am not familiar with everything yet, so I imagine I could call a state department or do a search on the internet.

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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?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 4:02 PM
That's a really tough question and I honestly don't know the answer. I would love to get some thoughts. I will probably google an answer once I submit, but I wanted to be truthful in saying I really don't know. :/

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

How might practicing work-life balance lead to a more sustainable life for yourself? How might it contribute to sustainability more broadly?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 4:00 PM
Work is not everything and I constantly have to remind myself I am more than just the job I do every day. I have hobbies and interests and they deserve time and attention as well so I feel fulfilled. If I don't actually do all the things that make me happy, I could become resentful and not fully present with the things I do spend my time on daily.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

How is creativity a necessary ingredient for practicing simplicity?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 3:59 PM
Creating something out of nothing is an art form. The idea of doing more with less is what I think of when I hear the words simplicity. I also hear accomplishing the same goal using a different path. You have to be nimble and creative to do more with less.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more unnecessary things in the future?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 3:57 PM
I try to take an inventory regularly of what I have so I know what I need and don't need. I think my past has a lot to do with that desire to have extra of everything, but the amount of extra for me can be unreasonable. I think being realistic about space and actual needs vs wants will make a difference.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 3:56 PM
I haven't done a great job with this challenge, but this question makes me think about my approach. Maybe if I took a friend to the gym with me or we went for walks together at a park, I would be more inclined to get outside or generally get moving.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for using every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable (including the skins, tops, stalks, etc.) during your next meal prep?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 3:54 PM
That's a great question and I am a big fan of research so I would say my first step would be to look at how all parts of a vegetable can be used. Vegetable broth/stock come to mind right away, but I am sure there are a million other ways to use all of a vegetable.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Michael Pollan states that “it is better to pay the grocer (our edit: or the farmer!) than the doctor.” What are your thoughts on this assertion?
Tya Pope 10/15/2020 3:52 PM
I could not agree more. Our food and the source of our food is so important to our long term health. Things can be processed to the point of no nutritional value or processed to the point of causing harm. We have to be conscious of what we are putting in our bodies to avoid becoming sick.

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Tya Pope 10/04/2020 4:43 PM
How is everyone doing at this point in the challenge? Hope it is still going well for everyone.

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- Michelle Henry 10/05/2020 7:37 PM
  Thanks, Tya, I've enjoyed the team effort. I hope your challenge is going well too.
  
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Tya Pope 10/04/2020 4:40 PM
I'm so much more aware of the things I am doing each day as it relates to waste and energy. I'm grateful to become more aware and hope I will continue these things once the challenge is over.

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