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Mary Tannian's avatar

Mary Tannian

RIT Sustainable Living Class - Spring 2021

"Doing my part to go green"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 492 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    4.0
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    5.0
    organic meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    donation
    made
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    hour
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    5.0
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    12
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    lightbulb
    replaced
  • UP TO
    385
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    2.0
    documentaries
    watched
  • UP TO
    690
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    103
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    8.0
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    10
    miles
    not traveled by car
  • UP TO
    595
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    310
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    450
    gallons of water
    have been saved

Mary's actions

Action Track: Building Resilience

Donate to or Volunteer for Low-Income Solar Initiatives

Whether it's by donating or volunteering, I will research the benefits of low-income solar and find out how I can support low-income solar initiatives in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

I will save up to 15 gal (56 L) of water a day or 450 gal (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 30 minute(s)

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Eco-friendly Gardening

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and POC-majority neighborhoods. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY 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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Learn More about Food Apartheid

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Tend a Garden

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Choose Organic Ingredients

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Work from Home

I will work from home 5 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed


  • Mary Tannian's avatar
    Mary Tannian 3/25/2021 11:17 AM
    As the weather gets warmer and sunnier, spending time outside has helped my mood significantly. I do yoga, ride my bike, tend to my garden, and eat outside. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health
    How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?

    Mary Tannian's avatar
    Mary Tannian 3/21/2021 6:08 PM
    I have been wanting a bike for a while now, but haven't bought one because they can be expensive. I finally got a second hand bike and took it for a ride around my neighborhood. I now can easily exercise and enjoy the spring weather.

  • Mary Tannian's avatar
    Mary Tannian 3/21/2021 6:06 PM
    One of my roommates got a bread machine, and now it is so easy to make fresh bread at home. No need to buy store bought bread wrapped in plastic. 

  • Mary Tannian's avatar
    Mary Tannian 3/10/2021 7:34 PM
    today i planted different flowers and basil, peppers, carrots, and for fun i got cactus seeds too. the flower seeds that i bought support local pollinators. i look forward to watching them grow :)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    What is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?

    Mary Tannian's avatar
    Mary Tannian 3/10/2021 7:30 PM
    The Rochester public market is a really great community resource where you can get local produce, and most vendors don't use plastic.