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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

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?


  • 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 Exercise Daily
    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 Buy From a Farmers Market
    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.