"I want to learn new ways to decrease my environmental impact, and keep myself accountable to the commitments I've made to help the environment."
POINTS TOTAL
0
TODAY
0
THIS WEEK
121
TOTAL
participant impact
UP TO
30
minutes
being mindful
UP TO
1.0
meatless or vegan meal
consumed
UP TO
60
minutes
spent outdoors
Bonnie's actions
Action Track: Healing & Renewal
Eat Mindfully
I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
Action Track: Building Resilience
Tour a Green Roof
Green and Cool Roofs
I will set up a visit or a virtual tour of a green roof in my city, and ask about the codes and process for installing a green roof.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal
Explore My Area
Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal
Tend A Garden
I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.
COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Support Local Food Systems
Plant-Rich Diets
I will source 25 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.
COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS
Transportation
Go for a Daily Walk
Walkable Cities
I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.
COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS
Transportation
own a hybrid vehicle
own a hybrid vehicle to lessen dependence on fossil fuels
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Electricity
Choose LED Bulbs
LED Lighting
I will replace 10 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Transportation
Learn about Carbon Offsets
I will visit Tradewater’s website to learn more about carbon offsets, and why they are a necessary solution in combating a climate crisis.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Industry
Learn about the impact of old refrigerants
I will spend 30 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links provided
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Buildings
Learn about the Legacy of Redlining
Multiple Solutions
I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Land Sinks
Buy Bamboo
Bamboo Production
When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks
Smart Seafood Choices
Ocean Farming
I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Electricity
Calculate the carbon footprint of my household
I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Industry
Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
Multiple Industry Solutions
I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Reduce Animal Products
Plant-Rich Diets
I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
Buildings
Learn about 'Green Gentrification'
Multiple Solutions
I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Land Sinks
Forest-Friendly Foods 1
Tropical Forest Restoration
I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Industry
Become A Master Recycler/Composter
Recycling
I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Industry
Recycle Everything I Can
Recycling
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.
COMPLETED 0
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?
Industry: Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
I've never really been interested in the fashion industry, but I remember hearing the term "fast fashion" pop up a few years ago and I was intrigued by it. I grew up shopping with my mom at stores like TJ Maxx and Ross, where clothing was cheaply made, cheaply sold, and "trendy." Then when online shopping took off when I was an adult, I remember being amazed at how inexpensive you could find clothes on certain websites. Since I lived in poverty for most of my 20s, this was very appealing to me. But it only took a few experiences of receiving clothing so poorly made, with thin fabric and frayed seams that barely lasted one wear, to realize that the cheap prices weren't worth it. I also knew that the clothing was likely made in a sweatshop in horrible conditions, and I didn't want to contribute to that. However, as much as I wanted to shop at ethical, eco-friendly, slow fashion stores, they were completely out of my price range. So my solution was to buy clothing second hand. I would shop at Goodwill, Out of the Closet, Buffalo Exchange, or if I was feeling fancy I would go thrift shopping on Melrose. While it took patience to shop at thrift stores, having to dig through to find clothing that I liked that was my size, I found that I could almost always find something high quality, in great condition, that I liked, and that was affordable. (See below, my thrifted sweater from Goodwill.) Best of all, it did not contribute to fast fashion, fashion waste, and the sweatshop labor involved. When I was younger I mostly shopped at thrift stores out of necessity for affordable clothes that didn't fall apart within a week, but now that I can afford more, I still find myself preferring to shop at thrift stores. Not only do I usually find much more interesting and quality clothing than I do in a shop, but thrifting is an easy way I can commit to having less of an environmental impact.
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I discovered that I could nearly always find something good quality, in excellent shape, that I loved, and that was reasonably priced. Tommies Paperback liked that it was my size.
It's common knowledge how damaging to the environment fossil fuels are, and how much cars contribute to that. I live in an area that is very spread out and does not have great public transportation, so getting around without a car is not usually feasible. The next best thing I can do is drive my hybrid car. I have a Chevy Volt which has a 5-gallon gas tank and can go around 200 miles on a full charge. Besides saving a huge amount of money on gas, I know my emissions are very low. It's also very convenient that nowadays many places have charging stations, including the UCLA campus. Often wherever I'm going, even if it's a busy place I can park very close to the entrance because I can park at the charging stations. I also have the benefit of driving in the carpool lane even if I'm alone, which is very helpful in Los Angeles traffic. It's just so convenient that even if I'm planning a long road trip to visit family in Northern California or Arizona, as I sometimes do, I don't have to worry about gassing up all the time and spending so much money on gas. But besides the personal benefits I enjoy, I am grateful that my environmental impact is much lower than if I had a regular car. I will never again buy a car that is not at least hybrid, and for my next car I will be looking into a fully electric car.
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Food, Agriculture, & Land Use: Support Local Food Systems
I remember when the movement of "farm to table" eating first became popular, I didn't really understand what that meant. Then I learned that there is a huge environmental impact from transporting produce across the country or the world. Having always living in suburbia or the city, I was far removed from the sources of my food, and never really thought about what it had to go through to get from the farm to my local grocery store. Then, when I moved to Oxnard last year, I suddenly found myself in the midst of farmland, and would regularly pass by produce stands on the side of the road. I made the commitment to try to get as much of my produce as possible from these local produce stands to lessen my environmental impact from food transportation. Now I usually go to the produce stand at least once a week, and always first before I go to the grocery store so I know I'm getting local produce. I rarely find myself buying produce in the grocery store anymore. I also get produce that is fresher; often I buy it next to the field that it was actually grown on. It's also almost always more affordable. I can get flats of strawberries or bags of avocados for a fraction of what I would pay for them at the store. I appreciate supporting the local farmers that live and work in my community instead of large corporations.
Over the weekend I went to the beach to study, and spent 10 minutes picking up trash. I was stunned at the amount of tiny particles of plastic and styrofoam that I found; it reminded me of seeing pictures of dead marine life with their stomachs full of bits of plastic.
This article is a masterpiece of chess online storytelling. The author effortlessly weaves together facts and anecdotes to create a captivating narrative.
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks: Protect and Restore Ecosystems
I watched the documentary "A Plastic Ocean" and was horrified to learn how full of plastic our oceans are, especially micro plastics. I've known from a young age how vital having healthy oceans is to our planet's health, and how polluted our oceans are getting every day. Since I live near the beach and go to it several times a week, I can see this first hand; there is always a huge amount of trash littering it. I used to collect shells whenever I went to the beach, but I made a commitment to start picking up trash instead whenever I was there. I put biodegradable trash bags in my car, and now every time I go to the beach I grab one and pick up as much trash as I can. I do my best to fill it up, which is sometimes difficult because so much of the trash is little tiny particles that look like shells or rocks. But at the end of my visit I dispose of the trash in a trash can so it can at least end up in a landfill instead of back in the ocean or in the stomach of an animal. I appreciate that some organizations plan major beach cleanup days, but I'm trying to make a gradual consistent impact by making my beach visits of value to the environment.
