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Samantha Carlton's avatar

Samantha Carlton

Community Team

"my mission is to beat the german team <3"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 517 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    450
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    300
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    2.0
    public officials or leaders
    contacted
  • UP TO
    255
    minutes
    being mindful
  • UP TO
    11
    miles
    not traveled by car
  • UP TO
    16
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    44
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    54
    more servings
    of fruits and vegetables
  • UP TO
    80
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    11
    miles
    traveled by carpool
  • UP TO
    60
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    4.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced

Samantha's actions

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Transportation

Use Muscle Power

Multiple Transportation Solutions

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 20 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Try Carpooling

Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 6 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Invite a friend to calculate the carbon footprint of their household

Individual actions are important, but people and organizations working together can make a real impact. I will share a carbon calculator with a friend and invite them to calculate the carbon footprint of their household.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Stay on the Ground

Telepresence, High-Speed Rail

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Conduct Virtual Meetings

Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

Methane Digesters

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Communicate With My Elected Officials

Onshore Wind Turbines, Offshore Wind Turbines

I will write or call 2 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Go Paperless

Recycled Paper

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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Support Nutrient Management

Nutrient Management

I will research and support local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Low-Flow Fixtures

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 3 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Encourage my company and/or organization to measure and manage their carbon footprint

Organizations have a responsibility to make sustainable business decisions. To understand how to improve sustainable practices, it’s important to start with understanding the current impact. I will share the Tradewater Business Carbon Calculator with my organization.

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Advocate for Solar Installation

Distributed Solar Photovoltaics

I will create a plan to and advocate for solar installation at my business, apartment building, or campus.

UNCOMPLETED
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
    Land Sinks Buy Bamboo
    Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/18/2022 11:35 AM
    I have only seen bamboo toilet paper and toothbrushes available in grocery stores. Before my local store had those available, I opted for products that had low amounts of packaging, bought things in bulk (not food), and tried to make my own things (DIY dry shampoo works, DIY toothpaste does not). 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Industry Encourage my company and/or organization to measure and manage their carbon footprint
    What else can you do to hold your organization accountable to implement sustainable practices?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/18/2022 11:33 AM
    My company is a family company so the most effective thing I can do to implement sustainable practices is to literally just do it myself. We already have reusable silverware in the kitchen, but I can change out styrofoam cups for paper ones (and peer pressure other people into bringing their own reusable water bottle), snap at my brother when he puts paper in the trash instead of the recycling, and suggest plant-based options when we get lunch for the office. I am the youngest child and only daughter so I get away with a lot more than my brothers would be able to if they were hippie liberals like me.  
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Industry Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
    How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/18/2022 11:29 AM
    I rent a lot of my clothes, so I am able to change out pieces in my wardrobe frequently without having to participate in fast fashion. Even though it still isn't entirely eco-friendly due to the emissions from shipping, it's definitely better than buying mass amounts of clothes on Amazon like I did when I was younger. I also sew my clothes sometimes, but I'm not very good and am too embarrassed to wear those clothes in public. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Calculate the carbon footprint of my household
    After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/18/2022 11:28 AM
    I see what needs to change in order to be more sustainable, but I am not currently able to make those changes due to living in an apartment and not having a choice over where my energy comes from and living in an area (during summer/winter) that is not pedestrian-friendly and requires a car. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Smart Seafood Choices
    Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/18/2022 11:24 AM
    don't eat fish (and never have), but I wanted to research this topic because my parents eat fish several times a week and I worry for them. In Virginia, there are certain areas where the water may be contaminated (and therefore the fish), but most are not. I think the responsibility of that falls on the fisherman and not the consumer, because I don't the grocery store has that specific of a location when you ask where fish is from. The Virginia Department of Health says to eat most fish in Virginia Beach/Chesapeake less than twice a month, so I will just be sending my parents the link to the article I read and hope for the best. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Building Resilience Support Nutrient Management
    How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/17/2022 9:08 AM
    I think when the environmental quality is better, people are happier and nicer to be around. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Building Resilience Communicate With My Elected Officials
    What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/17/2022 9:08 AM
    This will probably sound bad, but I think a lot of my action is driven by fear of what may happen in the future if I don't advocate for sustainable energy. I think it also helps a lot that I'm surrounded by a lot of young people who are also interested in this topic, so it's easy to jump on their plans instead of figuring out what to do myself. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Try Carpooling
    List some of the places you frequent often (work, grocery store, natural areas). Could you choose one or two days a week to schedule driving with a friend, neighbor or co-worker to these places?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/17/2022 9:06 AM
    I usually drive to the grocery store and to the school gym (I go at night), and I usually drive to the grocery store with my roommate and sometimes one of my friends. I try to take my friends to the gym with me but they usually just don't want to go, otherwise I would drive them. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Go for a Daily Walk
    What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/17/2022 9:05 AM
    I've been walking to school since I've been in Germany, and I've loved seeing all of the houses and gardens on my way there. In Germany, I don't think many infrastructure changes are needed, but in Columbia, I think we could definitely have more green spaces around. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Use Muscle Power
    How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

    Samantha Carlton's avatar
    Samantha Carlton 5/17/2022 9:04 AM
    I definitely enjoy walking short distances more than anything. I feel like it's a good time for me to just listen to my music and have time to myself; it's very relaxing. The major con is that in a lot of places, I can feel very unsafe while walking or biking, so a lot of the time I have to drive instead.