Helen Krieger

"Show others by example that a less impactful lifestyle is possible and makes a quantifiable difference for Earth Health. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
957 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

90

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1.0

person

helped
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

27

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

60

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

25

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

donation

made

Helen's actions

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Donate

Improved Clean Cookstoves

I will donate to nonprofits that install clean cookstoves in low-income countries.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

Bioplastics

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 025 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Give a Microloan

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will give 1 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

Methane Digesters

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 35 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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Protect our watershed - learn and do

The Tualatin watershed is crucial to our community's well-being. Learn more about the conservation and restoration activities of the past and present that are ensuring the health of our watershed. Pick an action from the following options: 1) Switch to organic or slow-release fertilizers, 2) Replace a non-permeable surface with a permeable one, 3) Always pick up after pets (if you notice a location, park, or greenspace with a pet waste problem, find a way to improve the disposal infrastructure), 4) Plant tough/hardy plants that require little or no extra water/fertilizer, 5) Use roof water or greywater in the garden instead of having it run directly to the street or down the drain.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLASTICS IN THE WASTE STREAM

The history of recycling programs is complex. Much of the confusion about what is and isn't recyclable started decades ago. Take some time time to learn about the evolution of plastic recycling efforts. Click 'learn more' for suggested videos and articles.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?
Helen Krieger 5/13/2020 10:21 PM
It is a wonderful feeling to buy direct from the food producer. I joined a CSA late last year and just picked up my first spring/summer allotment. I'm feeling a combination of being empowered by not being tied to a traditional grocery store and knowing that I'm supporting a local business owner who is managing his land in a resourceful, resilient manner.

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- Linda Revere 5/14/2020 4:37 PM
  Located Freckleman Farms in Santa Ana, Calif. Will drop in to check them out.
  
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- Jane Burch-Pesses 5/14/2020 12:15 PM
  I love our farmers' markets! I love buying from local, organic growers and having so many, many options! My husband says my eyes glaze over when I get to the farmers' market! LOL!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?
Helen Krieger 5/13/2020 10:18 PM
Health and well being. It seems American's eat larger portions that other developed countries. The more we eat, the more weight we gain and the less healthy we become.

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- Roberta Sommer 5/14/2020 4:18 PM
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?
Helen Krieger 5/04/2020 4:41 PM
This is a huge question. My simple vision is waste materials from the community are processed to the same or different products with net zero pollutants and without the need to import new products made from virgin materials. Energy sources are solar, wind, or new methods that don't require continual burning of fossil fuels. Making this possible will require population planning with a major focus on women's health accessibility, management of identified social justice practices, top notch education, and QUALIFIED governmental administrators.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How are environmental issues like black carbon and other emissions from cooking fires or rudimentary cookstoves also human health and social justice issues? Why do these issues matter to you?
Helen Krieger 4/25/2020 8:52 PM
Carbon pollution is generated from combustion of fossil fuels. Carbon isn't the only by-product. Other gases and particulates are expelled into the surrounding air that is breathed in. Think about the forest fire smoke we were exposed to in Portland a couple of years ago. Communities relying on charcoal and other "dirty" stoves, are exposed daily for years. Additionally, the charcoal is created from trees that are harvested in surrounding areas, thus removing natural air cleaners and creating air pollution. This matters to me, as do all the other environment degrading practices we humans are doing. The planet can only cloak so much of this. We have stepped over the breaking point. The planet is sick and so are we. We must try to turn this car around and return to a level of sustainability.

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- Roberta Sommer 4/26/2020 11:54 AM
  I first earnestly learned about many of the same topics we are still trying to create awareness around today back in the late 1980's and early 1990's. At that time, I thought we needed to make necessary changes right away or face a very different Earth environment. One that was not suited to us and most of the other current species. Here we are facing rapidly changing hydro-, atmo-, geo-, and biospheres. I think safe to say that it's human nature to be more reactive than proactive.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. Why do you think that is?
Helen Krieger 4/25/2020 6:23 PM
As the incubator of new human life, it is natural for a woman to continue caring and providing for families including children, parents, siblings, etc. I wonder if we are genetically programmed to do this?

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- Jane Burch-Pesses 4/28/2020 12:02 PM
  That should be "men have always had more social mobility than WOMEN." Sorry about the typo.
  
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- Jane Burch-Pesses 4/26/2020 12:31 PM
  I think men have always had more social mobility than men and more social expectations that they will "better" themselves. Women not only have emotional bonds with their children but have fewer options "elsewhere" (where ever elsewhere may be).
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Helen Krieger 4/24/2020 10:15 PM
There is more awareness of human impacts on the viability of our planet. Yet, the damage is so massive and there are many powerful companies and governments still ignoring both the level of damage and the desire of Earth citizens to pursue remediation and eliminate further pollution and thoughtless consumption. Reaching these sources of harm is incredibly important. Social media noise making, education events, protests, divestment, outreach to governmental representatives, and exercising our voting rights are actions that apply both locally and globally. The biggest problem is persistence and repetition. It's easy to give up but it's not easy to live with that choice.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?
Helen Krieger 4/23/2020 10:52 PM
I use it to help friends and family with resource shortages and also to contribute to environmental causes.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Helen Krieger 4/22/2020 2:12 PM
Besides a lot of teeth grinding, I take responsibility for my own lifestyle and share /educate others through tabling and collection events. Taking action is the best medicine I've found so far for coping with the serious state of affairs we have created for ourselves and our planet.

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- Jane Burch-Pesses 4/23/2020 10:39 AM
  Gardening. Keeps you connected to why you care and the resilience and cooperation of the earth so you don't feel alone.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Helen Krieger 4/22/2020 9:44 AM
I learned these date are reflective of quality of a food item, not its safety. Inspect the item if fresh and evaluate per your own criteria. If packaged, canned, frozen it's pretty much a guessing game. Don't throw it out or pass up purchasing base solely on the date stamped on the product.

My reference is https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating

For Oregon I found the following:
https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/FoodSafety/FoodSafe/Pages/ProductDates.aspx

Food quality versus food safety
The quality of a food typically refers to the peak flavor, texture, or color of the food, but it is generally not a safety issue.
Non-perishable (shelf-stable) foods are generally safe to be eaten past the expiration or pull date. Perishable foods (could spoil without temperature control) cannot be sold past the expiration of the pull date unless they are segregated and clearly identified as having an expired open pull date. Also, the food must still be fit for human consumption.

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- Roberta Sommer 4/22/2020 11:00 AM
  Hey Helen, thanks for joining DD EcoChallenge and taking on solutions! Sharing informational resources is a wonderful way to expedite our group learning. You did the "leg work" now we just have to click and become better informed.
  
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