Rylynn Russell

UTKSUST21

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
480 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

41

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

195

minutes

spent learning

Rylynn's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Connect With A Nonprofit

Health and Education

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, and/or trans/nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
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.

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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Connect With A Nonprofit

What are the most pressing issues for women, girls, and trans/nonbinary people in your community?

Rylynn Russell 4/22/2021 8:17 PM

I definitely believe that the most important and pressing issue for these groups of people is safety. I wish we were in a world that we didn't have to worry about walking alone back to your apartment or going on a run alone but we do. It's scary and unnerving and it limits you life experience constantly being in fear. One time when I was in Pennsylvania, a man grabbed me right beside of my mother in broad daylight. Ever since then, I have had panic attacks. Me and all my roommates carry tasers and pepper spray just so we feel a little less powerless. So yes, safety is the most pressing issue for women, girls, and trans/non-binary. You would think safety would be a right or one of the most basic things you could count on but that is just not the case.

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Rylynn Russell 4/22/2021 8:10 PM

I did not post about this when I did the one time challenge, but I decided to do the smart seafood choices. After watching the documentary, Seaspiracy, I was definitely feeling defeated and disgusted about how our world works. If you haven't watched it, please do but know it is heavy material. I love seafood and when I was a vegetarian, eating seafood felt like the safest and best option if I wanted to consume meat. Fish is great for your health compared to other meats so seeing the seafood industry in the light of which Seaspiracy places it in definitely made me rethink eating seafood. I wanted to find a healthier. more sustainable option especially for this challenge. So I went to the grocery store and looked at their tuna options. You should know that blue fin tuna is an endangered species and that the market is actually insane. I did not want to contribute to the unsustainable side of the tuna industry so I had to check tons of labels until I found one that fit. It is more expensive but I definitely think it is worth it in the long run! Me and my boyfriend both buy from them now! You can find it at Target, Kroger, and Food City!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?

Rylynn Russell 4/22/2021 7:57 PM

In America, for example, meat is so common! It is a luxury for us to have it compared to other parts of the world. People who live in poorer countries have less access to meat but they also have to use their animals for building things like roads or farms etc. Eating a Western diet is not good for our bodies. You have an increase in cholesterol, increased risk for heart disease, an increased risk for cancer specifically colorectal cancer, and the consumption of antibiotics/hormones that are added to the animals. Basically, eating meat does not have a lot of perks even though it is yummy! Deciding not to consume meat is one of the biggest ways we can curb climate change. The livestock industries is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions as well as land use.

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Rylynn Russell 4/22/2021 7:49 PM

On this last post, I wanted to say thank you to my classmates and wonderful teacher for this semester! I felt the most connected in this class compared to all the other ones. It also helped knowing that people in the class shared common values and goals and that really helps me to feel better about the Earth's future. Anyways, this has been so fun!

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Rylynn Russell 4/22/2021 7:44 PM

This last week was the easiest for me during the Ecochallenge. I finally found my groove! I start the day with a vegan protein shake, for lunch I usually do a yogurt fruit bowl with granola, and dinner is usually when I eat meat or seafood. Cutting meat out for two meals have been surprisingly really easy!

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Rylynn Russell 4/22/2021 7:42 PM

I meant to talk about this a few weeks ago but life got hectic. I flew down to the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area for a week in March to visit a friend. This was probably the hardest time during the challenge. I was trying hard not to spend money and fast food was definitely an issue here. I mainly tried to eat seafood but finding vegetarian options were tough.

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