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Eileen Sleva's avatar

Eileen Sleva

PlanetCon

"I believe that I can make a difference in the health of our planet. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 552 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    150
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    3.0
    public officials or leaders
    contacted
  • UP TO
    26
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    2.0
    people
    helped
  • UP TO
    18
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    170
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    20
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    39
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    3.0
    donations
    made

Eileen's actions

Materials

Support pollinators

Take an action to support our planet's pollinators. Learn about bees and butterflies. Make your yard more attractive to pollinators by planting native plants or reducing chemicals. Sign up for the Backyard Habitats Certification program. Share what you've learned.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

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

Transport

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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 3 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

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

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 20 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 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

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

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

Advocate For More Packaging Options

Multiple Industry Solutions

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 40 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

Bioplastics

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 20 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Help Students Overcome Health Barriers

Health and Education

I will donate 2 Femme Kit(s) to help people who menstruate overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Donate

Improved Clean Cookstoves

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Advocate for Forest Protection

Forest Protection

I will contact 3 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws, as well as the rights of local people to protect and restore the land in their communities.

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
    Materials Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips
    What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

    Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/23/2020 10:49 PM
    Currently I am most concerned about the amount of waste being generated by this coronavirus. Stores are using plastic bags again; refillable  cups of mugs-not an option. Recycling is difficult. Hopefully we will get back on track soon. We don’t have time to waste. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture
    Clean air, clean water and healthy food are just three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons? How could/does regenerative agriculture positively impact you and your community?

    Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/13/2020 10:51 PM
    Carbon Farming improves moisture in the soil, prevents erosion, and builds organic matter content, increasing plant growth on pastures and cropland. Animals and crops share land alternately, both enriching the soil and allowing it to recover. Integrating trees into pasture lands also reduces the amount of methane released by the animals. 
    My grandfather had all this figured out back in the 1950's and 60's. He annually alternated where the animals grazed with planting; he kept tree lines around the perimeters of the fields to provide both shade for the animals and an additional food source. The manure from the animals enriched the soil for next year's crop, so he didn't need additional fertilizers. His small farm provided meat and vegetables for his family and the families of his 5 children, with 5-7 children in each family. 
    Problem is we eat too much meat, contributing to unsustainable farming and CAFO's. 

    • Roberta Sommer's avatar
      Roberta Sommer 5/14/2020 4:09 PM
      If it ain't broke don't fix it right?  Not so better living through chemistry as it turns out.

  • Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/12/2020 10:32 PM
    I have been working to replace my "grass" (mostly weeds) with native plants or edible plants. This year I planted blueberry bushes in my front yard because they are attractive and will provide a nutritious treat! I also turned a portion of my back yard into a vegetable garden when I moved to my house 13 years ago and it has increased in size over the years. I love sharing my fresh vegetables with my neighbors!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates
    How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

    Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/12/2020 10:28 PM
    The dating system really needs to be updated, from what I have discovered. It is too vague and confusing for consumers to be of much help. Basically, none of the terms lets you know when food will be unusable. Upon research I discovered that every category states that the food is good past the date listed, and the consumer will be able to tell when food is spoiled and no longer usable. It seems like we are just being fooled by the food industry into wasting food, because we look at the use by or the sell by and think that must be the date to discard the food. Even the best by category is vague. It just means that the flavor will be at its peak until that date, but the consumer still has to decide when to toss. Consumers need to be educated about what constitutes "spoiled" food and when it should be tossed, date or no date!

  • Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/06/2020 11:27 PM
    Teaching my grandson the correct way to cross a river!

    • Eileen Sleva's avatar
      Eileen Sleva 5/07/2020 7:01 PM
      He's 6 and needed a bit of encouragement and then - took off!

    • Roberta Sommer's avatar
      Roberta Sommer 5/07/2020 10:58 AM
      Looks like you figured out the add image thingy.  This is a lovely shot Eileen!  How old is your grandson?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Composting
    Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?

    Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/06/2020 9:56 PM
    I feel strongly that we have more than enough food grown on this planet to feed everyone, yet hunger exists in every country in the world, including the US. Wasting water is something that we should definitely concentrate on solving. We can't live without water and as the earth gets warmer, water will become more scarce. Seeing the droughts in my area has definitely motivated me to be creative about what I grow and about what I purchase, so I'm not wasting this precious resource by tossing food.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food 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?

    Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/06/2020 9:49 PM
    I use Monterey Bay Seafood Watch to determine which fish I can eat, usually wild caught Pacific NW salmon or wild caught Alaska cod. If I can't find a suitable fish, I don't eat fish that week. 

    • Jane Burch-Pesses's avatar
      Jane Burch-Pesses 5/07/2020 9:24 AM
      One of the things that I like about New Seasons is that they label each thing in the seafood case with the Monterey standards - color coded.  No need to check a list. Easy!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Zero-waste Cooking
    In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?

    Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 5/06/2020 9:42 PM
    I grow some of my own vegetables, using most everything in either soups, salads or main dishes. I've discovered that flowers from many vegetable plants are delicious in salads. Greens can be used in soups immediately or frozen for future use. I try to eat most everything and if I don't use any part of the vegetable it goes into my compost and becomes nutritious soil for next year's garden! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Donate
    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?

    Eileen Sleva's avatar
    Eileen Sleva 4/30/2020 3:41 PM
    Social justice embodies taking care of our entire planet Earth, including all of it's inhabitants. We need to provide safe cooking options for those who don't have electricity as we do. The emissions from cook fires  pollute the entire area, endangering the health of the entire village. Providing low emission cookstoves is a viable alternative.