Josef Bielanski
"“I think sometimes we need to take a step back and just remember we have no greater right to be here than any other animal." - Sir David Attenborough"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 773 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO300gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO900minutesspent exercising
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UP TO120minutesspent learning
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UP TO16pounds of CO2have been saved
Josef's actions
Food
Try a New Way to Prep
I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.
Health
Exercise Daily
Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 60 minute(s) each day.
Water
5-Minute Showers
I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.
Community
Support Native Communities
I will use the resource links provided and spend 30 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.
Health
Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home
I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.
Nature
Forage for My Food
I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.
Energy
Power Down the Computer
I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.
Nature
Leave No Trace
I will practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.
Energy
Online Energy Audit
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Simplicity
Needs Vs. Wants
I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
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?
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Josef Bielanski 10/20/2018 5:05 PMHumans are a creature of habit. I've gotten into a such a routine of completing these challenges I've set for myself that I do certainly believe I can carry this on long after the challenge is over. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Try a New Way to PrepCanning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?
Josef Bielanski 10/18/2018 10:47 AMI personally grow a lot of summer fruit in my back yard back at home, with Strawberries, and Raspberries being my main attractions (I do have one small Strawberry plant in my dorm though!). I would love to preserve that fresh tasting strawberry and have a little reminder of summer during the dark and dreary months. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my HomeTo what extent do you believe that environmental factors contribute to your own health or issues with health?
Josef Bielanski 10/16/2018 6:21 PMWow, after working at an Animal Shelter for 2 years where we used Blue dawn to clean dishes for the cats and a pine-sol bleach mixture for cages and litter pans and its incredible the potential health risks those cleaning agents could cause according to the website. It's an honest belief of mine that our own choices in products that we aren't informed enough to know (corporate misleading, etc) can cause serious health risks in the long run. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Support Native CommunitiesIndigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?
Josef Bielanski 10/16/2018 6:17 PMBalance is important to sustainability because we need to remember how connected to nature we are and not completely remove ourselves from the problem of global climate change. We are trying to solve a epidemic by removing ourselves from nature and thinking a market can solve it, whereas if we balance ourselves and connect ourselves with the planet, we can solve it - together - easier, and quicker. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Power Down the ComputerWhat are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?
Josef Bielanski 10/13/2018 12:15 PMUnplug all other devices when I am not using them, like TVs and my record player, as they draw power from the grid too. Could also not leave stuff on all the time and just be aware of how much I'm using. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Exercise DailyHow can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?
Josef Bielanski 10/12/2018 8:18 AMI always try and incorporate nature and the earth into exercise, using it as a way to connect myself further with the world and live more in the moment, by cutting out music and putting myself outdoors, in the elements, and taking in my surroundings as I work out. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Forage for My FoodAmongst the motivations for foraging are: a source of food; means of income; connecting with nature; cultural tradition; or transmitting "local ecological knowledge, and a means for stewarding local and native plant populations" (McLain et al. 2012, 13). Which of these would be your chief motivation and why?
Josef Bielanski 10/11/2018 11:48 AMAfter reading the text and exploring the local options available I believe if I were to forage it'd be to forge a stronger connection with the earth and really ground myself with the areas of the earth, growing stronger due to the fact I can become one with nature by eating some thing good. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Leave No TraceEducator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?
Josef Bielanski 10/11/2018 11:35 AMI especially feel called to work on the impact we have on the animals and the ecosystems we intrude on, which is why I took on the Leave no Trace challenge. We overlook that we have no right to be here above any other animal and treat them so so poorly and run rampant through their spaces without a second thought. Its a dream of mine to be able to study and understand these little communities that survive no-matter what humanity has unintentionally thrown at them. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Online Energy AuditWhat most interested or surprised you about your own energy footprint?
Josef Bielanski 10/11/2018 11:31 AMMy footprint was smaller than I thought it would be, but it probably had a lot to do with living in a dorm. I did however find ways to go even further, by buying devices that are certified to save electricity, and stop connecting everything to one power strip. -
Josef Bielanski 10/10/2018 2:00 PM"I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it still unexplored" - Sir David Attenborough.