Emily DeMaio
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 270 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO140gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO180minutesbeing mindful
Emily's actions
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
Simplicity
Eat Mindfully
I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.
Energy
Adjust the Thermostat
I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.
Water
5-Minute Showers
I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.
Simplicity
De-Clutter My Home
I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.
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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Emily DeMaio 10/23/2018 4:54 AMI've learned from this challenge to always put what's important to me front and center on my computer. I have taken the actions above but its sad that I did not log in and make sure I got credit for them. I have set the Ecochallenge to my home screen and I find that it will make it easier to remember to log in and get the points I'm working towards :)-
Emily DeMaio 10/24/2018 5:00 AMThanks, got it!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWater 5-Minute ShowersFive minute showers are an impressive step toward reducing your water footprint. What is the next step you can take?
Emily DeMaio 10/10/2018 5:17 AMI want to try to run my faucets at half flow when I use them for cleaning hands/dishes/etc., I think that often we don't even need the pressure and have will often have enough water to clean whatever we are cleaning anyway. I've actually been able to turn faucets slightly on and clean my hands thoroughly. I think if there was a low flow setting on most faucets we would think twice before using full flow when its not needed. This could save lots of water, and water bills!-
Carey Compton 10/24/2018 5:28 PMGreat job and using just cold water on the laundry wash helps save on the heating bill. -
Nicole Kozlowski 10/16/2018 9:46 AM5 minutes showers are tough..... particularly now that it is getting a little chilly outside. I worked on a research vessel for a number of years out of college, and we had to take "marine showers" where you could turn the water on to wet your hair/ body, then turn it off to soap and shampoo, then on again to rinse... etc. It's hard to do but you save an incredible amount of water for sure.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONSimplicity De-Clutter My HomeHow can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?
Emily DeMaio 10/10/2018 5:12 AMI've worked on implementing a 'wait 30 days before buying anything' rule. While it is pretty hard to get used to, especially with Amazon Prime at our fingertips these days its helped me become more creative and find ways to improvise for a product I may have spent a lot of money on, and may not have even needed or liked in the first place. Its very hard though... but at least its better than coming home to find Amazon packages that belong to me without a single idea of what's inside. If that's not mindless consumption, I don't know what is :) -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Adjust the ThermostatYour utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your zipcode, and in your state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?
Emily DeMaio 10/10/2018 5:08 AMSome obvious ones are turn off lights and use power strips with switches that can be turned off when not in use. Some rooms in my house I almost never turn the lights on, since I have LED night lights in them, my bathroom is one of those rooms and I almost love the nice bright glow of the nightlight more than the blaring above lights. Heating and cooling are usually responsible for the most energy consumption, so I would also say having your HVAC system checked every year and making sure you have an efficient system. Even a clogged duct can force the system to use much more energy than truly needed. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Weekly Meal PlanningAn 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. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?
Emily DeMaio 10/04/2018 5:56 AMThis unfortunately does not surprise me, its amazing how much we see food as a disposable. When making food disposable we are really making our money disposable. I would rather use this money for travelling or to put into savings.-
Louisa Lubiak 10/04/2018 8:42 AMEmily, it is a shame how much food goes to waste in this country. Sometime I make "compost stew" out of veggies in my fridge that are past their prime, I try to use 'em before I lose 'em. How are you tackling the task?
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