Michelle Harris
"To save the Earth and earn extra credit at the same time, it’s a win win😄"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 957 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO66meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO800minutesspent exercising
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UP TO120minutesspent learning
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UP TO600minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO22plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
Michelle's actions
Food
Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
I will watch 2 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.
Health
Support Pollution Reduction
I will spend at least 80 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.
Health
Go get a check up
I will make an appointment for my annual physical.
Waste
Go Paperless
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and ending unwanted subscriptions.
Food
Plant an Herb Garden
I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.
Water
Eco-friendly Gardening
I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.
Nature
Tend a Garden
I will tend to a garden each day, or work on starting one.
Health
Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
I will spend 120 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.
Waste
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.
Water
Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants
I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.
Health
Exercise Daily
Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 80 minute(s) each day.
Nature
Practice Gratitude for Earth
I will spend 30 minute(s) each day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and the nature surrounding me.
Water
Collect Rain Water
I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.
Nature
Support Local Pollinators
At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 120 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
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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Michelle Harris 10/21/2018 10:14 AMI went to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens fall plant sale yesterday! I was able to pick up a lot of native plant species that also support local pollinators. I’m super excited to establish these in my yard! I was also able to pick up some herbs, so that I can jumpstart an herb garden:) -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Support Pollution ReductionWhat environmental factors affect human health in your region, and how do they affect it?
Michelle Harris 10/11/2018 9:45 AMAir pollution and water pollution are the main environmental factors that affects the human health in my area. The air pollution comes from car exhaust and factory pollutants. Factory pollutants also affect local water ways. They do not affect the drinking water due to water treatment plants, but they do effect whether or not a Water way is safe to swim in. Humans are the very reasons why these issues exist in our region and they are the ones who cause health issues in the human population. -
Michelle Harris 10/09/2018 11:41 AMToday has been a rough day, so I decided to complete my daily chalenge of gratitude for the Earth. Now I feel ten times better! I feel like spending time out in nature is the best medicine:) -
Michelle Harris 10/08/2018 3:52 PMFinally got rid of all of those annoying magazine subscriptions that I never use! I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders lol -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWater Eco-friendly GardeningWhat are the most prominent water concerns in your area? Examples include drought, flooding, pollution, access, security, and privatization.
Michelle Harris 10/08/2018 3:36 PMThe most prominent water concerns in my area are related to pollution. There are a lot of well manicured lawns in my area and many of my neighbors use weed killers, pesticides, and heavy fertilizers on their lawns. The concern with this is that when it rain the chemicals from these products run off and enter local waterways. This hurts the local wildlife in many different ways due to the effects of the chemicals in these products. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Go PaperlessReducing your paper mail can be such a freeing action to take -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?
Michelle Harris 10/08/2018 3:32 PMBeing able to reduce the amount of useless mail that I receive feels so freeing and relieves the burden of having to recycle all the magazines and advertisements that I do not need. My next step in trying to reduce the waste that I produce on a regular basis is to look for products that use less packaging material and also using reusable bags for produce when I go to the grocery store. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Learn About Local Environmental Justice ConcernsWho is most affected by environmental degration and/or environmental irresponsiblity in your community? How are they affected?
Michelle Harris 10/08/2018 3:28 PMAnimal species are not the only ones who are seriously affected by environmental pollution. The people who are the most impacted by environmental pollutants in a community are typically the poor and people of color. Poor communities are often taken advantage of by companies that output a lot of pollution. These companies include coal plants, land fills, car manufacturing centers, etc. The poor communities do not have much say in what is built in the areas that they live in because many of their government officials are corrupt and take deals with these companies. That means that these communities often suffer from polluted water ways and bad air quality due to the companies’ pollution heavy activities. -
Michelle Harris 10/07/2018 3:53 PM-
Monica Martin 10/07/2018 3:55 PMWas just looking into these myself! Super cool!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWater Collect Rain WaterTrace the water that flows down the drain from your house to the largest body of water nearby. What is the route it takes?
Michelle Harris 10/07/2018 3:51 PMI have traced the water that flows from my house down hill where it drains into the creek that runs behind my house. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Practice Gratitude for EarthKathleen Dean Moore says that a sense of gratitude leads to a sense of moral obligation. Do you agree? How do we cultivate a sense of gratitude as individuals, and as a society?
Michelle Harris 10/07/2018 9:43 AMI agree that there is a correlation between gratitude and a sense of obligation. The best way to cultivate gratitude is to understand how our environmental systems work and what they provide for us as humans. Our society needs to understand that the environment and human civilization are not separate entities. We live within the environment and the things that we do to our environment also effect us.