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October 3 - October 24, 2018
Kjerstin Olson's avatar

Kjerstin Olson

BWBR

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 870 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    energy audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    hour
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    15
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    195
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    180
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    195
    minutes
    spent outdoors

Kjerstin's actions

Health

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

I will spend 10 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 1 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Support Native Communities

I will use the resource links provided and spend 10 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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn More about Food Deserts

I will spend 10 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 15-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will spend 10 minutes each day maintaining a record of all my purchases and learning about my spending habits.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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
    Simplicity De-Clutter My Home
    How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/24/2018 2:57 PM
    I can prevent myself from accumulating more things in the future by sticking to a list/avoiding impulse shopping, avoiding stores where I always buy things I don't need, and waiting/sleeping on purchases before I make them to determine if I really need them.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Buy From a Farmers Market
    What is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/24/2018 2:55 PM
    Some food choices that I make that do more good and less harm: not eating meat every day, eating less red meat, and shopping at my local co-op.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
    Who is most affected by environmental degration and/or environmental irresponsiblity in your community? How are they affected?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/24/2018 2:48 PM
    People of color and people living in poverty are most affected by environmental degradation and/or environmental irresponsibility. How they're affected: they're more likely to live near pollutants and breathe more polluted air - leading to an array of health issues: lung and breathing issues and asthma, heart attacks, and possible premature deaths.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
    How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/24/2018 2:18 PM
    How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems? It recognizes and respects that different communities have different needs, resources, and methods. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Simplicity Track my Purchases
    What have you noticed about your purchases? Where are you inclined to make shifts, if any?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/24/2018 9:58 AM
    What I've noticed about my purchase/where I'm inclined to make shifts, if any: I've noticed that unexpected costs pop up that could be avoided (parking, unplanned/unbridled shopping trips to really appealing shops, etc.) - I usually stay a bit more within budget when I plan ahead for things and give myself an "allowance". This is where I'd be most likely to try to make a shift and trying to cut back on those expenses. I think most of my expenses weren't a surprise - food and drinks with friends, expenses to celebrate friends' baby showers and birthdays, tickets to events, cat food, groceries, transportation, regular bills... Always a good practice to do a detailed examination every once in a while!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Support Native Communities
    Indigenous 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?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/23/2018 2:11 PM
    Why is balance important to sustainability? I'd say balance is at the core of sustainability. Actions have consequences (whether good or bad), and sustainability recognizes that although we have to use resources to survive, we can do a better job of living more sustainably in order to balance what we consume and what we leave behind.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Volunteer in my Community
    What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/23/2018 2:05 PM
    One small thing I can do to help my community become more sustainable: speak up and use my power as a consumer - request reusable/recyclable/compostable utensils and serving containers, skip straws, etc. I think that small efforts by many people can make a big difference!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Online Energy Audit
    What most interested or surprised you about your own energy footprint?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/23/2018 2:00 PM
    What surprised me the most about my energy footprint is their recommendation ("Where could your home save energy?") to dig more into electronics and lighting, with less emphasis on heating/cooling (I thought A/C units used way more electricity than general electricity and lights).
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Learn More about Food Deserts
    What are the implications of access to nutritious food for a community?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/19/2018 2:20 PM
    RE: The implications of access to nutritious food for a community - I think people make food decisions by what they're surrounded by and what is accessible (distance, affordability, familiarity, cultural and societal nudges...) to them. If someone would have to go way out of their way for nutritious food vs. close-by, less-nutritious food, they'll probably choose convenience. If healthy food options are built into people's existing routines, that leads to more healthy eating. More nutritious foods = better health and wellbeing, helping financiallyin the long term but also likely saving money in the short term, etc.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Go for a Daily Walk
    How do you experience your neighborhood or city differently when walking instead of driving?

    Kjerstin Olson's avatar
    Kjerstin Olson 10/03/2018 3:15 PM
    You're forced to take things slow and be more engaged with your surroundings - you notice things you wouldn't otherwise notice.