Dianne Riley

"To eat and drink for my health and see how that plays out as ripple effects for the health of my environment and the people around me."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
619 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

person

helped
UP TO

20

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill

Dianne's actions

Community

Support Native Communities

I will use the resource links provided and spend 180 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Help Others

I will offer to help 1 person(s) who are in need each day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Community

Support Businesses Owned by People of Color

Racial inequity is a sustainability problem. I will support businesses owned by people of color in my community whenever I shop.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Collect Rain Water

I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Avoid refined sugar

I will adopt a diet free of refined sugars, which eliminates sweetened beverages, candy, and processed foods.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

UNCOMPLETED
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
Community Help Others

In your opinion, how do social inequalities diminish a strong sense of community?

Dianne Riley 10/19/2018 4:58 PM

Social inequalities are the result of under valuing the various ways we come together as people. Sometimes we come together around culture or identities or life styles or ways of making a living and so forth. When we fail to see each other in our groupings and various ways of being together as equally valuable, then inequalities arise. Its a matter of basic respect for one another and one another's differences. And while RESPECT is basic, it is also deeply impactful at the same time. Social inequities typically play a critical role in undermining our unity and sense of belonging to large scale community. This makes cooperation and safety difficult at the scale of neighborhoods, cities and nations--because we are always diverse at that level. Social inequalities diminish a strong sense of community, and also create conflict at the larger scale of how we might otherwise come together.

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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?

Dianne Riley 10/18/2018 5:20 PM

I suspect the word or concept of balance--the way Winona LaDuke is using it here--is about health; like restoring health through ceremony and consciousness. I think balance is important as a concept when it is about relationships, energetic dynamics, health because these things exist within whole systems and the components of systems are honored and acknowledged by balance. There's some respect implicit in this. And sustainability indicates that you've reached that point of sufficient respect.

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- Teri Poppino 10/24/2018 9:56 AM
  
  When I read this, I saw it through the inner eyes of energy. My interpretation of balance is when good juu-juu is aligned for one's greatest good (or the community's or the planet's, etc.) When nature shares with us, we pass it on or restore so Nature can continue to share. Respect is absolutely implicit. Gratitude puts everything into perspective and encourages positive interactions. Thanks for your thoughtful posts, Dianne.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use a Reusable Water Bottle

While water bottles serve an important role in places for health and safety, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. Can you identify the barriers in making this a new habit? How can you set yourself up for success in making this a permanent change?

Dianne Riley 10/18/2018 5:06 PM

This might be one of the best reflection questions I've seen so far. I appreciate this one and the acknowledgement of how circumstances influence our options (or lack of good options).

For me personally, there really are very few excuses for buying plastic water bottles. I probably do it just without thinking about it. And the more water I drink, the less I need to buy any bottled beverage. What a revelation in how healthy choices can influence environmental impacts.

There are times when I have bought cases of bottled water for participants at events. I always feel compelled thinking this is the standard for secure and safe water. But is it really? I am wondering now how we can supply water en mass at events and gatherings where we might be inclined to buy cases of water. It still has to be secure and safe, but I bet there's a way to make it all come together.

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- Teri Poppino 10/22/2018 11:35 AM
  
  I'm thinking of large containers of water (returnable with a deposit) and some way to provide smaller containers for the people to drink from...remember those paper cones they used to have at the coolers? If the cones (or similar items) were make solely from paper, with no coatings, we could include them in our paper recycling. There must be some sort of thing that doesn't cost a fortune to provide and yet allows us to walk gently on the earth. Every time I see plastic, I also see the plastic island in the middle of the Pacific. Makes me shudder, but sometimes not enough to avoid buying/using plastic altogether. Now that China doesn't want our "recycling," it brings it even closer to home!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Support Businesses Owned by People of Color

Keen Independent Research Foundation conducted a recent study that highlights the disparities in the availability of city contracts and loans to businesses, and how this disparity correlates to owners as people of color. The study showed that Minority businesses enterprises (MBEs) are more likely to have difficulties in receiving loans or city contracts. In what ways can you address systemic racism?

Dianne Riley 10/12/2018 4:23 PM

Whoa! This is quite the question--AN AWESOME ONE!!! But if I tell you, I will blow my cover... heh, heh.

I'm serious.

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Dianne Riley 10/12/2018 4:20 PM

Hey! Believe it or not, I actually did this today without realizing there was a challenge for it. Gave a guy a ride with his gas can from downtown to his truck on the east side. When we arrived at his truck, someone had broken the window and glass was all over the sidewalk. He didn't think anything had been taken through, which was surprising cause he had a lot of stuff to take... (seemed to be living out of his truck). We had a very lively conversation on the way. There are so many people in need that this will be a super easy challenge. I turned down at least 2 requests for help today before I said yes to him!!!

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Dianne Riley 10/12/2018 9:28 AM

Didn't imagine I would be so into this EcoChallenge thing, but I totally love it! I am wondering if I will go back to eating sugar when its over... feels like I might be making some long-term changes in eating and lifestyle. I actually imagine getting more serious as time goes on. This weekend I hope to take on at least one of my ONE-TIME Challenges. Woohoooo!

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- Dianne Riley 10/12/2018 3:59 PM
  
  Thanks, John!! Some of my earliest memories in life are of watching Mighty Mouse and Bullwinkle cartoons. Still a fan after 50-plus years.
  
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- John Dutt 10/12/2018 11:10 AM
  
  Great avatar!
  
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- John Dutt 10/12/2018 11:10 AM
  
  Great avatar!
  
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Dianne Riley 10/10/2018 4:46 PM

Feeling great about this EcoChallenge adventure! Yesterday I was actually inspired to buy a new water / beverage container for me and my son. I invested in a serious way and got us each a deluxe insulated metal container that I hope I can pass on to my grandkids... cause they cost me some serious cash. :D ;)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Avoid refined sugar

Before you started this challenge, did you think you were 'addicted' to sugar? How do you feel now?

Dianne Riley 10/05/2018 12:31 PM

I didn't imagine myself as addicted to sugar, but now I'm seeing how much pull or gravity sugar has in my life. It definitely calls to you when you aren't eating as much of it... and I think that is a sign of addiction.

I haven't given up any sweet fruits or veggies so I'm still eating plenty of sugar, its just not refined and it comes in whole foods. But if I actually gave up more sweet stuff (and I might, just to see if I explode) then we will see just what my will power looks like.

Right now I feel amazing. Seriously. Whole foods are the serious sh*t for me! And during this time of year when there is so much bounty, it is AWESOME to eat!!!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Personal Waste Audit

Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?

Dianne Riley 10/05/2018 12:23 PM

This challenge is bound to impact my awareness of how I live and how those in my household live. We spend a lot of time getting to the things we need.. that is: making the money to buy things, shopping for things and then seeking the satisfaction promised by buying the things we do. Its difficult in all of this to then continue on by thinking about what packaging it all came in, and what we waste, or decide we don't really need or want. Mostly we just move on to the next cycle of > make money, shop and buy. I'm hoping to use this challenge to include > think about packaging, reflect on waste and what delivers what I really want and need then adjusting my purchases according to what I discover.

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Dianne Riley 10/05/2018 12:12 PM

Drinking tea in a glass today. And over the course of this week, I've had more water than I usually do. So awesome!

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