Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

Leesha Seal

The Fast and the Serious

"To do better and set an example for my children, elevating the norm."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
480 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

165

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

205

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

140

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

105

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

7.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill

Leesha's actions

Health

Learn More about Food Deserts

I will spend 30 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Express My Support

I will find out who in my state makes decisions that impact the environment and express my support for more environmental actions.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 20 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

I will spend 30 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Install a Toilet Tank Bank

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water each day by installing a toilet tank bank.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

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

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 20 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Advocate For More Food Packaging Options

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smart Seafood Choices

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

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?

Leesha Seal 10/11/2018 7:17 PM

Building a wood shed from pallets and wood scraps left from work!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to clean energy?

Leesha Seal 10/10/2018 2:23 PM

Cost is always an important factor, especially regarding utilities that a household can't really negotiate. Comparing the minimal cost for your family to the costs that are relieved or offset by using renewable energy is a good start. A visible graph or something of the like is helpful.

I feel that most of us want to create a more sustainable environment so continuing the conversation is key. For example, I may share on social media that I enrolled for renewable energy sources and the cost is minimal. As we continue the conversation, we find out what really speaks to us and how that relates to clean energy. I'm sure many people have aligned values at some level. We just need to find out what those are.

Read More
Leesha Seal 10/10/2018 1:34 PM

I invested in an unlikely item that is reusable indefinitely and replaces hundreds of disposal items over the course of the year!

Read More
Leesha Seal 10/09/2018 5:01 PM

Gonna take the kid to recycle some cans~!

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Leesha Seal 10/09/2018 3:01 PM

Brought in a card board box from my meal delivery for reuse instead of breaking it down. Reuse, reuse!!!

Read More
Leesha Seal 10/09/2018 3:00 PM

Just realized that we saved a ton of water by not giving my kiddos a bath every night. I may or may not have showered yesterday....

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Leesha Seal 10/08/2018 2:32 PM

I am becoming more and more aware of what I personally consume. I try to reuse as much as possible and make decisions in the grocery store about the types of packages I purchase.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Smart Seafood Choices

Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

Leesha Seal 10/05/2018 9:54 AM

It's advised that seafood purchased comes from the US where we have regulations in place to promote sustainability and food safety. I closely look at the fresh seafood I buy and require that it be wild caught. I will plan to ask about it's country of origin if not labeled. I also downloaded the app to make the best choice available. For the most part, my eating and consumption habits are aligned with smart seafood choices.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Install a Toilet Tank Bank

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?
Leesha Seal 10/05/2018 9:43 AM
The first thing that jumps to mind is the excessive use of plastic and improper disposal. I am deeply concerned about the large garbage patches in several ocean locations. That problem spreads to local water sources as well.

Another issue is keeping our toxic elements contained and out of water sources. Fuel transportation and human waste are top offenders. While the US has a fairly solid infrastructure to contain toxic elements, there are still places like Flint, MI that have experienced extreme water pollution.

Chemical runoff from agriculture into our water ways has been on ongoing problem, creating moss and algae and altering the makeup of the water ecosystem.
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Say No to Plastic Straws

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Leesha Seal 10/05/2018 9:38 AM

Plastic ziplock or sandwich bags are the worst offender in my home. I've been trying to pack kid lunch items in reusable containers and plan to invest in reusable sandwich bags. We also have plastic straws for them which will be replaced with reusable straws.

Read More