Valerie Sorenson
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 601 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO34milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO50minutesspent learning
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UP TO10plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO30plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO152pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO10whole food mealsconsumed
Valerie's actions
Transportation
Work from Home
I will work from home 5 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.
Community
Support Native Communities
I will use the resource links provided and spend 30 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.
Food
Whole Foods Diet
I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.
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 2 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.
Community
Join my Neighborhood Association
I will join my neighborhood association or another local group.
Waste
Skip the Straw
Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.
Waste
Use Reusable Bags
I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
Waste
Find Local Recycling Depots
I will spend at least 20 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.
Waste
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.
Create Your Own Action
Practicing compassion
I will practice compassion for others, as this is good for both my own health and for my relationships with others, as well as promoting mutual understanding.
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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REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportation Work from HomeIt takes the average worker in the United States 26 minutes to travel to work. One way to fix long commutes would be to make cities more affordable. An even simpler option: promote the use of telework. Are you in an industry that would allow you to work from home? What are some obstacles you might find yourself facing while working from home?
Valerie Sorenson 10/24/2018 11:16 AMI am not in an industry that would allow me to work from home daily, but there are some days when I can work from home. Some obstacles to working at home are healthy work/life boundaries. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Support Native CommunitiesIndigenous 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?
Valerie Sorenson 10/24/2018 11:15 AMWe need to work to help maintain sustainable ecosystems so that we don't create persisting imbalances in our environment. -
Valerie Sorenson 10/24/2018 11:12 AMI'm working on slowing down on my commute to not only drive more safely but also to travel at a more fuel-efficient speed. -
Valerie Sorenson 10/23/2018 10:03 AMI am working to keep in mind that when I might impulsively jump to conclusions it's helpful to take a beat, think it over, and ask some more questions, if necessary. This helps me to remain calmer, and I think makes my communication with others go more smoothly. -
Valerie Sorenson 10/23/2018 7:40 AMI'm using my metal water bottle again today! -
Valerie Sorenson 10/20/2018 3:43 PMI bought a small toaster oven so that if we’re just making a small amount of food we can heat up a much smaller appliance, versus heating up an entire oven unnecessarily. I really love my countertop oven! I just heated taco shells in it for dinner. -
Valerie Sorenson 10/20/2018 10:02 AMI wish I had remembered reusable bags when I went to target today, but with the stress of bringing my 2 2-year-olds to target I forgot them. I guess I didn’t meet this challenge today, but next time I’ll be sure to take them out of my car before I go inside the store. -
Valerie Sorenson 10/20/2018 4:32 AMI’m traveling for a conference next month, and for the first time I bought a carbon offset. -
Valerie Sorenson 10/20/2018 3:39 AMAnother sunrise coming up! -
Valerie Sorenson 10/19/2018 4:40 PMWhen most people think of Tupperware they think of plastic, but there’s also glass Tupperware. We bought a set to purchase that many fewer plastic products. Furthermore, it’s microwaveable and doesn’t get all gross when you put tomato sauce in it. Win!