Nathanael Vlachos

Houston Mennonite Church

"To treat the earth with more respect and care, and to find ways to live more sustainably."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
341 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

840

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

15

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

19

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Nathanael's 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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

I will replace 60 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Power Down the Computer

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Nathanael Vlachos 10/15/2018 8:47 PM

Powering down my computer has been great! It's given me more time to enjoy life and do things like play with my dog or read a book.

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Nathanael Vlachos 10/10/2018 3:38 PM

My challenges are going okay. Yesterday I was at lunch and ALMOST grabbed a straw for my drink without even thinking. The fact that I stopped myself means that I am getting better at being intentional in my choices and paying more attention to what I do, which is great!

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- Clarke Ohlendorf 10/24/2018 1:05 PM
  
  Good job, Than! That's great that you're improving.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Skip the Straw

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

Nathanael Vlachos 10/10/2018 3:36 PM

I could incorporate other Rs (reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, etc) into my lifestyle by being more intentional about my actions as a consumer. Do I need to take a bag for an item (whether groceries, clothing, or anything else) if I can carry it out in my hand with the receipt? Do I need a paper receipt or do I have the option to receive on electronically? Do I need to take the plastic utensils that a restaurant might put in my to-go bag, or can I politely return them? I want to adjust my thinking to be more attentive to the choices I make to make a more positive impact, rather than just doing things without thought or intention.

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- Clarke Ohlendorf 10/24/2018 1:07 PM
  
  The giving things back that you're not going to use seems a bit difficult because of health/safety regs. Some things they probably can take back, but other things they may just have to throw away because it was returned. I can probably better educate myself on what those rules are, so that I can more effectively approach that. Thanks for pointing that out!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Less Screen Time

What did you notice in implementing this challenge? Was it hard to choose other activities over screen time? How did you decide to spend your time?

Nathanael Vlachos 10/08/2018 8:55 PM

Instead of screen time, I read a book. It felt really nice to take a break from screens of any kind. I hope to track and reduce my screen time going forward.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Use Reusable Bags

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reuseable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to establish this a successful habit?

Nathanael Vlachos 10/05/2018 9:21 PM

It really depends on how many items I have. Often I buy small items that I can carry and I never accept a bag for those. If I had many items and no reusable bag, I would place the items back in my cart and take them to my car.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Power Down the Computer

What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?

Nathanael Vlachos 10/05/2018 9:05 PM

I completely powered down my laptop when I wasn't actively using it. Another easy way I can save energy is by walking more. I am far too reliant on my car, even for only traveling short distances. Now that things are cooling down (a little), it will be good to get out walking again.

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