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October 3 - October 24, 2018
Grant Zabielski's avatar

Grant Zabielski

EMME Chicago

"Health & Happiness, for me, those around me, and the earth around them. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 879 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    6.0
    donations
    made
  • UP TO
    1.0
    energy audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    2.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    25
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    360
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    20
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    7.0
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill

Grant's actions

Health

Avoid refined sugar

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

COMPLETED 7
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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Raise Money For a Nonprofit

I will raise money to support Northwest Earth Institute or another local nonprofit.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and ending unwanted subscriptions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

I will spend 20 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Adjust the Thermostat

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 30 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Take Control

Both system and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Conduct Virtual Meetings

I will not travel for meetings and will instead conduct them virtually.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Connect with a Nonprofit

I will connect with a local nonprofit, environmental or otherwise, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
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

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?


  • Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:13 AM
    This has been an interesting journey. Although I don’t go online consistently to check in, the choices always seem to be on my mind 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Go Paperless
    Reducing your paper mail can be such a freeing action to take -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:12 AM
    It’s so easy to go on the website of anyone who sends you mail and to click “go paperless”.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Skip the Straw
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:11 AM
    So glad Milynn bought is these metal straws, makes this one easy
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Conduct Virtual Meetings
    How can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:10 AM
    Yet another meeting I did by phone/computer, which I even like way better than having to drive somewhere.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Take Control
    How do environmental health, community health, and your personal health intersect?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:08 AM
    Instead of unerring everywhere, I can walk or jog when my destination is close enough, which improves air quality as well as my own personal health 
  • 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?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:07 AM
    I learned about “environmental racism” where the pollutants and toxic wastes are typically held in low income communities like in the southeast parts of Chicago
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Avoid refined sugar
    Before you started this challenge, did you think you were 'addicted' to sugar? How do you feel now?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:03 AM
    Sugar is pretty much poison, so I just try to keep that in mind with my daily choices
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Healthy Sleep
    Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What are you finding works for you to be successful in this action?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:02 AM
    Luckily, since I just had surgery, this one is easy for me because I’m stuck in bed all day. I’m probably getting 3 hours more sleep than normal 
  • 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?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:01 AM
    Nothing better than local pasture raised eggs and meats!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Online Energy Audit
    What most interested or surprised you about your own energy footprint?

    Grant Zabielski's avatar
    Grant Zabielski 10/24/2018 9:00 AM
    So much easier to do than I would think, but if you make the calls, you can really have all this info laid out in front of you