Cecilia Albert-Black

SIUnited Green Action Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
400 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

20

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

55

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

180

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

4.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Cecilia's actions

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 10 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

I will spend 15 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those who produce my food in other regions of the world to make better choices when I shop.

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 2 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 4
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bringing your own bags and containers to the grocery store, and even to restaurants for leftovers, are a couple of ways to reduce your waste. What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Cecilia Albert-Black 10/15/2018 2:56 PM

The most single-use item I use is to-go containers at restaurants and coffee cups. When I remember, and if the company allows me to, I bring my own Tupperware to bring my food home or I make sure to finish all my meal or even just choose to not do takeout and instead dine in. Also, when I use single-use coffee cups, I make sure to recycle the lid and paper sleeve, but I do try and bring my reusable coffee cup most days.

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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?

Cecilia Albert-Black 10/15/2018 2:53 PM

I always feel upset when environmental clubs/organizations send me paper mail, and not just one a month, lots of mail per month on donation requests. I contacted the main organization I help out with and told them how much of a contradiction it is to send so much wasteful paper requesting help with their effort when their actions were being so wasteful. They stopped sending me mail, but I hope the reconsider their actions fro all donors.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How do your eating experiences differ when practicing mindfulness?

Cecilia Albert-Black 10/15/2018 2:50 PM

I feel less stressed when I take the time to eat mindfully, because eating and fully indulging in it can bring a lot of happiness and satisfaction. But when rushed or unfocused, I'm left unsatisfied the rest of the day. When I keep my diet healthy and eating patterns appropriate to my hunger, I feel like I can manage many more things in my day relating to school, work, and personal struggles.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

To what extent do you believe that environmental factors contribute to your own health or issues with health?

Cecilia Albert-Black 10/15/2018 2:47 PM

I fully believe that our actions come full circle to affect us in one way or another. Everything on Earth is a cycle and the materials available and used persist, as well as synthetic materials humans create and can't be broken down by natural processes. House cleaners, like bleach, being one of those, persist after use and may not affect the person using it but will continue to be potent and harmful when out of sight from the user. We have to stop thinking so "out of sight, out of mind" about the products we use and throw away.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Support Pollution Reduction

What environmental factors affect human health in your region, and how do they affect it?

Cecilia Albert-Black 10/15/2018 2:44 PM

Fossil fuel combustion affects the air quality around my area.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than in other places, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?

Cecilia Albert-Black 10/15/2018 2:43 PM

I think people living in the USA have a hard time finding balance in their diets due to the many popular strict diets, lack of cultural cuisine, and speed of the daily work/school schedule. People turn to meat since we have high production of of farm animals which increases the availability and lowers the price compared to other countries. I also think what people struggle with is the time and knowledge to cook non-meat products, which further exacerbates the popularity of meaty meals.

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