Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

Rebecca Bowen

Interface Engineering Inc.

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
794 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

8.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

6.0

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

340

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

340

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

630

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

240

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

60

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

145

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

21

whole food meals

consumed

Rebecca's actions

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will spend at least 30 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Support Native Communities

I will use the resource links provided and spend 60 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.

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

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

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of C02 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 3 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 8 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 20 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to 4.43 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Whole Foods Diet

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 21
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
Community Support Native Communities

Indigenous 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?

Rebecca Bowen 10/24/2018 10:10 AM

Balance is important to sustainability because without it, you simply can't be sustainable. For example, over-fishing leads to less fish/less food- and that in and of itself is not sustainable. Sustainability isn't about not using things or eating certain foods. It's about doing it in a mindful manner that you're not completely eradicating one food source. That means less available food for people, but also means harm to the environment.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

Rebecca Bowen 10/24/2018 10:09 AM

Food sovereignty is giving the people who produce and distribute (and those that consume) should have more control over policies and how food is produced and sent out, rather than corporations. Also that people should have healthy food easily accessible to them by both location and price. Back in the day, we grew our own food, or we bought from local farmers. There was not a lot of middle-men (if anything, a local shop but not huge corporations). So it was easier to get the healthy foods that people needed. When corporations came into it, there was a lot of added processes, many of which were not very beneficial or helpful to the consumer. I think if there was more food sovereignty, it would take some power back from the corporations and put it back into the hands of the people (growers, purchasers) who are at the ground level when it comes to food. It would likely make food healthier, cleaner and easier for everyone to access.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Find Local Recycling Depots

Our ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors. Luckily there are places that accept uncommon things to recycle or dispose of in a less harmful way. What did you find when looking for places to recycle items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin?

Rebecca Bowen 10/23/2018 12:36 PM

There is a recycling hub near Milwaukie that I go to when I have the odd thing or two (the one closer to my home shut down). They take appliances, tires and motor oil, all of which I didn't know before visiting.

Read More
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?

Rebecca Bowen 10/23/2018 12:28 PM

Probably going vegetarian, as far as less harm to animals. But what I currently try to do is limit how much pre-packaged food I buy because it's better for me and also cuts down on waste.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Try a New Way to Prep

Canning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?

Rebecca Bowen 10/23/2018 12:27 PM

I have never attempted canning, but I would like Greg R. to make me some because that's his thing.

If I WAS going to do it, I would do asparagus, green beans, onions. Yes, mostly things I can put on a Bloody Mary. Don't judge me.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Skip the Straw

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

Rebecca Bowen 10/18/2018 3:16 PM

Here are some ways that I incorporate them:

Reduce- I try and buy as much non-prepackaged food items as possible to reduce waste
Reuse- buying second hand clothes at places like Buffalo Exchange
Refuse- deciding not to buy something unless I need it, or thing like not using straws when I go out to eat
Repurpose- Sort of like reuse, I will sometimes use things, for example boxes or small containers, to store other items

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Volunteer in my Community

What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?

Rebecca Bowen 10/18/2018 3:12 PM

One thing you can do is visit farmer's markets to purchase some of your food. And not only food, you can also buy healthcare items, etc. I like to visit the farmer's markets in Beaverton and Hillsdale to get a lot of my veggies. I also visited one in the teeny little town of Honaka'a when I visited my mom in Hawaii a few weeks ago. There was a LOT of stuff made by bees- even deodorant! This was especially cool because not only did it help make the community sustainable, it also helps bees!

Read More
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?

Rebecca Bowen 10/08/2018 10:39 AM

The older I get, the more I don't like clutter and waste. I let go of more and more things- clothes I don't need, knickknacks, etc. I have ended up trying to 'downsize' with paper, too. I don't get paper bills for any of my expenses, and if I have the option, I get emailed receipts. Not only is it convenient, it's easier for me because I'm not getting a lot of unnecessary paper that, let's face it, I'll probably never look at. I pay all my bills online so there is no need for anything else. It makes me feel good to not have bothersome paper laying around and having less going out to have to be recycled. The next step is to try and bring a tote with me when I go shopping for clothes, shoes, etc, so that I'm not accepting paper bags from stores that I will just then turn around and discard into the recycling.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Switch to Cold Water

What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?

Rebecca Bowen 10/08/2018 10:33 AM

I am going to use that money to try and not drown in bills. ;)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Weekly Meal Planning

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?

Rebecca Bowen 10/08/2018 10:32 AM

I try really hard not to waste food by only buying food that I am going to eat within the week. But the number doesn't surprise me, sometimes people have so much food available to them that they might over buy. Or, of course, sometimes our weeks get busy and we go out to eat instead. I would much rather spend the money saved from not wasting food to travel!

Read More