Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

Andrew Enright

PAE and the Lumatics

"The bike rides and reused water bottles add up to make a difference. Let's go PAE!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
816 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

148

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

380

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted
UP TO

40

whole food meals

consumed
UP TO

390

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

450

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

290

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

420

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched

Andrew's actions

Food

Whole Foods Diet

I will enjoy 2 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Work from Home

I will work from home 4 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

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

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 20 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to 3.28 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Host a House Party

I will host a house party with 10 friends and/or colleagues to watch a movie or present a guest speaker on an environmental issue that matters to me.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 10 minutes researching and recycling all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 20-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY 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

Community

Express My Support

I will find out who in my state makes decisions that impact the environment and express my support for more environmental actions.

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

Participant Feed

Andrew Enright 10/19/2018 11:38 AM
Checking in for the home stretch!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Michael Pollan states that "it is better to pay the grocer (our edit: or the farmer!) than the doctor." What are your thoughts on this?
Andrew Enright 10/19/2018 11:37 AM
To me that quote seems like a rework of the famous adage "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," and I agree with it completely. Eating a diet richer in whole foods can be more environmentally friendly in addition to improving overall health. Talk about a win-win!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?
Andrew Enright 10/18/2018 9:30 AM
In the office, I've made it part of my routine to switch off my monitors and power down--not restart-- my desk station as I leave for the day. Such an easy change for significant energy savings!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?
Andrew Enright 10/17/2018 8:16 AM
Such an easy switch, and there are plenty of detergents designed for cold water washing. I could use the money to buy LED bulbs, savings on savings!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

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?
Andrew Enright 10/15/2018 8:36 AM
It was so easy to switch to paperless billing, and over time all that unused paper will add up! I've learned to be more aware of my habits/daily activities and see where else I can conserve resources.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?
Andrew Enright 10/12/2018 9:17 AM
It was interesting to learn about the effects of relocation on native american diets. Being forced out of the lands they had farmed for years meant they had to depend on military "commodity rations" of flour and oil. These ingredients are now a staple in the diets of newer generations in the form of a popular dish called fry bread.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

How do you experience your neighborhood or city differently when walking instead of driving?
Andrew Enright 10/10/2018 12:32 PM
So far this has been my favorite daily challenge. It has forced me to walk to nearby establishments when running errands, or even blocking off time to ensure I get my time outside. I've found this helps relieve stress and anxiety in addition to its environmental benefits.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

The US spends roughly 20% of its federal budget on defense. In contrast, 2% goes to education, 20% goes to social security and 3% goes to transportation infrastructure. Do these numbers surprise you at all? Why or why not?
Andrew Enright 10/04/2018 1:03 PM
Sadly, the numbers don't surprise me. The schools and roads could use the money, especially in a traffic-plagued city like Seattle. Looking forward to see how much carbon I can offset by either biking, busing, or walking for a month!

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