I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS
Waste
Use a Reusable Mug
I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.
COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS
Simplicity
Less Screen Time
I will replace 60 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.
COMPLETED 17
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
Energy
Upgrade My Windows
I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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
Simplicity
Disconnect from Email
I will disconnect from my email when not working or studying.
COMPLETED 17
DAILY 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 16
DAILY ACTIONS
Nature
Forage for My Food
I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.
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?
Wow, I just watched: https://www.pbs.org/video/legacy-documentary-regaining-food-sovereignty/ and I am humbled by the wisdom and resilience of indigenous communities.
Amongst the motivations for foraging are: a source of food; means of income; connecting with nature; cultural tradition; or transmitting "local ecological knowledge, and a means for stewarding local and native plant populations" (McLain et al. 2012, 13). Which of these would be your chief motivation and why?
Wow! The falling fruit map is so fascinating, both in terms of showing what options are available near me for foraging edible foods (those that are already identified!) but there are also huge sections of area around my home that have none of these resources identified. Does that mean they aren't there? Or they just still need to be identified and shared? Maybe both, but I'm glad to have started thinking about these things and to have a real world question to explore with neighbors as we chat about the neighborhood.
Check out the difference between the left side of the map, and the right.
2x this week I failed at my reusable mug challenge and I was genuinely bummed to blow a streak - but even in that failure it's an opportunity to be aware of how much of a difference it makes to TRY. Even when we still have days when it doesn't work, it's not a zero sum effort and my ability to be eco-conscious depends on that flexibility. What have you failed at during the challenge?
Sometimes I feel guilt for taking the points on things that I know I would try to do anyways (no plastic bags, for example) and there are other areas where I've had a dramatic improvement over the course of the challenge so far (not using disposable coffee cups, for example.) So I guess it all shakes out that we are doing what we can, from where we are. If the points motivate change, let's embrace them!
What things have made you second guess taking credit for in the EcoChallenge?
Today is the day! I'm excited to check this one off of the list, because replacing 8 windows in our living room/dining room was a goal for this year (and it was a stretch to make it happen!) I can't wait to sit near the window on a cold day and not feel wind blowing my hair!! Yeah for old houses, with energy efficient upgrades. :)
I started at PCC in June, and the transition includes a dramatic improvement in my access to healthcare, for which I am SO grateful. I've gotten started transitioning all of my providers, I started last week with a new chiro and have a new primary care physician visit upcoming that I'm looking forward to. I appreciate this question as a topic related to sustainability, if we don't take care of our bodies, we can't make the world a better place. It's a constant balancing act, but one I'm committed to!
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?
... my PCC Sustainability bag procured at in-service has been a great conversation starter and I've had more than one cashier share that they think PCC is a great place because of it. DOUBLE WHAMMY!
Maybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reuseable one but it's just hard to make the switch. Think about what stands in your way of making this a habit. By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?
I have to admit --- it was hard to skip the disposable cup today. (I left home with my reusable mug, but it was left in the car, and I was between meetings away from the cup at my desk.) I had to manage a momentary impulse and magnetic attraction to caffeine, but hey look ... I lived. And the planet did too.
Looking away from the computer more often has me more engaged in podcasts and books on tape .... Right now I'm enjoying "Good and Mad, The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger."
I won't record my gratitude here every day, but ... let's get this party started right! 1. Today I had the opportunity to meet PCC retirees, who are incredible advocates for our work and it fuels me to hear about their passion and history. 2. I also was able to personally thank my middle school principal for her leadership and impact on our community, I'm grateful to still live and work in the community I grew up in. 3. Finally, though I do drive more than I'd like to, traffic was smooth as butter today. (WOW! From NoPo to Hillsboro and back to Sylvania, and it was easy breezy!) I still have to make it home tonight, wish me luck.
