Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

Greg Kaleka

NEEA

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
570 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

33

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

270

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

115

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

135

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

11

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Greg's actions

Health

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

I will spend 15 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

UNCOMPLETED
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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Support Native Communities

I will use the resource links provided and spend 15 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

Water

Install a Toilet Tank Bank

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water each day by installing a toilet tank bank.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will spend at least 10 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 15-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day.

COMPLETED 9
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

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 Use Reusable Bags

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?

Greg Kaleka 10/10/2018 12:32 PM

I have a perhaps ridiculous threshold for how much stuff I will carry out by hand if I've forgotten or just don't have a reusable bag. Somehow "In a cart" has never occurred to me... just put everything back in the cart, roll it to the car and stick it in the trunk! Why have I never thought of this??

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?

Greg Kaleka 10/10/2018 12:31 PM

The Terracycle site is interesting, but not super useful, at least for Medford, OR. Had to do some googling on my own to find local recycling depots.

Read More
- Liz Zavodsky (EcoChallenge Staff) 10/31/2018 11:27 AM
  
  Ahhh, sorry about that. Terracycle offers boxes people can buy then fill them up with what cannot be recycled in your community to then be sent back to them for recycling. Hope you found some good options in your area!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

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

Greg Kaleka 10/09/2018 10:47 AM

Food sovereignty more or less rejects the transition, and argues for more traditional harvesting, hunting, and fishing techniques, controlled by local peoples rather than outsourcing to corporate farming outfits. This is a particular challenge (and offers particular benefits) to native peoples who have been moved from their native homelands, historically been forced to subsist on government provided "staples" and are now trying to turn back to traditional farming, gathering, and hunting/fishing techniques to improve their connection to real, good food.

Read More
Greg Kaleka 10/08/2018 11:21 AM

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Go for a Daily Walk

Fresh air and movement are good for our entire being and can help us think more clearly and creatively. How does taking a walk each day affect yourself and/or your work?

Greg Kaleka 10/05/2018 10:06 AM

If I'm able to take my walk in the morning, I find I feel more alert and energized all day. Definitely makes me feel better and makes me more productive.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Go for a Daily Walk

How do you experience your neighborhood or city differently when walking instead of driving?

Greg Kaleka 10/04/2018 12:22 PM

Driving around a city is not exploring it. Walking allows you to actually see details, explore down alleys, talk to people, go into shops or other buildings, pet dogs - overall a much better experience.

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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?

Greg Kaleka 10/04/2018 11:37 AM

> 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?

As someone who has at times eaten strictly vegan, I find it incredibly interesting how attached most Americans are to their meat. Much of this is tied to misconceptions that we need meat in our diet every day (this has not been the case for almost any humans until the last several decades), and generally thinking it's too hard to make hearty meals without meat even if we don't need it.

> How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?

Education is the first step. Knowing that it is only a very recent phenomenon that we eat meat every day, and almost every meal can be helpful. Learning how to cook nutritious and filling meals without meat makes it practical.

I also making it clear that you don't need to be vegan or vegetarian to reduce your meat consumption. Limiting yourself to one meat meal per day, or having a meat free day each week is a huge step in the right direction. If everyone did one of these, it would have a tremendous impact.

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- Amanda Rose 10/04/2018 2:01 PM
  
  I'm really interested in this as well - I've never gone vegetarian or vegan, but I didn't grow up very meat focused either; still, it's very clear to me that people don't think they can get their protein if they don't have meat in every meal. I think a piece of it comes down to how in tune with our bodies and how they actually feel we are. My guess is that it's far more psychological than physiological...
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Online Energy Audit

What most interested or surprised you about your own energy footprint?

Greg Kaleka 10/04/2018 11:19 AM

The ETO energy audit told me heating load was where I had the most opportunity for savings. That's not terribly surprising since we have lots of energy efficient appliances and lighting. One thing the very quick audit didn't take into account is that we make a significant effort to take advantage of passive solar gains and have a lot of thermal mass in the house since our floors are all tile. This significantly reduces our heating needs.

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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?

Greg Kaleka 10/04/2018 11:15 AM

Balance is the essence of sustainability. If nature's production of resources (clean water, plants, animal life) is in balance with our consumption of them, sustainability is achieved.

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Greg Kaleka 10/04/2018 10:51 AM

So glad I did the native people challenge. https://native-land.ca/ is an awesome website. Learned a lot about the Takelma people, who were basically wiped out immediately when settlers arrived because their land here in the Rogue Valley was very fertile and therefore valuable.

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