Ben Kelley
"To be nice. But not too nice. Just the right amount of niceness. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,052 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO5.0lightbulbsreplaced
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UP TO36milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO115minutesspent learning
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UP TO635minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO42plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO35pounds of CO2have been saved
Ben's actions
Community
Join my Neighborhood Association
I will join my neighborhood association or another local group.
Health
Learn More about Food Deserts
I will spend 5 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.
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.
Nature
Explore My Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Waste
Visit a Waste Management Facility
I will spend at least 5 minutes visiting a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about the waste stream.
Health
Support Pollution Reduction
I will spend at least 5 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.
Transportation
Work from Home
I will work from home 1 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.
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.
Nature
Forage for My Food
I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.
Energy
Adjust the Thermostat
I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.
Nature
Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset
I will enjoy the sunrise and/or sunset each day.
Waste
Skip the Straw
Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.
Energy
Choose LED Bulbs
I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.
Energy
Turn it off
I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
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?
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Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 7:43 PMMachines may one day rule the world. That's all I know. Kip may also be a machine .... just sayin -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Watch a Documentary about Food SovereigntyHow does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?
Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 7:41 PMWhen democratic choice, in rich and poor countries, has been reduced to the act of putting a cross next to almost indistinguishable candidates once every four years, what food sovereignty offers is not just a way to reclaim the food system, but a way of reclaiming our society too. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Learn More about Food DesertsWhat are the implications of access to nutritious food for a community?
Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 7:35 PMAccess is kind of relative. Most communities in the US have "access" to nutritious foods (ahem Whole Foods) though most cannot afford it. The statistics show that lower income communities either go hungry or rely on cheaper fast foods for the bulk of their diet. Making nutritious foods more affordable would be the ideal. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Online Energy AuditWhat most interested or surprised you about your own energy footprint?
Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 7:31 PMI was surprised to discover that we actually do pretty well - better than I would have thought or better than some of the averages I read about. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCommunity Join my Neighborhood AssociationHow can your community support inclusive decision making?
Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 7:30 PMI think our community does a pretty decent job. The real issue is motivating people to want to become a part of the conversation or taking some sort of action. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Visit a Waste Management FacilityField trip! What a fun way to learn about our impact and consumption! What facility did you visit? What did you learn? Did you take anyone with you?
Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 6:14 AMVisited Champ Landfill (https://www.champlandfill.com/). My dad was in town and we had plenty of building supplies to dispose of so it made a perfect occasion. I learned that it costs $80 to dump off a bunch of trash if you decide to go there, which is ridiculous, and the smell is something I thought would never leave the car. Learned how the trash just sits there under black tarps with exhausts as it decomposes. Honestly, it was pretty disgusting. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportation Work from HomeIt takes the average worker in the United States 26 minutes to travel to work. One way to fix long commutes would be to make cities more affordable. An even simpler option: promote the use of telework. Are you in an industry that would allow you to work from home? What are some obstacles you might find yourself facing while working from home?
Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 6:09 AMWorking from home for me can be a challenge of productivity at times with a wife who is a SAHM and a 2-year old who doesn't yet understand that her dada has to work. Also, not being able to have quick one off discussions with co-workers when I see them near my desk would require a bit more time to schedule calls with. -
Ben Kelley 10/24/2018 6:06 AMI'm a very good person. Did I win? -
Ben Kelley 10/23/2018 9:19 AMI want to be a leader like Erin Stamm when I grow up -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Explore My AreaHow can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?
Ben Kelley 10/23/2018 9:18 AMPersonally, it causes me to reflect on where I fit within a very large picture. Spending time on social channels may massage your ego a bit (not me obviously) while being outdoors causes you to hit the "reset" button a bit and focus on things that are "outside of you" and in many cases, more important than you.