Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.
COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS
Waste
Launch a Recycling Program
I will start a recycling program at my workplace or school. If a recycling program exists, I will advocate for ways to improve and expand it.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Waste
Advocate For More Food Packaging Options
I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Waste
Visit a Waste Management Facility
I will spend at least 15 minutes visiting a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about the waste stream.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community
Support A Sharing Economy
I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.
COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS
Waste
Personal Waste Audit
I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Waste
Carry my Trash
I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.
COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS
Waste
Compost Food Waste
I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.
COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS
Waste
Find Local Recycling Depots
I will spend at least 45 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.
Going great - during composting and gardening... I realized what I Earthworms essentially help fertilize the soil. Their waste products are known as "castings" and their waste is a great natural fertilizer. Also, worms burrowing in and out of soil helps oxygenize the soil as well.
How does an Electric Vehicle reduce waste of Energy? For that one needs to understand that efficiency of an ICE (internal Combustion Engine) is 20~25%, which means 75% of the fuel is not converted to usable energy. Just imagine - for every liter of fossil fuel, Over SEVENTY PERCENT is wasted. Now let us check out the efficiency of an electric motor - it is 90+%, which means, when an EV is charged, it is capable of converting 90% of it to energy. Yes you may say that EVs are only displacing pollution from one place to another, but that again is untrue. Not all of our Power comes from coal alone, a good chunk comes from Nuclear and Hydro power, and a small chunk from Solar and Wind. Yet considering today's learning and negating the power needed to extract usable fuel and usable electricity ICEV = 100 parts of fuel = ONLY (max) 25 parts Energy (75 parts wasted) EV = 100 parts of charge = 90 parts Energy and 10 parts wasted. So let us come down to cost savings when you use an EV vs ICEV: According to "Global Fuel Economy Org": To drive an average 28 mpg ICE car 20 x 13,000 = 260,000 miles requires about 9,200 gallons of gasoline costing $23,000 at an average $2.50/gallon. Thus, an electric motor driven car has the potential to be 3 to 4 times as efficient as an ICEV from an energy cost standpoint.
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?
When we place plastic bags in the curbside bin, they get wrapped on the equipment at the recycling facility, and workers have to stop the machines to climb on them to cut out the bags.
Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?
It is because we don't gauge the results of the waste we throw, by throwing away waste outside of our home, we are only moving the waste around, not getting rid of it. This challenge helps us 'nip it in the bud' - i.e. think about avoiding waste at the sourcing point itself.
Thinking creatively, makes us question, which intern helps us search for answers, and this process helps us find solutions to address big problems differently.
Points to Ponder: What is it that makes our Earth resilient to all the dirt we throw at it? Yet it provides us with all that we need! Why are we so thoughtless when it comes to anything outside of our homes? We don't pollute our homes with smoke, we use chimney to exhaust OUT even the tasty fries and seasoning inside our home, we throw our garbage OUT, the AC vent is OUT, we spit OUTside with disdain and urinate OUTside giving two-hoots to hygiene. The above may sound funny and people ask, "what do you want me to do?". What is your answer?
My practical example - As and Electric Vehicle (EV) user, I get this statement thrown at me pretty often "you are just moving the pollution from one place to another". I smile at their ignorance, because they don't know the difference. More about this in my next update.
As of today it is 15 years since I switched to my Electric Scooter, over 8.27 metric tons of CO2 emissionsstopped from entering the atmosphere. Considering calculations only for the times that this bike was charged with solar power.
