Jillian Murphy

PCC Eco Panthers

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
546 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

231

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

240

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

16

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

18

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Jillian's actions

Food

Smart Seafood Choices

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 16
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 16
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

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
Food Smart Seafood Choices

Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

Jillian Murphy 10/03/2018 12:51 AM

Tonight, I visited seafoodwatch.org to read the recommendations for Oregon. My heart sank when I saw our coho salmon under the "avoid" category. In fact, the only "best choice" salmon was from New Zealand. We have really managed our dams and fisheries poorly. While I'm not a frequent salmon eater, I do love tuna and crab. As I expected due to recent news about slim pickin's on the coast, dungeness crabs are only a "good alternative" to imported species. King, Snow, and Tanner crabs are the "best choices" right now - fine by me! I was going to read more about tuna, but now I'm hungry, so maybe I'll look into it tomorrow. There are several species and collection methods to learn about.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Turn it off

How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?

Jillian Murphy 10/03/2018 12:41 AM

I visited the PGE website tonight to answer this question. They say 9% is generated using wind, 15% by hydropower, 15% from coal, 28% natural gas, and 33% is purchased power. I also read that PGE plans to end their use of coal by 2020, which is a great idea, but all alternative sources have their flaws: solar farms take up space usually in areas that are crucial wildlife habitat, wind turbines kill birds in if placed migration flyways, natural gas still pollutes and its extraction from land is dangerous, hydroelectric dams prevent salmon from reaching breeding waters. Careful planning is needed, and I hope it is implemented.

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Jillian Murphy 10/03/2018 12:20 AM

I chose to participate in this event not because I love competition, but because I wanted to learn new ways to help the planet. The actions I selected were ones I know I can do (nothing involving a utility because I don't pay utilities, due to an outdated meter my slumlord has no interest in upgrading - phew) , plus, that Toilet Tank Bank idea, which I'd never heard of.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Say No to Plastic Straws

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Jillian Murphy 10/03/2018 12:16 AM

I struggle with plastic reliance because I pick up my dog's poop. But, I've developed the habit of picking up trash to use as a scooper. Sometimes it gets weird, shoveling turds with McDonalds cups, but I don't always have a bag, and there is always litter in my neighborhood.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Power Down the Computer

What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?

Jillian Murphy 10/03/2018 12:13 AM

Turn off external lights! There are other ways to deter crime, and in addition to saving energy, this is an important practice that protects wildlife. I've also started drawing my curtains at night and limiting the lights I use in my apartment to cut down on energy use and light pollution.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Install a Toilet Tank Bank

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?

Jillian Murphy 10/03/2018 12:09 AM

Regardless of the source, clean freshwater is becoming a scarcity. I installed a Toilet Tank Bank in my bathroom (which I'd never heard of before the challenge, but I bought early, because why not), and I've gotta say, the difference is a bit of a struggle! I've noticed that the water in the bowl doesn't get completely cleaned any more. Time will tell if this was a practical idea - too much toilet bowl cleaner isn't a good thing either.

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