Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

Tess Van Gorder

ENGIE Insight Saint Paul

"My mission is to develop more sustainable habits that reduce the waste in my life. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,178 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

153

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

30

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

95

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

270

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

21

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

2.0

locally sourced meals

consumed

Tess's actions

Create Your Own Action

Attend Water Webinar on Tuesday

My goal is to attend the 1 hour webinar on water hosted by corporate responsibility. I want to learn more about how we help our clients manage their water use.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Explore My Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and ending unwanted subscriptions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

I will spend 30 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn More about Food Deserts

I will spend 30 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will spend at least 15 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 QUESTION
Nature

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?
Tess Van Gorder 10/24/2018 1:11 PM
Foraging for food would be a very unique way to connect with nature. It was very interesting to use the Falling Fruit website to see how much is tracked and what is around you.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

What are the implications of access to nutritious food for a community?
Tess Van Gorder 10/23/2018 12:33 PM
Having access to nutritious food sets you up for better longer term health outcomes.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

A round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2—per person. That’s a lot of carbon! What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
Tess Van Gorder 10/22/2018 2:42 PM
I can combine trips for multiple purposes.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?
Tess Van Gorder 10/21/2018 7:35 AM
Keep better track of my food so less food can go bad before I have a chance to cook/eat it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?
Tess Van Gorder 10/20/2018 3:12 PM
It can make you feel more connected to the space you live in and make you appreciate it more.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

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?
Tess Van Gorder 10/19/2018 11:02 AM
I found that St. Paul offers a drop off organics service and will provide you with a container to get you started. It was very interesting to see how a majority of my waste could be composted.

Read More
Tess Van Gorder 10/19/2018 10:51 AM
Did you know that spending time in nature can improve blood pressure, boost mental health, and decrease cancer risk? Sounds like a great reason to challenge yourself to explore a new nature trail/walk in the area!

Read More
Tess Van Gorder 10/18/2018 4:48 PM
I love seeing all of the different challenges my co-workers have taken on for this challenge!

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Tess Van Gorder 10/17/2018 11:53 AM
Only one week left! The participation in this office has been great. Keep it up!

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Tess Van Gorder 10/11/2018 9:37 AM
Is one of your goals to eat more whole foods, less meat, or to eat more fruit and vegetables? Here's a list of Minnesota's Seasonal Fruit & Veggies: https://www.thespruceeats.com/minnesota-seasonal-fruits-and-vegetables-2217187

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