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October 14 - October 28, 2016
Andrew Keough's avatar

Andrew Keough

Columbia Sportswear Company

"Thinking and acting beyond ourselves will bring about change for the whole. (Spok-ish paraphrase from "The Wrath of Khan")"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 840 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    14
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    400
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    2.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    6.0
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    9.0
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    18
    miles
    traveled by bike
  • UP TO
    18
    miles
    traveled by bus
  • UP TO
    390
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    495
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    330
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    450
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    8.0
    people
    helped
  • UP TO
    56
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    10
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    37
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.7
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    12
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Andrew's actions

Waste

Visit a Waste Management Facility

I will visit a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about the waste stream.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Say No to Seafood

I will not eat seafood.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Compost Food Waste

I will avoid sending .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill per day.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 10-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk each day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers for my lunches at work or school.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Consider Switching to an Electric Vehicle

Research or test drive an electric car or bike.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Buy Food and Water Only

I will not purchase anything but food and water.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

I will limit my social media use to once per day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Lobby for Reusables

I will lobby my workplace to have reusable dishes and silverware in order to minimize disposables.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 0 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Healthy Sleep

I will commit to getting 30 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Needs vs. Wants

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Whole Food Diet

I will enjoy 2 meal(s) per day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Just Drive Less

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Audit Toxic Products In My Home

I will research toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Heat and Cool Naturally

I will naturally heat and cool my house, office, or dorm room by opening or closing my windows, curtains, and blinds, and by using fans.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Buy in Bulk

I will only purchase bulk food items and avoid all single-package items.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 15 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary film about food with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

I will exercise daily for 55 minute(s) per day for two weeks.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Talk to my Friends

I will decide which social or environmental issue in my community is most important to me and tell 1 friends per day about the issue.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Recycle all Recyclable Materials

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Connect with a Nonprofit

I will connect with a local nonprofit, environmental or otherwise, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 6 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 1.83 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

I will replace 30 minute(s) of screen time per day with other activities.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of C02 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Disable Screen Savers

I will disable screen savers and will put the computer to sleep instead, saving up to 28% % more energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 6 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Avoid Disposables

I will not use any disposable plates, cups, or cutlery.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Go by Bike

I will commute by bike 6 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 5.37 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 3
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 per day that I do this.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Locally-Sourced Meals

I will source 1 meal(s) per day from local producers.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will maintain a record of all my purchases.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Work-Life Balance

I will not work more than 8 hour days each day.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY 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
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided at work.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Know My Health

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Leave No Trace

I will practice the seven principles of leave no trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Avoid Refined Sugar

I will adopt a diet free of refined sugars, which eliminates sweetened beverages, candy, and processed foods.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Help Others

I will offer to help 2 person(s) who are in need each day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) per day.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Use Muscle Power

I will only use muscle-powered transportation.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Create Your Own Action

Cloth napkins

Adopt the usage of cloth versus paper napkins on a daily/consistent basis. Easy at home, but less so at food and retail establishments.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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?


  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/28/2016 2:45 PM

    It may be the last day of "this challenge" per se, but I saw it as a helpful reminder each day to stay mindful of all of my actions, and how they affect the world that we share... and hopefully I was not the only one to gain some new (green) habits. Cheers!   

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/27/2016 1:28 PM

    Checked out the Tesla website (again)...so cool, IMHO.

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/26/2016 1:42 AM
    What ever happened to that super hero from the 80's? You know, The Toxic Avenger... 

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/24/2016 1:46 PM
    The movie "Forks Over Knives" is very compelling, and the studies/results they shared reminded me of the comments people made after switching their pets over to a raw diet. My 13 year old cat seems to act like he's a teenager(after eating only raw for 12 of those years), so it must be working for him.   

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/24/2016 2:02 AM
    It's easy to see how doing some of the challenges for just two weeks, how they become a standard practice in our lives.

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/23/2016 1:09 AM
    Asking each food establishment I visit if they compost, and learning about their internal processes is eye opening. Some have nothing and scoff at the idea, while others are just plain excited to tout how they do their part in the renewable process.

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/21/2016 1:11 PM
    Cloth napkin ONLY adoption: easy at home, a little trickier when eating out. I found that by asking for flatware separately, versus the ubiquitous "roll-up", it saves on paper and their prep time.  

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/20/2016 5:55 PM
    I went into my local bike repair shop today on my ride home and swapped a part I needed (for my front fender) for some loose parts I had spares of(and had collected over the years). Bartering seems like it saves the unneeded creation of new products by matching up people with something they both truly want or need.

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/19/2016 3:06 PM
    58 degrees, partly cloudy, heavy dew still on the grass... perfect time for an hour of sand volleyball. Who's got next ? 

  • Andrew Keough's avatar
    Andrew Keough 10/18/2016 2:32 PM
    Am I the only one wondering how someone could use eight gallons of water brushing their teeth everyday? Maybe it is something learned as a child, to where they run the faucet to fool their parents after getting the edict, "brush your teeth before X". If a person continues to follow that same pattern of ignorant water usage, it may not don on them the monetary cost until they receive their first bill from a Water Bureau. That (unfortunately) might be the first time they realize that water is finite, and unless you have a rain barrel system, learning the delivery of water to us is a large commercial enterprise. If they do not buy their own house(or have property that has separate utility bills), they may potentially go until someone lets them know they are wasting a precious resource. The more you know...