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October 14 - October 28, 2016
Dan Levens's avatar

Dan Levens

New Seasons Market

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,015 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    301
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    hour
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    9.0
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    5.0
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    90
    miles
    traveled by bike
  • UP TO
    90
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    300
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    360
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    180
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    12
    organic meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    4.1
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    66
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    12
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Dan's 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

Waste

Start Composting

I will start a compost collection at home, work, or school.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore my Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

I will exercise daily for 60 minute(s) per day for two weeks.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Tend a Garden

I will tend to a garden each day, or work on starting one.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and/or unsubscribing from catalogs.

COMPLETED
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

Food

Watch a Documentary

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 60 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk each day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Avoid Disposables

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Energy

Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Work-Life Balance

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Choose Organic Ingredients

I will enjoy 3 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients per day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Sign a Petition

I will sign a petition in support of an environmental or social initiative in my state.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 6
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 6
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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Compost Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 15-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

I will enjoy the sunrise and/or sunset each day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 1 hour(s) in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Containers

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Just Drive Less

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Go by Bike

I will commute by bike 18 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 11.89 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

De-Clutter my Home

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Healthy Sleep

I will commit to getting 15 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Collect Rain Water

I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Replace Manual Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Conserve Toilet Water

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 4
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

Food

Whole Food Diet

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Locally-Sourced Meals

I will source 3 meal(s) per day from local producers.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Needs vs. Wants

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Buy in Bulk

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

COMPLETED 2
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?


  • Dan Levens's avatar
    Dan Levens 10/27/2016 2:46 PM
    I ride my bike every single day to/from work and take the bus if I have to go to a meeting at corporate HQ. We are also closing down our garden for the season and just covered the beds with compost from our huge compost bin (which we built last year out of scrap wood) so it'll be full of worms for next year's garden. Since it's fall we don't have our thermostat on as the house is well insulated so stays around 68-70 degrees naturally without the need to use the furnace or fans. We have 2 rain barrels and 1 cistern that we use for rainwater collection to keep our garden watered during the dry season, and this year started raising honeybees. Our life is pretty darn eco-friendly as it is, so for the most part this challenge has been mostly about reminding ourselves to get out more in nature beyond our backyard garden, even in the rain :)

  • Dan Levens's avatar
    Dan Levens 10/26/2016 9:25 AM
    We are currently remodeling our kitchen, using zero-VOC paint & primer, ultra-low-VOC water-based stain & sealer to update our existing hardwood floors, and repurposed barn wood from SalvageWorks to build our countertops. Our old cupboard fronts and drawers were donated to The Rebuilding Center, with the rest of the wood waste going to a construction waste recycler. 

  • Dan Levens's avatar
    Dan Levens 10/19/2016 10:40 AM
    We are walking 1-2 hours every day on the beach while on vacation and cooking our own meals, saving our food waste rather than throwing it in the garbage and bringing it home with us along with our recycling that they don't already take care of onsite.

  • Dan Levens's avatar
    Dan Levens 10/17/2016 9:39 AM
    We are going on vacation to the coast and rather than driving back and forth from our motel into town to eat, we rented a place with a kitchen so that we can continue to cook our own homemade, organic meals (and save on gas, cut CO2, not to mention relax more!).

  • Dan Levens's avatar
    Dan Levens 10/16/2016 3:56 PM
    We organized and cleaned out our garage, with wood waste getting recycled rather than trashed.

  • Dan Levens's avatar
    Dan Levens 10/14/2016 6:54 PM
    I am currently trying my hand at making homemade apple cider vinegar by fermenting the apple peels from my wife's recent applesauce canning!

  • Dan Levens's avatar
    Dan Levens 10/11/2016 10:49 AM
    Along with the challenges to push ourselves even greener at home (many items we are already doing), we are doing a kitchen DIY where we are focusing on deconstructing, recycling and repurposing of old materials (my wife even pulled up the old tiles by hand which someone has already taken off our hands for a craft project), then using salvage wood from Salvage Works in N Portland to build our new open base cabinets and open shelving, and finally, finishing them with eco-friendly stains and paints from Green Depot.