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October 14 - October 28, 2016
Deana McBride's avatar

Deana McBride

Eco3

"I want to inspire those around me to help preserve the environment because I know my actions alone are not enough."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 880 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    255
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    36
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    16
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    9.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    15
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    615
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    14
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    20
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill

Deana'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

Community

Sign a Petition

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day.

COMPLETED 15
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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

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

COMPLETED 9
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

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Ditch the Lawn

I will replace my lawn with a drought-tolerant landscape and save water, money, and time cutting the grass.

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Use an Energy Meter

I will use an energy meter to monitor my energy use and identify opportunities to save power.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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

Nature

Explore my Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 9 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Share my Actions

I will make my environmental actions visible with a lawn sign or bumper sticker, or by posting to my social media networks.

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 10
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

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

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

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Replace Manual Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

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.

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 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 7
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 3 friends per day about the issue.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Just Drive Less

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

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

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

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

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 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk each day.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Avoid Refined Sugar

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Go Get a Check Up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

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?


  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/28/2016 5:17 AM
    It has been easier to get people to conserve energy through switching to LED light bulbs and water through taking shorter showers than getting them to join this challenge or to get involved in a local environmental group. I take my victories where I can. It is great to inspire someone to become a full on environmentalist but I aim to get people to change one habit at a time. Every action helps. 

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/28/2016 5:06 AM
    Glad I won't have to stick with the diet free of refined sugar on Halloween.  It's difficult enough on a regular day. Any day I manage to not eat refined sugar is a good day though. It is a challenge I struggle with every day and will continue to struggle once this online challenge is over. 

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/28/2016 5:00 AM
    Friends and coworkers will be happy when this challenge is over. I've been talking about it a lot. There is also the challenge to discuss environmental issues. I normally talk about the environment on a regular basis but I try not to talk to the point I am no longer heard. Hopefully these talks have inspired others to make sustainable changes or get involved in local organizations. 

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/28/2016 4:48 AM
    It was not always easy to check-in but fortunately the site let you go to previous days to fill out what was done. Having time off work allowed me the time to take walks. Happy to be getting time outside. 

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/28/2016 4:44 AM
    Made it to the end. It has been an interesting experience. I know many of these new habits will stay with me.

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/24/2016 4:03 PM
    Unfortunate I could not get outside for a walk today. The weather is beautiful and it is not so hot that I would have to go inside within half an hour. So many assignments, so little time. I am still working out my time management to allow myself more time outside. I hope that once I am caught up on my assignments I will be better able to make time for myself. I love nature and the outdoors; being outside rejuvenates me and I have been missing that for some time now. 

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/23/2016 3:17 AM
    This challenge is winding down, but I am hoping that two weeks is enough time for participants to adopt these new habits permanently. I also hope that our actions have inspired those around us to take actions of their own to reduce their waste and improve their environment. 

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/22/2016 6:02 AM
    I really need to get outdoors more. It is ridiculous that I am struggling to spend just fifteen minutes outside. Working full time, going to school full time, and living in an area with high UV has made it difficult to meet this challenge. 

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/21/2016 2:21 AM
    I honestly did not think that it would be so difficult to work a fifteen minute walk and some time outside into my day, but those are the challenges I struggle the most to accomplish. I always knew I did not get outside much, but I did not realize how little time I spend connecting with nature. After this challenge is over I will continue to challenge myself to get outside more. I think it would be good for me on many levels.

  • Deana McBride's avatar
    Deana McBride 10/19/2016 1:24 PM
    Almost halfway through this challenge and things have been going well. The hardest part for me is actually getting outside. I have fair skin and I start to burn within 15 minutes if I am not covered, but I live in a very warm environment so wearing long sleeves and jeans gets pretty hot. I started breaking up my outside time into five minute increments. It is easier for me to take a five minute break than a fifteen minute and it keeps me from burning or getting more freckles.