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October 14 - October 28, 2016
Steve Schneiderman's avatar

Steve Schneiderman

Ecova EcoChallengers

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,246 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    60
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    339
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    8.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    4.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    45
    miles
    traveled by carpool
  • UP TO
    330
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    330
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    45
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    39
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    3.2
    pounds of paper
    have been saved

Steve's actions

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 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream.

COMPLETED 15
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 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Try Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 3 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 2.61 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY 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

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 8 hour(s) in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 4 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Replace Manual Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Know My Health

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

Food

Visit a Local Farm

I will visit a nearby farm to pick my own fruits and veggies.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Join an Outdoor Project

I will join an outdoor restoration project in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater

I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.

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

Nature

Explore my Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

I will fix faucets that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet per day.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

5-Minute Showers

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

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will learn about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

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?


  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/29/2016 8:23 AM
    If you are ever looking for a good charity to donate those gently used, and reuseable items you weeded out during your simplicity challenge. Below is a link to the Purple Heart Foundation that help those military  veterans who were injured during war time combat actions. just a simple phone call is all it takes to arrange for a pick up, and the donations are tax  deductible.

    http://www.purpleheartfoundation.org

  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/29/2016 8:23 AM
    I had a lot of fun. learned a lot more than I thought I would over past two weeks. From  volunteering time to learning about Seafood diets and it's impact on our environment. A lot more fun that I thought it would be.

  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/28/2016 5:36 PM
    Just got back from taking our four legged child out to the local dog park so he could mingle and play with his freinds. Nice little hour or so jaunt to get out in between the dripping cloud systems that have been rolling through all week.

  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/27/2016 8:03 AM
    Have you ever thought about composting? Most people think of composting as a huge pile of yard waste sitting in the back corner of your yard rotting away. Others take it to the next level and get the compositing bins and barrels that use the heat of the decomposing material and natural bacteria to help break down the plant matter into a rich planting soil. However, there is also kitchen composting, also known as countertop composting. This type of composting is no where as large an operation as those you would see outside. Think of if as a micro composting operation in relation to those huge piles in your yard.

    There are a few good reasons for starting a kitchen composting operation. One of the best benefits would be that turning food scraps into nutrient rich plant food for your indoor plants is a natural and chemical free way of feeding your indoor plants. 

    Here are a few links with information on how to start your own Kitchen Composting system:

    http://www.homecompostingmadeeasy.com/foodscraps.html
    https://blog.mint.com/how-to/kitchen-composting-101-0913/
    http://www.thekitchn.com/yes-you-can-compost-in-your-apartment-kitchen-224892
    http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-make-your-own-indoor-compost-bin-138645


  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/25/2016 6:42 AM
    Do you really know where your drinking water comes from? Have you ever heard of an aquifer? Yep, that is correct. Here in the Inland Northwest we have an underground lake that runs from Lake Pend Oreille down through the Rathdrum Prairie out toward the western side of the City of Spokane. This under ground lake is the result of the Missoula-Spokane Floods that occurred toward the end of last Ice Age over 10,000 years ago. Over many millennia there were several different large ice damns near what is present day Missoula, Montana, that held back thousands of cubic miles of melted glacial water. Each of these ice damn eventually failed allowing all of this water to spill through the valleys of the mountains that you now see in Northern Idaho. As this water made it's way through those valleys, it picked up mud, rocks, sand and other debris depositing it throughout the Rathdrum Prairie - Spokane area before it continued to scour the landscape out past Sprague, Washington and on to Central Washington to create Dry Falls and the Columbia Gorge prior to emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

    Links to learn more about the Missoula Floods and how the Spokane Aquifer was created:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missoula_Floods
    https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wsp2265

     After thousands of years in the making, the Spokane Aquifer now holds millions of Acre Feet of fresh potable water. This is the primary source of our drinking water here in the Spokane and Spokane Valley area. What if there was a major incident that threatened this fresh water reservoir, would you know how to respond and who to contact? 

    Here are a few helpful links that may be of some assistance:

    http://www.spokaneaquifer.org/
    http://spokanecares.org/spokane-aquifer.php


  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/23/2016 7:21 AM
    Do you have old TVs, copiers, VCRs, computers, printers, video game consoles or even old cell phones that you would like to get rid of? Many of these items can be recycled or reused to help keep the caustic materials from polluting our enviroment as well as recover precious metals used during the manufacturing process. The link below takes you to the City of Spokane's electronics recycling website that has a
    partial list of Spokane County locations that can take your unwanted electronics.

    https://my.spokanecity.org/solidwaste/recycling/electronics/

    Washington has a free, convenient and environmentally responsible recycling program for many of these items. Visit the E-Cycle Washington website or call 1.800.RECYCLE (732.9253) to find e-cycling opportunities near you.

  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/21/2016 1:49 PM
    I had an  absolute yesterday doing some of the hardest volunteer work that I have ever done. We cut in approximately 1/4 mile of new pathways on the backside of Antonie Peak in the Spokane Valley. It was cold wet and rained the entire time, but the peo and their contagious positive attitude kept the drive to complete the work alive. 

    If you ever want to get out into the hills or even a good stretch of park land and go some work that will provide positive benefits for people and nature at the same time, check out the upcoming work parties on the site link below.

    http://www.wta.org

  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/19/2016 6:12 AM
    For those of you that had fallen trees or branches from the last "Wind" storm.  Spokane County Regional Solid Waste System has extended the period for FREE disposal of storm-related residential yard waste. You can take your storm debris to the North County Transfer Station at 22123 N. Elk-Chatteroy Road through November 29th, 2016.

    https://www.spokanecleanair.org/news/1084/free-storm-related-residential-yard-debrisclean-green-disposal

  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/18/2016 7:09 AM
    Looking to clean out your closet or have old clothing that you are not sure should be donated? Did you know that there are companies that recycle or repurpose textile fibers from old clothing and accessories? GemText here in Spokane Washington is one of those companies that will take old clothing and recycle the fibers. If you'd like to learn more, check out the top web address  below. To locate a collection bin where you can take those old pieces of clothing, check out the web address on the bottom.

    http://gemtextrecycling.com/
    http://gemtextrecycling.com/locations/

  • Steve Schneiderman's avatar
    Steve Schneiderman 10/17/2016 6:14 AM
    Here's a site that show you a few low cost or no cost measures to save energy and lower your bills this winter.

    http://energy.gov/energysaver/fall-and-winter-energy-saving-tips