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October 14 - October 28, 2016
Vanessa Smith's avatar

Vanessa Smith

Skyscraper Squad

"Saving The Earth One Drop and Switch At A Time"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 611 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    3.2
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    40
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    8.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    66
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    8.0
    people
    helped
  • UP TO
    6.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    150
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    450
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    8.0
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    600
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    128
    miles
    traveled by bus
  • UP TO
    1.0
    meatless or vegan meal
    consumed
  • UP TO
    105
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    150
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill

Vanessa's actions

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Say No to Seafood

I will not eat seafood.

COMPLETED 4
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 2 friends per day about the issue.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 10 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

Water

Conserve Toilet Water

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

COMPLETED 15
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

Waste

Avoid Disposables

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter my Home

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will maintain a record of all my purchases.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Go Get a Check Up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Healthy Sleep

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Community

Help Others

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Buy in Bulk

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 6 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 10 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day.

COMPLETED 15
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 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY 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

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

Waste

Use Reusable Containers

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Simplicity

Buy Only What I Need

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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

Simplicity

Work-Life Balance

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Simplicity

Disconnect from Email

I will disconnect from my email when not at work.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Transportation

Advocate for Greener Vehicles

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on fuel-efficient vehicles.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk each day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Cook New Recipes

I will cook a new recipe every day that features organic and/or local ingredients.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Just Drive Less

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 32 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 12.43 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 4
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 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Buy Food and Water Only

I will not purchase anything but food and water.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 3 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day for two weeks that I am grateful for or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

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

COMPLETED 15
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?


  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/28/2016 5:03 AM
    Everyone is doing an excellent job!  Please keep up the good work. :-)

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/28/2016 5:00 AM
    We continue to keep up the good work even after the challenge is over. We must do all we can to save our planet.

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/28/2016 4:59 AM
    We are continuing to save the planet by conserving as much as possible.

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/26/2016 1:19 PM
    Going great and really enjoying the challenges.

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/25/2016 7:52 AM
    Continue to work on all my challenges.  I have many, but I have been doing most of them all the time in my daily life.  I shall continue to keep up the good work. :-)

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/24/2016 6:51 AM
    Going great and rolling right along!

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/23/2016 4:00 PM
    Saving water and electricity as much as possible each day.

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/21/2016 5:07 AM
    All of my challenges are rolling smoothly.  Those quick showers are really something.  I never knew I could move so fast. LOL :-)

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/21/2016 5:04 AM
    We are conserving energy all over our home.  I fuss at my Pookie about standing in the fridge with the door open. Know what you want out of the fridge and get it without hanging in the door. Really!

  • Vanessa Smith's avatar
    Vanessa Smith 10/21/2016 5:02 AM
    Yesterday was the best for saving energy. The whether was perfect for hanging clothes outside to dry and not using the dryer. Excellent! :-)