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October 14 - October 28, 2016
Jacqueline Trout's avatar

Jacqueline Trout

Ecova EcoChallengers

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 451 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    18
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    56
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    6.0
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    8.0
    miles
    traveled by bus
  • UP TO
    8.0
    miles
    traveled by carpool
  • UP TO
    60
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    40
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    210
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    24
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    3.4
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    16
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved

Jacqueline's actions

Waste

Needs vs. Wants

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

COMPLETED 0
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 7
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 7
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

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Tend a Garden

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Explore my Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

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

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter my Home

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 3 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per 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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Compost Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk each day.

COMPLETED 4
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

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) per day.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Try Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 4 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 2.59 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Just Drive Less

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

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

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 1
DAILY ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 4 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 1.55 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
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

Simplicity

Work-Life Balance

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

COMPLETED 2
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Start Composting

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Work from Home

I will work from home 1 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Go Get a Check Up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Containers

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Take Control

Develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Avoid Disposables

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

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Simplicity

Disconnect from Email

I will disconnect from my email when not at work.

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?


  • Jacqueline Trout's avatar
    Jacqueline Trout 10/20/2016 1:34 PM
    Today I took the bus to work. The nearest stop is a ten minute walk away, so I was able to get my morning walk in! The bus ride itself adds an hour to my commute, but it gave me a chance to exchange 30 minutes of screen time for 30 minutes of book time! My stomach didn't care much for it, though. Bleurgh. Car sick.

  • Jacqueline Trout's avatar
    Jacqueline Trout 10/17/2016 3:25 PM
    This last weekend I was out of town, so I didn't get to do a lot of the things I had signed up for, but I did manage to do some of them; the Challenge was never far from my thoughts! I explored new trails, taking a hike through Kokanee Glacier Park, maintained my water and waste reduction goals, and while hiking the trail, I was even able to pick up some trash other hikers had left behind. There are still a lot of things I'm missing, but I'm happy I'm making progress toward being a more continuously environmentally conscious person!

  • Jacqueline Trout's avatar
    Jacqueline Trout 10/13/2016 7:30 PM
    I signed up for one challenge that's causing me a quandary; I agreed to replace my CFLs with LEDs, but I also made a commitment to not buy anything that isn't necessary. Can I get people's opinions on this? I hate to throw out perfectly serviceable bulbs, especially ones that require additional processing. Would a good option be buying the bulbs and waiting to replace my CFLs as they burn out?

    • Amanda Greenvoss's avatar
      Amanda Greenvoss 10/13/2016 9:17 PM
      Jacqueline, that is an excellent question - I can see BOTH as the right answer. Do you have someone in your area that might still be using incandescent bulbs that you could give the CFLs to? You would then get to pass on energy savings to someone else (and maybe convince them to switch to a more energy efficient bulb the next time they need to buy them). Let us know what you find out/decide to do! 

  • Jacqueline Trout's avatar
    Jacqueline Trout 10/12/2016 3:22 PM
    Last night, I convinced my partner to join me in going through our clothes and getting rid of things we no longer wear. Between us, we donated two boxes and three bags of clothes to a local shelter program. My partner was so inspired that today he went through most of our garage and came up with two more boxes of usable household goods leftover from before we moved in together! I feel lighter already!

  • Jacqueline Trout's avatar
    Jacqueline Trout 10/10/2016 4:42 PM
    So many people who work at my office have rubbish bins at their desk.

    It seems like a good idea: a bin at one's desk makes it easier to just reach down and throw out trash, one doesn't have to interrupt what one is doing to find the nearest big bin, and one's desk isn't cluttered.

    After all, out of sight, out of mind, right?

    At the end of the day, or the end of the week, one scoops up the bag and then tosses it in the large bins, but does anyone sort it? And everything goes in those bins: recyclables, compostables, even waste that should be disposed of specially, like batteries and medications. Too many times I've seen bags full of recyclables stacked precariously high on the large bins. I once got so frustrated that I tore one open and counted eleven cans and three plastic bottles.

    It boggles the mind, so last week, I did something to make certain I never threw another recyclable good away at work.

    I got rid of my bin.

    Now my trash sits on my desk where I can see it until I get up and walk to the nearest big bin to throw it away. Since it's just single items, it's easier to determine whether it should be recycled or not.

    And I'm also more aware of how much waste I'm generating throughout the day. Paper coffee cups, plastic utensils, cellophane from bakery goods, not to mention the bin liners themselves. They all add up, and I can see it. And I can do something about it.

    Besides, who doesn't like to take a moment to stretch one's legs?

    I got rid of my bin, and I encourage you to try doing the same.



    • Debra Kennedy's avatar
      Debra Kennedy 10/11/2016 9:49 AM
      I have been working all year to get people to give up their wastebaskets at work.  I created watercolor paintings on used envelopes and put them on empty coffee cans.  So far about 3% of the people in the building have traded in their wastebasket.  It's a start!

         

    • Lori Van Orden's avatar
      Lori Van Orden 10/11/2016 8:26 AM
      Fabulous idea!

  • Jacqueline Trout's avatar
    Jacqueline Trout 10/06/2016 5:34 PM
    Okay! Let's do this thing!

    I've got a lot of challenges up there, haven't I? My word. Will I be able to do this?

    Some of the challenges I've chosen are things I've tried doing in the past but have gotten away from me. I intend this year, like every year, to be better.  Some challenges I could've chosen but didn't because I've managed to incorporate those things into my life already.

    One of my biggest challenges (it's not up there! I'm chicken!) is installing a new, more energy efficient heating/cooling system, with a programmable thermostat. I didn't select it to track because it depends on money/availability/S.O. APPROVAL!

    A week before the real action begins... Time to prepare!