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October 5 - October 26, 2022
Priya Balasubramanian's avatar

Priya Balasubramanian

Hartford Environmental Action Team

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 990 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    22
    donations
    made
  • UP TO
    1,001
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    96
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    60
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    955
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    955
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    11
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    24
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    water footprint
    calculated

Priya's actions

Balancing Consumption

What is Sustainable Fashion?

I will spend 30 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and adopt at least one sustainable fashion practice.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Enacting Equity

Research Indigenous & First Nations Communities

I will spend 30 learning about the past and present indigenous or first nation communities in my regions impacted by colonization, and what I can do to be supportive.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Enacting Equity

Shop at BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled, & Women-Led Businesses!

I will shop at a small business owned or staffed by underrepresented members of my community.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Cultivating Communities

Pull Together Items to Donate

Each day, I will find one or more items I can donate to a local thrift or resale shop.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Balancing Consumption

Calculate My Carbon Footprint

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nourishing Food

Eat Plant-Based Meals

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Nourishing Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste, excess carbon and save money by planning my daily and weekly menus so that I only purchase the ingredients needed.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Regenerating Nature

Support Local Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local pollinators and plant a few in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Regenerating Nature

Take Shorter Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute or less showers. Tip: Use a timer to practice or count to 60 a few times.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Regenerating Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 10 minute(s) per day typically spent inside and often with electronics with quality time outside walking, exercising, enjoying the sunrise/sunset, gardening, journaling, observing nature, or practicing gratitude for nature.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Regenerating Nature

Calculate My Water Footprint

I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste.

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Regenerating Nature Support Local Pollinators
    Why is it important to take care of pollinators? Do you have a favorite pollinator?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/26/2022 10:41 AM
    I grew a small vegetable garden this year and I can definitely appreciate all the work pollinators do in our vegetable and fruit production. Their role in the entire ecosystem is also very important. It was interesting to learn about Moths, which does not occur to me when pollinators are mentioned and their winter cycles. Bees are still my favorite. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nourishing Food Weekly Meal Planning
    An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four in the US spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/24/2022 5:44 AM
    It does surprise me that we are readily able to waste food. I do udnerstand in some cases it is a hygiene issue. But there should be a better way to get the food to people who really have a need for it with all the technology we have than to just throw it away. I would use the money to donate, save or even go on a vacation. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Regenerating Nature Take Shorter Showers
    With 5-minute or less showers reducing your water footprint, what do you plan to add next to your water conservation habits?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/17/2022 9:22 AM
    Reuse of kitchen waste water

    • Timothy Dow's avatar
      Timothy Dow 10/17/2022 10:33 AM
      Good idea.  I recently put a large cup in our shower to capture waste water for our plants/garden. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Regenerating Nature Calculate My Water Footprint
    What is one way you will reduce your water use? What is a practice you already have that helps you reduce your water use?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/17/2022 9:21 AM
    I will certainly continue the 5 min showers and do the same for my family as well. I am trying to find efficient ways to use kitchen waste water for plants. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Balancing Consumption What is Sustainable Fashion?
    How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/17/2022 8:04 AM
    I have always believed you find clothes that reflect you vs. the current industry fashion. Off late even traditional clothing I have opted to buy those rare weaves and makes that keeps for years that quick ones that you have to buy every other year to keep up. If you really like 1-2 pieces like that is not a bad idea especially with swapping options. Same way lightly used clothes can be given to some one else and more used ones can be recycled to be used as cleaning clothes or as a base for making another dress. Infact I take pride in using clothes that I bought years back (which is common from where I come from)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Regenerating Nature Spend Time Outside
    What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time inside and on screens?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/10/2022 7:49 AM
    The weather is becoming cold, but the color changes encourage the time outside
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Cultivating Communities Pull Together Items to Donate
    How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/10/2022 7:49 AM
    This exercise was very satisfying especially when I am cleaning up my summer clothes and bringing the winter clothes out. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nourishing Food Eat Plant-Based Meals
    What was the tastiest meatless or vegan meal you ever had or had recently? Did you make it? Can you share a recipe?

    Priya Balasubramanian's avatar
    Priya Balasubramanian 10/07/2022 5:54 AM
    Dhal and Roti (Indian flat bread) is my favorite and it is quite comforting for dinner. Sometimes instead of Dhal , I will switch it with one of the curries (vegetable, chickpeas, peas, black-eyed peas and the like). Also just adding a little dried methi or mashed potatoes or carrots or to the roti dough adds another vegetable element to it. They are quick to make with ip pot too.