Ecochallenge.org

The People's Ecochallenge 2022

October 5 - October 26, 2022

Lexie Anderson

PCC EcoPanthers

"My goal is to be more mindful of the footprint that I leave on our planet and learn from this experience."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,370 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

22

donations

made
UP TO

44

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

3,560

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

1.0

pound

waste avoided
UP TO

1.0

water footprint

calculated

Lexie's 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

Nourishing Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Regenerating Nature

Complete an Energy Audit

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, work, or other shared space to identify the next steps for saving energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Regenerating Nature

Volunteer in My Community

I will volunteer 1 hour(s) for a nature-based event or another opportunity to support my community.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Cultivating Communities

Join A Neighborhood Group

I will join my neighborhood association or another local group of decision makers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nourishing Food

Donate Food

I will find out what food programs are in my area and donate food and/or other items that they request.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Balancing Consumption

Repair a Broken Item

I will repair at least one item that is broken, but is repairable. This might be items like garden tools, sewing machine, small appliances, electronics, clothing, and more.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nourishing Food

Cooking or Baking with Food that was grown in my own garden

My goal is to do better about using up produce and herbs from my garden before things go bad. I'm trying to also prioritize using some of these ingredients and recipes.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Balancing Consumption

Needs Vs. Wants

Each day, I will practice a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 15
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

Balancing Consumption

Reduce Social Media Use

I will use my social media only once per day.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Nourishing Food

Eat Plant-Based Meals

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 20
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?

Lexie Anderson 10/26/2022 6:06 PM

I'm sad that this is ending but I was glad to have participated. I'm definitely more aware now of the wide variety of things I can do to help and the impact that will have. Overall, it's been a great experience and I found myself looking forward to completing my daily challenges. It's a way to add a bit more meaning to your day.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Cultivating Communities Join A Neighborhood Group

How can your community support inclusive decision making?

Lexie Anderson 10/25/2022 8:08 PM

I joined Nextdoor for my household. There is a lot of good information on there about my local community and collaboration between neighbors. One thing that I saw was posted is the number of cars that have been keyed and broken into. People in the comments of that post are trying to decide on a prevention plan and there is a discussion of security cameras. Joining this platform and group allows me to now be a part of some of these decisions and contribute to them. I can share my ideas and also stay informed about what is going on. It's nice to see people looking out for one another.

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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?

Lexie Anderson 10/21/2022 8:29 PM

I plan on reducing the amount of time that the sinks are left running for. I also am going to look at more efficient watering systems for the yard. We already have an efficient washing machine and dishwasher.

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Lexie Anderson 10/20/2022 10:58 PM

Today I cooked again for family and made a vegan chickpea and lentil dinner that involved making a healthier barbeque sauce of sorts from scratch. It was just a simple recipe but turned out pretty good. I was tempted to open Instagram today but refrained from opening it up. I'm also donating some unopened nail polish that I don't plan on using. I've been looking at a woman-owned Etsy store to buy from for a holiday gift for my mom.

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Lexie Anderson 10/19/2022 9:29 PM

Today was a rough one but these actions helped me get through the day. I used some berries from the garden that I'd frozen to make a protein smoothie for dinner. I went through some household things that have been taking up space for years and found some things to donate. I've been thinking about buying some eco-friendly Christmas gifts this year like reusable makeup cotton pads and things for others. Avoiding social media has been so nice as I've always kind of disliked it. It's nice to be more aware of your surroundings and present. The PNW is so beautiful and I think we can lose sight of it easily by being on our phones or trying to capture every moment.

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Lexie Anderson 10/18/2022 10:57 PM

Today, I repaired a broken vanity drawer and a pair of broken sunglasses. I also used basil from our garden to make some vegan mashed basil pesto chickpea sandwiches. I collected some packaged food that I'll be donating to the local food bank. Other than that I kept myself busy and stayed off of social media for the entire day. I did use Pinterest once but only to pull up a banana brownie recipe that I ended up making. These challenges are fun and make me feel even more productive each day.

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Lexie Anderson 10/17/2022 8:33 PM

Today I used up more tomatoes from the garden and made some more vegan tomato soup. This time I used a different recipe that also calls for bell pepper. I would make this one again because the bell pepper really deepened the tomato flavor in the soup. I found a coffee mug that I'm planning on donating. I opened my social media once today to check my direct messages. I refrained from buying a tea advent calendar that I usually buy every year. Instead I'm going to do a homemade tea advent calendar swap with a friend.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Balancing Consumption Needs Vs. Wants

How is creativity a necessary ingredient for practicing simplicity?

Lexie Anderson 10/17/2022 8:30 PM

You have to be creative about using things in different ways. The capsule wardrobe is a concept that reminds me of creativity and simplicity. FIguring out how to make do with only things that you need or less stuff.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Cultivating Communities Pull Together Items to Donate

How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?

Lexie Anderson 10/17/2022 8:28 PM

Be more mindful with what I am buying. I'm hoping to incorporate some of Marie Kondo's teachings on keeping items that spark joy. A lot of stuff that I'm donating isn't because of having too much new stuff coming in. I have a lot of clothing from middle school that still fits me and is in good condition but I never wear. I have a lot of childhood stuff in storage to get rid of because that wasn't a thing when I was growing up.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Balancing Consumption Reduce Social Media Use

Social media can keep us connected with loved ones, make us laugh, and help us to learn new things. It can also create echo chambers and take more time than we realize or intend to give. After completing this action for a few days, how do you feel? What do you notice?

Lexie Anderson 10/16/2022 12:28 AM

I feel like my mental health has improved since I've pretty much cut out using social media for this challenge. I'm also more productive and if I check my phone or take a break it's to check email or text messages. I'm more present as well when it comes to my surroundings and nature.

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