Emilee Lindner

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

I will connect with a local nonprofit, environmental or otherwise, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

I will calculate my digital carbon footprint and take steps to reduce my CO2 emissions.

I will replace 3 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

Strong neighborhoods are built on connection and trust. I will introduce myself to 1 neighbors or spend time getting to know people in my community.

Racial inequity is both a sustainability and justice problem. I will support businesses owned by people of color in my community whenever I shop.

My voice matters. I will contact 1 civic leaders or elected officials to express support for a pro-environmental local, regional, or national policy.

I will volunteer 5 hours in my community during the challenge.

I will make sure I’m registered to vote. While I’m at it, I’ll sign up to help others register too!

I will spend at least 60 minutes finding out what local laws, policies, and practices keep people from voting in my community.

Knowing our carbon footprint is the first step to reducing it. I will calculate my carbon impact and identify lifestyle changes that could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment. I will share my commitments to lowering my impact on the feed.

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

A community can be brought to its knees without dependable power, often affecting the most vulnerable. I will write 1 letters or emails per day to a public official or company to advocate for a more resilient power grid (e.g. microgrids, solar storage).

Individual actions are important, but people and organizations working together can make a real impact. I will share a carbon calculator with a friend and invite them to calculate the carbon footprint of their household.

Whether it's by donating or volunteering, I will research the benefits of low-income solar and find out how I can support low-income solar initiatives in my area.

I will spend 30 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

I will join an outdoor restoration project in my community.

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 native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus to reduce pollution in the environment and in local communities.

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill. I will share a photo and reflection of this action on the feed.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

Seeing where waste goes can change how we think about what we throw away. I will visit a local facility to learn more about the waste stream in my community and share what I learn with others and in the feed.

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.

I will spend 30 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.