Carol Fusco

Bergen County Zoo

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
291 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

10

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

5.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Carol's actions

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Use Muscle Power

#49 Cars

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Plan to Insulate

#31 Insulation

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 10
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

In your opinion, what contributes to people in North America eating more meat than any other countries? What does this say about North American values and ways of living?

Carol Fusco 4/05/2019 1:52 PM

I think that most Americans are influenced by media and the need to have what others have. When you look at many of the television shows they are celebrating with a steak dinner, eating meaty sandwiches...XXX we have the meat! It is a way of life and people are expected to strive for this symbol of accomplishment. Broccoli is often seen as a punishment, my family loves it!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Keep Track of Wasted Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?

Carol Fusco 4/05/2019 1:49 PM

I have one child in college so am often sending her any extra funds to allow her to work less and study more. Soon I will have two children in college so saving now will be a big boost to their college fund.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Smaller Portions

Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of eating smaller portions?

Carol Fusco 4/05/2019 1:47 PM

Smaller portions lead to smaller waistline. My family is actively interested in weightloss so not only am I helping the environment but helping teach my family a better way to live.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Plan to Insulate

What are some of the benefits of making your home more energy efficient?

Carol Fusco 4/05/2019 1:45 PM

Making my home more energy efficient will impact not only the environment but also my monthly expenditures. Living with elderly and in-firmed family members it is also a health benefit. Many ideas are simply and low/no cost such as rolling up a towel to eliminate under-door drafts, sealing windows, updating weather stripping.

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