April 3 - April 24, 2019

Stephanie Goulet

"This Ecochallenge, I want to focus on becoming more of an advocate for systems in my community that help everyone take action - for example, advocating for biking-friendly streets, grocery stores that don't package produce, policies that reduce the CO2 of big buildings, etc."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
595 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

480

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

65

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted

Stephanie's actions

Electricity Generation

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore), #8 Solar Farms

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

#30 Methane Digesters (large), #64 Methane Digesters (small)

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Express My Support

#54 Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

#5 Tropical Forests

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Social Justice

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 1 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Contact your Elected Officials

#23 Farmland Restoration

I will contact 1 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

UNCOMPLETED
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?

Stephanie Goulet 4/21/2019 9:05 AM

I did a fair amount of research to know which Energy Supply Company I wanted to switch to in order to get renewable energy from generators as close to my home as possible. Through the process, I learned a lot about renewable energy. For example, I didn't know Landfill Gas Energy even existed, or how it was marketed as a "green" energy, but is actually dirtier than natural gas.

Anyway, here's a pretty good article about your options if you're just starting out: https://www.vox.com/2015/11/16/9744620/support-renewable-energy

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Stephanie Goulet 4/21/2019 6:47 AM

I had a bit of a hard time finding an online energy audit that I could fill out as an apartment-dweller, but ended up using energysavvy.com.

My next steps for saving energy is to figure out what type of lightbulbs we have. I can't tell if they're LED, CFL, incandescent, or anything. How do you know when you don't have the box?

Aside from that, I might invest in a smart power strip because it's a hassle to remember to unplug things all the time. Otherwise, I'm not sure there's much else I can do. Any suggestions welcome.

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- Noel L 4/23/2019 4:47 PM
  
  Oooh, good luck with the light bulbs, definitely challenging.
  Nice work on the faucets. I need to upgrade mine. I have a new mixer tap for the bathroom, but have to spend a bit of time to remove the 60+ yo existing taps.
  Thanks, apparently the old buildings are slowly getting retro-fitted with individual metres.
  Hm, laudromat makes things tricky. If you do 2 loads, maybe put one through the dryer and take 1 home for drying? Laundromat definitely adds more challenge.
  Good luck with everything.
  
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- Stephanie Goulet 4/22/2019 3:12 PM
  
  Yeah, I will look at the lightbulbs; they're just hard to reach and in those enclosed ceiling dome things so I have to find a ladder and figure out how to get to them. It's a bigger project than I thought. I did at least check if the faucets and shower head were low-flow, which they are. Hooray!
  
  Air-drying laundry is a good idea! I thought about that, but I have to go to a laundromat to wash so bringing them back wet might be an issue.
  
  That stinks about the lack of individual metres and having to pay more than you consume. :( At least you're helping the Earth; we ecochallengers appreciate it. :)
  
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- Noel L 4/21/2019 10:53 PM
  
  Try looking at your light bulbs, they may have the type and wattage written on them. The smart powestrip is a good idea, especially where powerpoints are hard to get to.
  I failed to find an online energy audit that would work for me. I do not have heating or aircon. In Aus, the powerpoints have a switch for each plug space so you can switch things off at the wall without unplugging things.
  I am going to try and air dry my laundry rather than use the dryer, will see how that goes. Also thinking about trying to find a bit of lagging to insulate my hot water tank (I am also in an apartment).
  Unfortunately I am in an old building and we don't have individual metres, so I am definitely subsidising the overconsumers.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

Stephanie Goulet 4/20/2019 6:02 PM

I hadn't heard about silvopasture before. Though I don't raise cattle or anything that needs to graze, to me, the biggest advantage seems to be the simplicity in execution. Comparatively, planting trees in a pasture and then just letting them grow seems like a low-hanging fruit for the solutions. Especially when the goats and farmers also gain co-benefits.

The Project Drawdown page seemed to indicate that a lack of knowledge of the practice is why it's not already widespread. Hopefully this will be able to change, especially with ~179 million acres of land already primed for this solution.

Read More
Stephanie Goulet 4/19/2019 3:45 PM

I am excited to say that I used my daily walk time to march alongside hundreds of others in a rally against a local natural gas pipeline. Fingers crossed that the voice of the people is not only heard but put into action.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?

Stephanie Goulet 4/14/2019 2:31 PM

A sustainable community to me looks like one where the people know and help each other. This would make the sharing economy strong, the people more resilient to individual problems, and everyone more likely to contribute to community-improving projects, such as social and environmental advocacy, building community gardens, and keeping the neighborhood clean and safe.

For my area, a city, what first needs to be changed is the isolation between neighbors. That's not to say all neighbors want to get to know each other - and that's fine, of course - but I think at least half would like to get to know each other if the opportunity presented itself.

My first step was to join Nextdoor.com and see if this platform held any promise. Maybe if it does, which I think it might, I'll post a sign in the library or in my apartment building encouraging my neighbors to join it, too. Perhaps a non-threatening website might not be as scary to people as some stranger saying "hey, let's get to know each other"

We'll see!

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- Noel L 4/14/2019 10:29 PM
  
  Thanks for sharing. Definitely agree, we have lost the sense of community in many places and it would be fantastic for so many reasons to get it back. Thanks for sharing the link, will definitely check it out.
  
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Stephanie Goulet 4/14/2019 1:59 PM

I've certainly been walking much more this month and have found it's truly increasing my enjoyment in life. One unfortunate thing has been the ridiculous amount of litter I've seen not only just on the ground, but that I've seen being thrown on the ground in front of me. I'll see if I can get a group together to clean some litter up sometime, but it's a baffling problem - why not just hold on to the trash until you can throw it in a garbage?

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- Stephanie Goulet 4/17/2019 3:20 PM
  
  For sure, Noel. I've never said anything to strangers, mostly because there are some pretty wacky people out there and I don't want to be injured over a gum wrapper. I've also never actually seen someone be fined for littering. I don't know either. I suppose it's the reliance on (and marketing in support of) disposable things is the real thing to solve. It's pretty hard to solve when these convenience products make companies a significant amount of money.
  
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- Noel L 4/14/2019 10:38 PM
  
  Totally agree. Litter is so frustrating. We seem to have a growing number of volunteer cleanup groups (surfrider, take 3 for the sea, local councils, and random groups). It make a big difference, but I have no idea how we stop the problem at the source. I have only been brave enough once to say something to a stranger I saw littering at my bus stop. More fines? More education? Peer pressure? I don't know.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice Express My Support

How could better walking infrastructure make your city both more enjoyable and more equitable?

Stephanie Goulet 4/13/2019 9:00 AM

Although I live in NYC, which is already pretty walkable, I did this challenge anyway to express my support for the work being done on it. I couldn't find a specific person to contact, so I contacted the DOT's WalkNYC organization instead.

I am fortunate to be able to walk as a form of commute as well as having a park on the way, so not only do I get the benefit of exercise without having to dedicate specific times to do it, but I also get to enjoy beautiful sunrises and other natural scenery in the park on my way to work.

I was reading this guide to a walkable city by America Walks because of this challenge ( http://americawalks.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/261463434-Steps-to-a-Walkable-Community.pdf ) which was really informative. I especially loved the first section about the problems that walking can help solve. Lots of interesting facts and statistics. Skim through a few pages of it if you get the chance. Happy walking!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 2

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Stephanie Goulet 4/06/2019 6:55 AM

It's incredibly difficult to get palm oil out of my diet - I had no idea it was in butter, too. I don't drink coffee, so that is at least one win. I do love chocolate, though, so that's another difficult one when the certified ones come in packaging, aren't widely available, and are more expensize than the bulk chocolate I currently purchase.
Any advice from my Fellow Ecochallengers is more than welcome. How do you reduce it? I live in Brooklyn, NYC and it's still difficult.

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- Addy Davidson 4/06/2019 4:21 PM
  
  With my acceptable "sins", I've decided to up my game. So, if chocolate were one of mine (it isn't. I'm actually allergic to chocolate!), I would buy BETTER and MORE EXPENSIVE chocolate, and have less of it. Rather than a large sized Hershey's go for a bite-sized Godiva (or whoever it is that makes it without palm oil!!) That way, I could still have my little sin, and usually the costlier alternative is actually richer (and the smaller size means it may be healthier). That it is costlier encourages me to buy less/consume less, but I haven't had to be so strict as to never have it again. Dunno if that would work for you, but it's a trick I play on my brain often.
  
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