April 3 - April 24, 2019

Marty Levin

Pachamama Alliance Delaware River Valley Team

"As a concerned citizen, a father and grandfather, I am committed to doing my part to protect the environment for the Earth's current inhabitants and future generations to come. I welcome opportunities to share my commitment with others by leading and organizing educational events which focus on Drawdown solutions. I am an active volunteer with the Pachamama Alliance and the Mount Laurel Green Team."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,220 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

44

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

350

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

75

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

275

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

270

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

80

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

264

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Marty's actions

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 10 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 10 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Rooftop Solar Consultation

#10 Rooftop Solar

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Try Carpooling

#75 Ridesharing

I will commute by carpool 25 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 20.15 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Recycle Everything I Can

#55 Household Recycling

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Use Public Transit

#37 Mass Transit

I will use public transit 25 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 14.15 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 2 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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
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?

Marty Levin 4/24/2019 9:02 PM

I think more people need to learn about the impact of the meat and poultry industries on the environment. Also, there are health benefits to a plant based diet. Check it out!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

What are the factors that influence your choice of transportation? These can include things like money, time, and convenience, as well as perceptions of danger or safety. What would need to change for you to regularly choose more climate-friendly options?

Marty Levin 4/24/2019 8:59 PM

I've experienced the benefits of high speed rail in Europe and Japan and would welcome a wider acceptance of this technology in the Untied States. It would make a difference in the Northeast corridor.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons?

Marty Levin 4/24/2019 4:46 PM

My friend Ruth attended a training program on regenerative agriculture and shared with me the importance of protecting the earth and finding ways to restore nutrients to the soil so that crops planted there will flourish. Alternatives to fertilizers which damage the soil and those who consume the crops are important to protect our health in the future.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Marty Levin 4/24/2019 4:41 PM

Last week, I attended an event focused on food waste. One of the points raised was about expiration dates and the difference between sell by, use by and actual dates when it is no longer safe to consume certain foods. It was very enlightening.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Advocate for Forest Protection

Higher standards of living are very often dependent on moving our environmental costs elsewhere. What are some specific ways in which the environmental impacts of your own lifestyle might be shifted elsewhere?

Marty Levin 4/24/2019 4:38 AM

I've been learning about efforts to protect our forests. On an international level, here's a quote from a blog post on the Scientific American web site: "The Bonn Challenge, issued by world leaders with the goal of reforestation and restoration of 150 million hectares of degraded landscapes by 2020, has been adopted by 56 countries. Many governments and groups pledged to halve global deforestation by 2020 through the New York Declaration on Forests. " (https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-best-technology-for-fighting-climate-change-isnt-a-technology/)

Read More
Marty Levin 4/24/2019 4:13 AM

While at MOM's Organic Market yesterday, we recycled old batteries and peanuts used for shipping. They also take old eyeglasses, old shoes, plastic -packaging (with codes 1-7), and numerous other categories, too. They now have numerous locations in the Mid-Atlantic states from Virginia to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Check out their web site here: https://momsorganicmarket.com/

Read More
Marty Levin 4/24/2019 4:06 AM

June and I stopped at MOM's Organic Market yesterday and dropped off several items in their recycling area. While there, I was reminded of their commitment to protect the environment. Their use of bioplastics in their fresh food restaurant is just one example of the use of bioplastics. More information on bioplastics is available here: https://www.urthpact.com/tag/how-to-dispose-of-bioplastics/.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Biomass

Had you ever heard of biomass techonology before you took this challenge? What did you learn that surprised you? Share this with your friends!

Marty Levin 4/24/2019 3:48 AM

I was not aware of biomass as a potential replacement for oil or gas as a fuel source for home heating until I read about this option this morning. Here's a link to one company that works in this area, Wisewood Energy: https://wisewoodenergy.com/biomassdoneright/2017/2/15/biomass-is-cool-but-can-i-get-one-in-my-home-yes

Read More
Marty Levin 4/23/2019 6:35 AM

I heard an interesting story on the radio this morning about recycling the materials in disposable diapers (on BBC America). Here is a link to the story: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-47964007/disposable-nappy-recycling-how-soiled-nappies-can-be-reused

Read More
Marty Levin 4/18/2019 3:49 AM

Last night I attended the Sustainable South jersey event about food waste. It was quite informative. The movie "Just Eat It" was screened and then there was a discussion of suggestions about what we can do individually and at the community level. Thanks to Mike Morris for spearheading this event and to the vendors/non-profits who tabled at the event and provided additional information.

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