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April 3 - April 24, 2019
John DeFile's avatar

John DeFile

EcoChallenge Rhinebeck

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 811 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    4.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    3.2
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    10
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    35
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    552
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    7.0
    public officials or leaders
    contacted

John's actions

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 3 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

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

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 3 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Stay on the Ground

#43 Airplanes, #63 Telepresence

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 7
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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Fix Leaky Faucets

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 2 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

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
    Action Track: Social Justice 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?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/24/2019 5:48 PM
    where beef and pork is produced...NIMN 
    where most smarter phones are made
    where coal is extracted and burned for energy
    none of these happen in my area but I reap the benefits
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities Online Energy Audit
    What are your next steps for saving energy?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/24/2019 5:23 PM
    Keeping the thermostat a little lower in the cold weather and using ac as sparingly as possible.  If I have to put it on, I'll keep it mid 70's
  • 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?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/24/2019 2:28 PM
    I am definitely eating less; t has reduced upset stomach and kept me more in the moment during meals
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Properly Dispose of Refrigerants
    How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/24/2019 2:27 PM
    Sometimes I just bury it...especially in this political climate when I am feeling overwhelmed.  More often, I try to keep positive and look for better more environmentally friendly ways to do things
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Social Justice Express My Support
    How could better walking infrastructure make your city both more enjoyable and more equitable?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/24/2019 2:26 PM
    I have only been here a short time but it seems that it is very equitable.  there are crosswalks that beep, ramps up and down sidewalks, bike lanes large enough for larger bikes to accommodate hand cycling and recumbent styles
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation Communicate With My Elected Officials
    What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/23/2019 2:57 PM
    I just drove cross country and you can see the differences in states  who support sustainable energy because they tend to be the "greener" states.  I am tired of hearing about clean coal.  it's a lie and we need to find another way...we already have
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Eliminate Toxic Plastics
    What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/23/2019 2:41 PM
    I use too many straws because I drink ice coffee.  I am trying to get better about it but often forget to bring nay reusable straw with me!

  • John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/23/2019 2:06 PM
    countdown is on! just over 24 hours  to go
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities Replace Manual Thermostats
    How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for smart ones will positively impact your life?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/22/2019 10:49 AM
    I will lower my oil/gas bill and not be wasting fossil fuels.  More $ in my pocket for organic food :)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities Choose LED Bulbs
    Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?

    John DeFile's avatar
    John DeFile 4/22/2019 10:45 AM
    making sure that I turn them off when I leave a room and installing a timer on thermostat