April 3 - April 24, 2019

Melissa Everett

"My mission is to advance Sustainable Hudson Valley's mission (to speed, scale, leverage and jazz up climate action) while living life to the fullest and exuding quiet power."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
276 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.4

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

5.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

Melissa's actions

Transport

Test Drive an Electric Bike

#69 Electric Bikes

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 15 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 1
DAILY ACTION

Transport

Conduct Virtual Meetings

#63 Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 5
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?

Melissa Everett 4/23/2019 10:45 AM
I can't say I am loving this (would rather be focusing on more macro things than my own lifestyle which is pretty well tuned) but it is a good fun experiment and I'm not going to let the Bardian angels down.

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- Laurie Husted 4/24/2019 7:28 AM
  You can choose actions that might work in the way you want - like connecting to your elected officials on topics seems like is a great way to have a more macro impact. For example, Governor Cuomo recently proposed (signed??) an expanded bottle bill. I'd love to know if we can support it, and whether can it be strengthened, and then how 184 of us can make comments. Similarly, educating others about where to procure renewable energy locally? I'm looking for those answers and I think you could help connect us to them.
  Thanks for all you do for the Hudson Valley!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

Half of all trips made in the US are three miles or less; 72% of them are driven. Private vehicles account for 60% of trips of a mile or less. Do you often drive short distances instead of biking or walking? If so, how might incorporating an electric bike into your lifestyle help you make more climate-friendly choices?
Melissa Everett 4/23/2019 10:44 AM
Many of my typical errands are a little far for a conventional bike but would be easy for an electric one. I am seriously considering this.

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- Laurie Husted 4/24/2019 7:29 AM
  My husband just earned Action points when he tested the electric bike at Revolution Bicycles in Kingston and got a coupon for $200 off. Which we would need b/c it was pretty expensive but AWESOME to ride - 20 mpg I think he said!!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?
Melissa Everett 4/23/2019 10:43 AM
Life cycle savings, cool new technology, and of course climate change.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

How can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?
Melissa Everett 4/23/2019 10:43 AM
Start doing them with people who reflect common values and company culture (e.g. make sure there are people on the Zoom call who will make sure everyone is heard, and who will help deal with any tech glitches)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Melissa Everett 4/23/2019 10:41 AM
A combination of "food culture" - the messages connected with meal types in restaurants and marketing - and food distribution, as well as education. I think a lot of people dabble with more plant rich diets but may not know how to be sure of getting good protein and balanced nutrition without meat (a misconception but pervasive, that the conventional diet is more balanced)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?
Melissa Everett 4/23/2019 10:39 AM
Supporting local farmers is integral to building resilient communities and healthier people. It's all connected. I have been eating at least one and often two vegetarian meals a day and have cleared out my garden for planting cool weather veggies.

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