"I'm a just an individual woman in a large world but if you think my impact would be too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito."
POINTS TOTAL
0
TODAY
0
THIS WEEK
207
TOTAL
participant impact
UP TO
60
minutes
spent learning
UP TO
30
minutes
spent exercising
Rachel's actions
Land Use
Learn about Temperate Forests
#12 Temperate Forests
I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.
UNCOMPLETED
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 3
DAILY ACTIONS
Land Use
Forest-Friendly Foods 1
#5 Tropical Forests
I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.
COMPLETED
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
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS
Food
Smaller Portions
#3 Reduced Food Waste
I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.
COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS
Women and Girls
Learn about the Need for Family Planning
#7 Family Planning
I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Women and Girls
Research Barriers to Participation and Representation
#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders
I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.
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?
REFLECTION
QUESTION
Land Use
How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?
My research was sporadic, honestly, so I'll just post a couple thoughts I encountered through thinking about the topic.
We focus so much on plastic waste, what about wood waste? It's great that it goes back to the earth and all that, but if you're not using your wooden cutlery, is it really helping? Your wooden cutting board is great but if you don't take care of it and every year have to recycle it, is it helping? Buy nice or buy twice when it comes to furniture, sure, but where is that furniture coming from? Can you thrift it? Through googling I did found out that Ikea furniture is aiming to be 100% recycled materials in the next few years and currently at 80% recycled. THAT was exciting because for being a 'fast fashion' version of furniture, it means it'll be more widely adopted by young people without them even realising it. Sustainable doesn't have to mean niche. Or expensive. Or extra work. How do we get other companies to follow that model?
And as a bit of side, but valid, note - here's a frame from a project I'm already working on regarding food waste for a Green Team presentation which focuses on waste of resources from the start of the production chain to our habits at home. This was an epiphany for me you may find value in, looking at your own eating habits: lamb, the only meat I actually really, really like and wouldn't give up in my otherwise 80% veg, 10% vegan diet, is so bad for the world, emissions-wise. Where do you fall? Maybe your rice can be swapped for more lentils. Food for thought!
I realise I went down a total tangent, but the diet side seemed so easy to me. I already eat as local as possible, and haven't bought processed foods for my home in years.
I had never heard of it and I'm mostly just confused - I cannot find any criticism of it online. Why is it not the common practice? The advantages seem obvious - healthier planet, less grounds upkeep once established, healthier livestock.
I'm not quite certain how all of this works but I'll keep track of my wasted food in my posts because why not. I meal prep so my waste is thanksfully predictable. Today I only had a (scraped clean) kiwi skin and an apple core!
Today I was just struck by how unsafe and unaccommodating the warehouse districts are to people on foot and I don't quite understand why. It's more dangerous and leads people to walk on the street, which annoys the drivers at best and at worst could cause a semi to kill someone without even being able to see them. It reminds me of when I had a package sent to the UPS store.. two hours away from my home, in the middle of no where in Richmond, with not a single path or sidewalk for kilometers. Why do we do this if we want people to live greener? Why do we do this is in the warehouse district when i see hundreds of men in construction gear on the bus every day who commute to work on foot every day. It's silly. We only add pathways where it's pretty in the GVA.
