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April 3 - April 24, 2019
Bob Osterhoudt's avatar

Bob Osterhoudt

Woodstock Day School

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 808 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    480
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    30
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    70
    minutes
    spent learning

Bob's actions

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 1
DAILY ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Plan to Insulate

#31 Insulation

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

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
    Materials Research Cement Alternatives
    Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but may its carbon footprint is not obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/24/2019 3:02 PM
    Blacktop will have a large carbon footprint 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities Go for a Daily Walk
    What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/24/2019 3:01 PM
    I find that the biggest enjoyment I’m gathering from walking is that I’m bettering my family’s health. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities Plan to Insulate
    What are some of the benefits of making your home more energy efficient?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/24/2019 3:00 PM
    Less energy utilized and savings in bills.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport Test Drive an Electric Bike
    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?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/24/2019 2:59 PM
    I do tend to use my vehicle for short trips but I can certainly see how an electric bike would be useful and fun! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Go Paperless
    What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/10/2019 2:59 PM
    Family time and new experiences 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Fix Leaky Faucets
    What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/10/2019 2:59 PM
    Install a hydrostat on  a boiler
    Install an on demand water heater 
    Use rain water for gardens 

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Properly Dispose of Refrigerants
    How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/09/2019 4:42 PM
    Educating my child as she will be the future 
  • 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?

    Bob Osterhoudt's avatar
    Bob Osterhoudt 4/09/2019 4:38 PM
    Weight loss and healthy eating habits