Ecochallenge.org

2019 People's Ecochallenge

October 2 - October 23, 2019

Saila Balasubramanian

HP Palo Alto

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
572 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

0.0

advocacy actions

completed
UP TO

0.0

donations

made
UP TO

2.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

34

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

18

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

18

whole food meals

consumed

Saila's actions

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Research Impact Investing

Using the links provided below, I will research impact investing and determine if it is right for me.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Join An Outdoor Project

I will join an outdoor restoration project in my community.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Whole Foods Diet

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Connect with a Nonprofit

I will connect with a local nonprofit, environmental or otherwise, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Forage for My Food

I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Donate to or Volunteer for Low-Income Solar Initiatives

Whether it's by donating or volunteering, I will research the benefits of low-income solar and find out how I can support low-income solar initiatives in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Car Share

I will sign up for a car-sharing service, or organize car sharing with my neighbors, to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Know My health

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

COMPLETED 0
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Skip the Straw

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 10:05 AM

I need to reduce my electricity usage - I often forget to shut down my computer at night, or turn off some lights

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bringing your own bags and containers to the grocery store, and even to restaurants for leftovers, are a couple of ways to reduce your waste. What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 10:04 AM

I realized I tended to snack a lot at work, which meant a lot of small bags of snacks, so I started buying snack items in larger packaging (or from bulk) and bringing it to work myself

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Research Impact Investing

How might impact investing help you better live your values?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 10:02 AM

It literally helps me put my money where my mouth is - if I can benefit financially while supporting a cause I care about, everyone wins!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Join An Outdoor Project

How well do you know the area you live in? In what ways is a deep knowledge of your surroundings -- known as a 'sense of place' -- important to you?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 10:02 AM

I just moved, so I don't know it very well - which has made me not feel that connected to the community yet, but I know that as I get to know it better I'll feel like I'm a part of the neighborhood :)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 10:01 AM

Being inside in front of our screens can make us forget where we are, so it's good to remind ourselves that there's a world outside of that, and that it matters :)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Know My health

How do you deal with the physical and emotional stress of the big problems we face? How can you help others cope?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 10:00 AM

I rely a lot on my friends to keep me sane, and I hope to do the same for them - ice cream helps as well :)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 9:59 AM

It shows how a lot of issues arise out of mass producing crops instead of producing what the land has historically produced and is best suited to grow

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Donate to or Volunteer for Low-Income Solar Initiatives

Equitable access, environmental justice and creating employment opportunities are just a few advantages of low-income solar programs. Can you think of other benefits that could come from initiatives like this? Which advantages of low-income solar do you find the most compelling?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 9:58 AM

I think it's also good for low-income programs help show impacted communities that the rest of the community and the government are willing to invest in them

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Forage for My Food

People are motivated to forage for many different reasons: as a source for food, a means of income, to connect with nature, to participate in cultural tradition, transmitting specific ecological knowledge, or as a means of stewarding local and native plant populations. What is your chief motivation for foraging?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 9:56 AM

I think it's good to learn the skills that would help me survive off the land if I ever had to - the apocalypse scenario is unlikely, but it couldn't hurt to be ready!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Car Share

Take a moment to think of places you frequent often (work, grocery store, natural areas). Could you choose one or two days a week to schedule driving with a friend, neighbor or co-worker to these places?

Saila Balasubramanian 10/16/2019 9:55 AM

Work is a definite choice - considering how boring it is to sit through traffic and just listen to the same 10 songs over and over again, it's nice to have a companion

Read More