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October 2 - October 23, 2019
Savanna Jones's avatar

Savanna Jones

ACHS

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,058 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    171
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    66
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    45
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    66
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    63
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    24
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted

Savanna's actions

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

Water

Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater

I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

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

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
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 3 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

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Launch a Recycling Program

I will start a recycling program at my workplace or school. If a recycling program exists, I will advocate for ways to improve and expand it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those who produce my food in other regions of the world to make better choices when I shop.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Power Down the Computer

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

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?


  • Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/23/2019 2:05 PM
    I can't believe this is the last day!!!

    • Jacqui McGrath's avatar
      Jacqui McGrath 10/25/2019 6:26 AM
      I miss the challenge check ins...looking forward to the next one :)
      Thanks for being our team rock star!!
  • 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?

    Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/22/2019 11:40 AM
    Unfortunately, I do not live in a place where there is a great opportunity for car-pooling. However, I do live in the heart of downtown Beaverton, so I am able to walk to A LOT of places. Walking is so much better in so many ways, and I also love that you don't' get stuck in traffic. I also always try and do my errands in clumps instead of going back and forth all of the time. 
  • 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?

    Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/22/2019 11:38 AM
    It can be so overwhelming to think of the "big" problem on a large scale. Therefore, I tend to just try and focus on the "small" things that I can actually address. It is too much to think of all of the problems facing this planet, our country, our city, or even just me. So, I try and just think of the things that I can do to make a difference and then focus on them one at a time. 

  • Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/22/2019 11:31 AM
    I can't believe the eco-challenge is almost over!!! It has been so much fun!!!

  • Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/14/2019 11:48 AM
    Guys!!!! We moved up four places!!! We are now ranked 51 out of the 721 teams competing in the eco-challenge! Go us!!!

  • Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/14/2019 8:44 AM
    I can't believe we are over halfway done with our challenge!!!

  • Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/11/2019 9:20 AM
    I know that I was supposed to share my "Taco Spaghetti" recipe last week.. but the week got away from me! I changed the original recipe a little bit to make it easier! It's a super forgiving meal, so don't hesitate to change things around! I also substituted beans, when the original recipe called for hamburger meat.

    Throw together in a large saucepan:

    2 cans of beans (I did 1 black bean and 1 kidney bean) - drained and rinsed
    1 can of tomato sauce
    1 can of tomato paste
    2 packets of taco seasoning
    Dried onions to taste

    Heat the above mixture and then turn it to a low simmer. I just made sure to cook my mixture long enough to soften my beans and really infuse the taco seasoning.  In a separate pot cook your noodles. I did a package of 16 oz. spaghetti noodles and felt the ratio of sauce to pasta was perfect. After cooking your pasta, drain and add to pot with sauce mixture. Stir together with 2 cups of shredded cheese. The original recipe called for 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup of mozzarella. I only had Colby-jack cheese, which I just used 2 cups of and it tasted great! When I make this again, I am going to add in a can of corn and some chopped black olives!


    • Savanna Jones's avatar
      Savanna Jones 10/12/2019 8:08 PM
      I like your thinking Jacqui!! I might have to take your idea!! Yes some fresh chopped veggies would be a super good addition! Would love to do some fresh onions and peppers next time too! Hope you son enjoys it! 

    • Jacqui McGrath's avatar
      Jacqui McGrath 10/12/2019 6:24 AM
      Yes,thanks for sharing! I think my son will love this and I like your plan to add corn and olives. I might add diced tomatoes, too. I think I'd prefer mine with tortillas (enchilada style) so I'll follow your advice to set some of the sauce aside :-)

    • Savanna Jones's avatar
      Savanna Jones 10/11/2019 9:24 AM
      I feel like this would be a super easy meal to adjust to make it freeable also! If you don't add the pasta to the sauce mixture, you can always freeze that mixture! A smaller package of spaghetti noodles is 8 oz. So, you could always make the full recipe above and freeze half the sauce mixture and then just have enough food for a meal or two! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Simplicity Research Impact Investing
    How might impact investing help you better live your values?

    Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/08/2019 10:44 PM
    I think impact investing helps you to invest in things that align with you values and not just what you want in the moment. Impact investing makes you look at the big picture instead of focusing on your current desires. 

  • Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/07/2019 2:11 PM
    Here is a super cute video that should serve as some great inspiration on why we need to be more eco-friendly! The part about the tree frogs really explains a lot! https://youtu.be/GFKeOjed0kE

    • Susan Marcus's avatar
      Susan Marcus 10/07/2019 2:28 PM
      Wow -- the electric blue tongue on the lizard! 

      So interesting learning about the tree frog's role as an environmental indicator. 

      That was an educational interlude. Thanks for sharing, Savanna!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Personal Waste Audit
    Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?

    Savanna Jones's avatar
    Savanna Jones 10/07/2019 1:57 PM
    It is difficult to realize the impact our purchases and wastes have because the impacts are often removed from or everyday lives. When something isn’t available for us to see with our own eyes, we often forget it’s even there. Therefore, we must be conscious about how our choices have far reaching impacts. Before making a purchase or creating waste, we must make the effort to think about how this will have an impact in ways we cannot physically witness.