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October 2 - October 23, 2019
Sarah McMillan's avatar

Sarah McMillan

WildEarth Guardians

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 462 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    340
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    570
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    570
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    6.8
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    13
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    38
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    40
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Sarah's actions

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

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

Waste

Compost Food Waste

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Upgrade Heating & Cooling Units

I will replace inefficient heating and cooling units.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

High Impact Action Track

Zero-Waste Cooking

Food

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED -1
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?


  • Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/23/2019 11:25 AM
    This felt good! It was partly a pat on the back for what I already do, but also a heightened awareness of what more I can do. 

  • Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 10:05 PM
    My winter CSA starts tomorrow and I'm pretty excited to start getting a weekly big delivery of fresh local veg this time of year. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Compost Food Waste
    New to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?

    Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 10:02 PM
    This one is hard for me, b/c I live in a place where bears are, and they are currently in their hyperphagia phase. So I have to take my compost up to my dad's house, where he has an electric fence to keep the bears out. On my walk to work, I've been walking down alleys where bears have gotten into trash cans, and left big piles of what looks like chunky applesauce behind. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    High Impact Action Track Zero-Waste Cooking
    In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?

    Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 10:00 PM
    I've always been frugal. One thing I do is freeze tops, tips, roots, skins of onions, carrots, celery, etc. to make vegetable broth once I have enough saved up. I always use pretty much every part of the vegetable. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Spend Time Outside
    Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

    Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 9:58 PM
    Absolutely true for me. I only know what I can do- continue getting outdoors, and encouraging others to do so as well. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Upgrade Heating & Cooling Units
    What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?

    Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 9:57 PM
    This was awfully good timing- just as I needed to replace my furnace. And it encouraged me to get high efficiency furnace. I'm also installing more solar panels to move further off oil and gas. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Power Down the Computer
    What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?

    Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 9:56 PM
    I wonder if I should unplug more while working on the computer, to run down the battery, rather than keeping it plugged in while working. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Happiness
    How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

    Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 9:55 PM
    Helping others see that their work is appreciated helps everybody stay engaged.

    • Sharon Anthony's avatar
      Sharon Anthony 10/21/2019 10:34 PM
      Appreciation in the context itself is like strength to the bones because it helps boost your morale especially during this day and age.

  • Sarah McMillan's avatar
    Sarah McMillan 10/21/2019 9:51 PM
    I forgot my go cup, but used my water bottle, and that was just fine!