Andrea (Ang) Ortiz

The Hartford Environmental Action Team (HEAT)

"I will make conscious, thought out decisions to positively impact the environment. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
603 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

280

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

280

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

900

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

5.5

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

17

pounds of paper

have been saved

Andrea (Ang)'s 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

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 20-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper each day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided.

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

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Have a Garage Sale

I will have a group garage sale with friends, family, and/or neighbors.

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?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/23/2019 8:51 AM

I have learned a lot from this challenge. I am so very glad to have the opportunity to participate! One of the biggest take always for myself and my family is the disconnecting at meal time. It has truly brought us together more. I will continue to use all that I have learned to make positive contributions to the environment. I will also encourage others to be more thoughtful where possible.

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- Liz Zavodsky (EcoChallenge Staff) 10/23/2019 2:46 PM
  
  Yay! I am so excited. Thank you very much for sharing this and for participating.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Power Down the Computer

What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/23/2019 6:29 AM

Simple things such as turning off the light when leaving a room, using solar powered night lights for my daughter and also switching to energy saving appliances over the years. These are all ways I contribute to reducing my environmental footprint. I also carpool 3/4 days that I am in office. I then telecommute 1 day a week- this helps during the winter months which are fast approaching. (Photo taking last winter)

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Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/23/2019 6:04 AM

Was able to get my walk in nice and early this morning! It is a plus that here in central NY the fall foliage makes it for a very beautiful walk.

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Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/22/2019 10:28 AM

With the hectic kids schedules this past weekend, it was very challenging to be mindful of what I was eating and to get my walk in-- but we all did it together!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Choose Two-Sided Printing

Choosing two-sided printing can be an easy adjustment on your computer settings. How can you help others make this same switch? Can it be encouraged company wide?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/18/2019 9:27 AM

In our local area it defaults to print on 2 sides. I have encouraged other hub's to do the same. It is a best practice here at work. I now also use this practice at home. I coach a sport so I also find myself using apps instead of paper as a way to communicate. If I do need to use paper, I use double sided.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Go Paperless

Reducing your paper mail can be such a freeing action to take -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/18/2019 5:26 AM

I love that I have seen our need for postage go down. My husband is very old school and usually mails out everything and uses checks. It took some getting used to but we both like being able to save money on not ordering checks and having payments post timely.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Have a Garage Sale

Building community is good for your soul and fun to do! What were some of the positive outcomes that came out of your group garage sale?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/18/2019 5:21 AM

It is always fun to have a garage sale. We have a small moving business so any overflow we usually sell - the neighbors love it! We have met many neighbors through our garage sales.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Go for a Daily Walk

How do you experience your neighborhood or city differently when walking instead of driving?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/14/2019 6:39 AM

Since I live in the country- walking on the local nature trail gives me the opportunity to visit with neighbors who are also out and walking. I also love walking at work on my breaks. While walking around the building I often work through problems or tough decisions. The change of scenery is very relaxing and empowering.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Needs Vs. Wants

How is creativity necessary for practicing simplicity?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/09/2019 5:52 AM

Creativity is necessary for practicing simplicity as in order to make changes in routine and your current normal, you have to think outside of the norm. Creativity allows us to have an outlet to make positive, constructive changes. Some ideas will work, some will not- but there is power in trying!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How do your eating experiences differ when practicing mindfulness?

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 10/08/2019 4:55 AM

I am able to fully enjoy my meal without rushing or distractions.

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