Ecochallenge.org

2019 People's Ecochallenge

October 2 - October 23, 2019

Jamie Damato

The Hartford Environmental Action Team (HEAT)

"Each day is a new opportunity to make a difference."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
599 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

0.0

donations

made
UP TO

6.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

20

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

50

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

20

organic meals

consumed
UP TO

20

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

17

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

20

pounds of paper

have been saved

Jamie's actions

Simplicity

Research My Investment Portfolio

I will find out what stocks and bonds are in my investment account portfolio to determine if they align with my values (e.g. environmental, social responsibility, community).

UNCOMPLETED
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

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

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

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 2 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

COMPLETED
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

Water

Install a Toilet Tank Bank

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water each day by installing a toilet tank bank.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Choose Organic Ingredients

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.

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

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

High Impact Action Track

Research Impact Investing

Simplicity

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Work from Home

I will work from home 1 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will spend at least 20 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

UNCOMPLETED
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
Health Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

To what extent do you believe that environmental factors contribute to your own health or issues with health?

Jamie Damato 10/18/2019 2:57 PM

I believe that environmental factors ALWAYS have some sort of contribution to our health (and issues with health). Our body survives on air, water, conditions such as temperature, etc. If contaminated air and water is continuously being filtered into your body, how could it not have some sort of impact or effect on your resulting health and well being (and functionality).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Happiness

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

Jamie Damato 10/14/2019 3:14 PM

Each day, when I get to work, I open my planner/notebook and jot down three things that make me happy. It definitely clears my head of those little things that can occur as you get ready and head to work...there's no hot water, the hair dryer broke, I spilled coffee on my shirt and had to change, traffic, 'potential' incidents of road rage, not getting a close parking spot, etc...etc...Perspective. No matter what little glitches in the universe that try to bring me down in the morning (or throughout the day), it's nice to look back at that list in my planner and remember what is REALLY important.

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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?

Jamie Damato 10/11/2019 9:54 AM

Our company controls the administrative settings on all of our work devices and I think it would be an easy win to implement a default setting, firm wide, of double-sided greyscale printing...that is, if they do not already have that in place.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Needs Vs. Wants

How is creativity necessary for practicing simplicity?

Jamie Damato 10/11/2019 9:51 AM

In a society that thrives on convenience, it takes an awful lot of creativity sometimes to come up with sustainable alternatives to some of the high footprint activities in our daily routine. One thing that I thought was interesting had to do with alternative options for plastic straws. I was told of a restaurant that served pasta straws (bucatini/perciatelli) with their beverages. How creative?!

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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?

Jamie Damato 10/02/2019 1:30 PM

I ALWAYS have a reusable straw with me. I bought these collapsible stainless steel straws that come with a collapsible brush and storage capsule, which is on a key chain, so they are so easy to pop in your bag or keep in the drawer (even a pocket!) and have on hand when you are out and about.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community Volunteer in my Community

What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?

Jamie Damato 10/02/2019 1:25 PM

I think that awareness is HUGE when it comes to community-wide participation. There is a stigma out there that being sustainable or environmental conscious is an "inconvenience" and "expensive." I think a key to helping the community as a whole become more sustainable is tied to making people aware of the many sustainable practices out there that are both easy to implement and with little to no out-of-pocket expense.

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