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October 2 - October 23, 2019
Erin Eddins's avatar

Erin Eddins

EcoINL

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 568 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    10
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    70
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    190
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    190
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    19
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    92
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved

Erin's actions

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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Improve a Bus Stop

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or some other small improvement.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 10 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED -1
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Online Energy Audit

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

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 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

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 10 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Express My Support

I will find out who in my state makes decisions that impact the environment and express my support for more environmental actions.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

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
    Food Plant an Herb Garden
    Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?

    Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/07/2019 2:41 PM
    I have so many ideas being collected. I will need a vertical design to make enough room, but it won't take much to provide more than enough for my little family!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Try a New Way to Prep
    Canning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?

    Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/07/2019 2:38 PM
    I have always wanted to try to can my own vegetables. Baking bread is so much fun, I might try more domesticated and classic cooking!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Choose LED Bulbs
    Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! In what other ways can you exercise your civic duty to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions?

    Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/07/2019 2:27 PM
    Reduce idle time in your vehicle and walk or carpool more. Reduce your waste stream and source your purchases locally to reduce transportation costs for things that you buy. Take your own reusable containers to dinners out instead of using disposable takeaway containers. Find any little way to make a difference!

  • Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/07/2019 2:23 PM
    Taking a walk now and then really gets you into the areas that need attention. Make a goal to never come back empty-handed from a walk, and you can help to leave your surroundings better than you found them.

  • Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/07/2019 6:27 AM
    My daughter found the 'coolest' compostable drinking straws in the soda aisle, and decided that we need to keep them in the car with our reusable ones. We can now use the smaller sized straws when appropriate without contributing too much to the waste in our landfills!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Improve a Bus Stop
    How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?

    Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/02/2019 2:50 PM
    I try to set a good example and ride the bus every day. I also try to educate as many people as possible about the benefits to their pockets, safety, and to our environment that our bus system provides.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Simplicity Needs Vs. Wants
    How is creativity necessary for practicing simplicity?

    Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/02/2019 2:43 PM
    Sometimes you have to get a little bit creative with your resources. Making something work for your task is a lot more satisfying and fun, as well as cost efficient, than just buying an expensive custom kit.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Switch to Cold Water
    What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?

    Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/02/2019 7:46 AM
    Switching to cold water didn't make much of an impact on my wash time, but saved me money on heating the water, and my clothes are still clean. Win for me, win for the environment! No negatives!

  • Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/02/2019 7:34 AM
    I already feel like I am making a difference, especially when I see how many of these options I already do!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Skip the Straw
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

    Erin Eddins's avatar
    Erin Eddins 10/01/2019 9:36 AM
    What plastic bags I do have at home are reused as many times as possible, as are boxes and other items. We have a compost bin, and are sad to lose our recycling bin but will be looking for other ways to recycle.