Erica Toussant

WSP USA

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
464 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

36

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

70

minutes

spent learning

Erica's actions

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Reduce refined sugar

I will adopt a diet free of refined sugars, which eliminates sweetened beverages, candy, and processed foods.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

High Impact Action Track

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

Health

I will spend 20 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 20 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

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

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

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

Health

Learn More about Food Deserts

I will spend 10 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Talk To My Friends and Colleagues

I will research the social or environmental issues in my community that matter to me and tell 1 friends and/or colleagues each day about what I learn.

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
High Impact Action Track Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

Who is most affected by environmental degration and/or environmental irresponsiblity in your community? How are they affected?

Erica Toussant 10/18/2019 6:40 PM

I think low income families, particularly African Americans are disproportionately affected by environmental concerns. Issues like air pollution, water contamination, and lead poisoning are more commonly seen in these communities. Climate change is another issue that impacts them at a higher level. Dealing with/paying to fix the aftermath of environmental disasters ends up as a more negatively impacting financial hit.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

Erica Toussant 10/15/2019 7:05 PM

Outside of the way you dress, I think personality and creativity can be expressed through hairstyles, makeup, tattoos, the general way you carry yourself and interact with each other. While we view clothes as an easy way to display our personalities, I think there are many other options in addition to the ones I listed.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
High Impact Action Track Research Impact Investing

How might impact investing help you better live your values?

Erica Toussant 10/10/2019 2:37 PM

Everyone looks to save money and invest for retirement. Looking at this from the perspective of using your investments with intention can help both parties involved. The social, environmental, etc. impacts you care about are growing all the while you are also getting the return on investment you would already be getting regardless. This allows you to more focus your life around bigger societal concerns you care about without expending any more of yourself toward these goals.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Learn More about Food Deserts

What are the implications of access to nutritious food for a community?

Erica Toussant 10/07/2019 7:13 PM

Having access to nutritious food improves the overall health of the community. A lot of food available in food deserts is fast food or other processed products. This contributes to obesity and weight related diseases. Access could reduce these health issues and positively affect the quality of life.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Needs Vs. Wants

How is creativity necessary for practicing simplicity?

Erica Toussant 10/06/2019 3:17 PM

I think creativity comes into play for practicing simplicity through the need to use what is available to you. Often times, I feel the need to buy something, yet if I stepped back for a moment, I could evaluate if that item is truly necessary or if I could utilize other items I already possess to make the final outcome the same/similar. I often find myself running into this when cooking meals. Ingredients and recipes can be adjusted in order to make sure I am not wasteful of the food I already have at home.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Reduce refined sugar

Before you started this challenge, did you think you were 'addicted' to sugar? How do you feel now?

Erica Toussant 10/04/2019 7:45 PM

Despite the amount of sugar that unnecessarily goes into a lot of processed foods, I don’t think I’m addicted to sugar. I certainly enjoy sweets and a piece of chocolate most days, but I try to regularly eat healthy and avoid too much sugar anyway. I don’t know that cutting out the small amounts I do allow myself will cause me to ultimately feel much different.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?

Erica Toussant 10/02/2019 8:10 PM

I think throughout history, meat was considered a luxury. In richer countries, the availability of meat is more widespread. It's a staple in many recipes, so the ability to afford it will equate to widespread use. The emissions for producing meat outweigh the actual benefit of the harvest. With the challenges of climate change, reducing/eliminating unnecessary consumption will become crucial.

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