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April 1 - April 30, 2020
Ashley Rodriguez's avatar

Ashley Rodriguez

Mace North America Green Team

"“Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.” -Abe"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 860 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    136
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    48
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    lightbulb
    replaced
  • UP TO
    142
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    875
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    875
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen

Ashley's actions

Forests

Forest-Friendly Foods

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about how our oceans support life on Earth by producing oxygen, regulating climate, and providing habitat, food, and jobs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a trash pickup at a local river or beach that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Earth Day Together!

Earth Day Action: Share Eco Tips

Through social media or on the Earth Day Ecochallenge feed, I will share my favorite environmentally friendly habit with my friends, even if it’s not an Earth Day action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Conserve Toilet Water

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Fresh Water

Dishwasher Efficiency

I will scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher and only run the dishwasher when it’s full.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Earth Day Together!

Earth Day Action: Research and Support Local Organizations

I will spend 2 minutes researching local organizations and businesses in my community, then support one of them by writing a testimonial or positive review, ordering curbside, making a donation to my favorite nonprofit, or supporting them in another way.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Use Reusable Bags

Plastic bags can be mistaken for food by many wild animals. If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside that follows CDC guidelines for preventing disease spread.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 2 person/people a day through phone call or video chat to support mine and other’s mental and emotional health during this challenging time.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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?


  • Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 5:52 PM
    Hi all! If you're interested in buying an indoor bike, check out this article I wrote for A Sweat Life in Chicago.  I go through options that fit every budget and lifestyle :) https://asweatlife.com/2020/04/at-home-bike-comparison/
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
    How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 5:51 PM
    Food sovereignty focuses on local food production rather than importing (transportation cost and eco-impact) and avoids choosing low cost (but ethically questionable) sources in favor of local sources that support sustainable lifestyles for the workers there.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Oceans Join a Cleanup Effort
    How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 5:48 PM
    Cleaning up our community feels great. I live in a small area with a park and everybody does their part to keep things clean and wipes down benches and surfaces that have been sat on to protect others from potential contamination, which is great to see.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Oceans Learn about Our Oceans
    What is one way in which oceans support your life on Earth? What is one way you can help take care of ocean health with your actions?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 5:47 PM
    Part of being vegan means cutting out seafood, which is tough for me! Over fishing is a real issue, however. I try to limit seafood to a couple of times a month to decrease my impact on the supply chain.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Conserve Toilet Water
    What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 5:46 PM
    In Chicago, a sustainable water future would probably start with less pollution in Lake Michigan.  22 million lbs of plastic enters the lake each year!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits
    Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your ZIP code, region, and/or state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 5:43 PM
    During these times, it's tough to cut electricity costs when you're home all the time, but I only use one LED task light when I work and the ample windows we have in our apartment usually does enough to light our space.

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Dishwasher Efficiency
    How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 7:15 AM
    This is a tough one when you have a very tidy partner. My boyfriend hates to leave things unfinished or not run the dishwasher multiple times a week, but I've been hand washing more dishes to cut back on use of the dishwasher, plus dishes are clean right away.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate 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?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/30/2020 7:14 AM
    A light bulb in my bedroom actually went out and I realized it was an incandescent.  We have LED bulbs for all of our lights but this one was an older lamp that was never replaced. We're 100% LED now.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Earth Day Together! Earth Day Action: Research and Support Local Organizations
    Why is it important to support local organizations and businesses? How does it help to build a more resilient community?

    Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/24/2020 7:35 AM
    https://www.earthday.org/street-art-campaign-global-halt-launches-on-earth-day/

    Link to some great local artists' work in Chicago and around the world that bring awareness to eco-friendliness! When you choose a local business you are taking one more consumer out of the large corporate supply chain-which sends a message to those corporations that investing in communities and empowering small businesses rather than purely extracting revenue from them is the path forward!

  • Ashley Rodriguez's avatar
    Ashley Rodriguez 4/23/2020 9:43 AM
    https://www.ajc.com/blog/atlanta-restaurants/opinion-how-celebrate-earth-day-through-better-food-choices/NByEpaw1GX0AkbtCsmxNAK/ 

    Another great article authored by a friend of mine in Atlanta focusing on making eco-friendly food choices and disrupting the supply chain to decrease packaging waste!