Ecochallenge.org

Earth Day Ecochallenge

April 1 - April 30, 2020

Elaine Gamolo

WSP USA Ecochallengers

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
508 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

25

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

49

conversations

with people
UP TO

11

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

36

gallons of water

have been saved

Elaine's actions

Action Track: Building Resilience

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 1 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

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

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate

Calculate Personal Carbon Footprint

Complete your personal carbon footprint calculator. Go to www.wsppact.com and answer the questions for each section. The process takes about 10 minutes. Details about your utility bills and travel will be required. Please be as accurate as you can, but it’s not required to search for receipts.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Water-Friendly Beauty Products

Avoid beauty products with micro beads or harsh chemicals that will feed into the ground and your water supply.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Vedge Pledge and Webinar

I challenge you to go veg for a week. Sign up and I will provide you with daily updates during the week of the challenge (April 20th to 25th - send me an email that you want to join at [email protected]) We will have a webinar on Wednesday, April 22nd (Earth Day) at 9am Pacific/noon Eastern about the environmental impacts of food. Join the webinar and/or take the pledge :)

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Earth Day Together!

Earth Day Action: Research and Support Local Organizations

I will spend 15 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

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

Action Track: Earth Day Together!

Earth Day Action: Write a Love Letter, Poem, or Song to Earth

I will express my love and gratitude for our Earth by writing a love letter, poem, or song to Earth.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Advocate For More Food Options

Access to affordable, nutritious food is a food justice issue. I will advocate for local and/or organic food options in my state and/or community.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about a wild animal I find interesting, including their life cycle, habitat, ecosystem functions, and interactions with humans (if any!).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

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

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
Action Track: Earth Day Together! Earth Day Action: Write a Love Letter, Poem, or Song to Earth

What are you grateful for about our planet? Share what you created or your general thoughts of love and gratitude with everyone else!

Elaine Gamolo 4/28/2020 1:41 PM

I am forever grateful for our life and oxygen-producing planet. We are very lucky to be able to enjoy the great beauty and diversity of our planet. While the earth can give so much, we also need to be considerate of what we take and give back :)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Fresh Water Water-Friendly Beauty Products

Beyond what does or doesn't come out of the tap at home, how do your choices affect freshwater locally and globally?

Elaine Gamolo 4/21/2020 1:02 PM

My choices affect freshwater locally and globally in many different ways. My choice in usage affects the general supply of freshwater. It is my duty to limit and be conscious of my consumption of water, whether it's for cooking/kitchen-needs or use in the bathroom (shower, toilet, faucet running). The water I do use, can affect other supplies of water in that water that isn't properly processed may be released as waste and/or have runoff that can percolate into our water sources and our environment.
On a larger scale, my food choices greatly affect the food industry in that agriculture and animal by-products require a lot of water. Much of the food we find isn't actually local, and fields (whether for produce or animal grazing) in other parts of the country and world require a lot of water. Overuse, pollution, etc negatively affect freshwater locally and globally.

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- Krista Pritchett 4/30/2020 6:15 AM
  
  Great insight Elaine! I also found out that microbeads (tiny pieces of polyethylene plastic added to health and beauty products) easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean and Great Lakes, posing a potential threat to aquatic life. Thank you for sharing!
  
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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?

Elaine Gamolo 4/03/2020 8:23 AM

Richer countries tend to eat more meat than people in other places because those with larger incomes can afford the luxury of accessing meat products. The cost of producing meat can be high, not only having the space for animals, but feeding them, slaughtering them, transporting them, etc. Versus a plant based diet that can focus more on locally sourced produce that allow for cheaper prices. If people have the money, they can spend it on buying, storing, and eating meat. Livestock production has a huge environmental footprint.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate Calculate Personal Carbon Footprint

What surprised you about your PACT results?

Elaine Gamolo 4/02/2020 1:07 PM

My carbon footprint mostly comprised of energy and spending. I moved into an apartment with a roommate this past year, so we didn't really think about the energy savings in our apartment, especially since it's a new building. We always have our heating/cooling on timers and we don't use your dishwasher, but there are definitely more ways we could be thinking about energy in our apartment. Spending was the second largest chunk of my carbon footprint, so I definitely recognize that I can spend less, buy locally, buy in season, and buy ethically. I wasn't surprised about the other aspects, but it also was a good reminder that holidays and using air travel takes a big toll on my and everyone's carbon footprint!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Elaine Gamolo 4/01/2020 1:32 PM

Knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empowers me to make better decisions in that I have a better understanding of how to manage my food/goods and not letting them go to waste. Rather than assuming everything is bad and inedible by a certain date, I can understand what these labels indicate and can make better decisions to still use/eat these foods, rather than immediately throwing them out.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Fresh Water Conserve Toilet Water

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

Elaine Gamolo 4/01/2020 1:29 PM

A sustainable water future in my region would consist of properly managed resources and respect to our local water systems, including streams, lakes, and rivers. Living in north Jersey, there are many ways our water consumption and usage affect larger bodies of water. Not only should we change how we consume water, in terms of usage, but also be aware of our output to the water systems, to avoid contamination and further pollution.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Connect While Social Distancing

How does connecting with others help your own mental and emotional health? How can it help support others?

Elaine Gamolo 4/01/2020 1:25 PM

Connecting with others helps my own mental and emotional health by being able to express myself and my concerns, without having to bottle it up or be limited to a screen. It allows myself and others to share our feelings with other human beings and lets each other know that we have similar sentiments and/or can offer support.

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Elaine Gamolo 3/30/2020 2:35 PM

Since social distancing / self-quarantine, I have also eliminated any online purchases, thus eliminating unnecessary packaging, contact, and spending. My goal is to continue this throughout the Ecochallenge.

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Elaine Gamolo 3/30/2020 9:45 AM

Excited to participate in the Earth Day EcoChallenge!!

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