Karem Montemayor
4/20/2020 8:46 AM
Dog bags. I do not know how I can possibly replace this one.
Karem Montemayor
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 382 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO6.0poundswaste composted
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UP TO30minutesspent learning
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UP TO11disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO5.0plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO2.0lightbulbsreplaced
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UP TO28meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
Karem's actions
Wildlife
Leave No Trace
I will respect and protect biotic communities by practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.
Oceans
Say No to Plastic Straws
An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When marine wildlife ingest plastic, they have a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.
Climate
Choose LED Bulbs
I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.
Forests
Use a Reusable Mug
If possible, I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.
Food
Compost Food Waste
I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.
Wildlife
Support Pollinators
At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators, including monarch butterflies, to produce fruit. I will spend 5 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.
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.
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?
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Karem Montemayor 4/30/2020 2:35 PMThis ecochallenge has been a wonderful way to begin thinking about my personal sustainability and actionable steps I can take. It was great to reflect daily, start ritualistic practices and research new methods and thought processes I can incorporate into my overall lifestyle. I'm happy I was a part of this, and I hope there is a way I can continue to reflect on this throughout the year. I'd like if this ecochallenge continued to stay up for the year, perhaps with weekly or monthly checkins? -
REFLECTION QUESTIONOceans Say No to Plastic StrawsWhat single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate Choose LED BulbsChanging 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?
Karem Montemayor 4/20/2020 8:45 AMLooking around my house for passive ways to reduce my carbpn emissions is key. I would like to research simple, yet unnoticed things in my household that might be able to help in the same way a simple light bulb change can. -
Karem Montemayor 4/10/2020 8:52 AMI am having a little trouble determining if I should add more challenges or just do some additional studying in the areas I am already familiar with. However, I am adding things to my daily practice and trying to supplement a few new things a week. Daily: Reusable cup, daily composting, checking in on herbs/pollinators planted, all meatless meals and at least 1 vegan meal a day. New additions: Currently watching "Plant Lab Live" put on the Dallas Arboretum IG Live to learn a little more about edible garden plants and their parts. Friend linked me to a site that shared natural growing edible food (pecans/lemon trees/blackberries and where to find them in DFW. I want to research that site and update a few listings throughout the month on bicycle. Entertainment mostly. Monthly goals: Begin research on foraging and common edible, naturally occurring foods. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Reduce Animal ProductsWhy do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?
Karem Montemayor 4/10/2020 8:44 AMIt is more accessible for richer nations to eat meat. When traveling, I find that households are eating more foods that are preservable like grains/beans/etc. Not only do they typically have limited space, but they don't always have the accessibility to fresh meat affordably. Infrastructure for meat manufacturing is not typically seen in smaller cities, villages, etc as it is a very expensive import. Also, I find that people use the full animal - wait until chickens stop producing eggs, goats stop producing milk, sheep stop producing wool, etc. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Compost Food WasteNew to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?
Karem Montemayor 4/07/2020 7:02 AMI used to compost when I lived in a house, but I was a lazy composter and had a large pile that could be quickly thrown away and cycled through with fresh soil. Now, I live in a studio apartment, so I have to be more conscious about odor, size, usability for the compost. I just bought a simple bokashi compost bin.I'm going to use the "compost tea" to supplement my herbs and indoor plants. -
Karem Montemayor 4/06/2020 9:50 AMI am starting to use this on my mobile, and I’m going to make it a daily practice to look in on it and try to check a few boxes. I like the site. Is there an app??? Hmmmmm-
Karem Montemayor 4/07/2020 6:59 AMThanks, Deborah! I love the site thus far, but I am open to offering suggestions, if you ever do have a mobile function. -
Deborah Kim (Ecochallenge.org Staff) 4/06/2020 4:19 PMHi Karem! No app yet, but we'd love your feedback!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONForests Use a Reusable MugMaybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reusable one, but it's just hard to make the switch. What stands in your way of making this a habit? By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?
Karem Montemayor 4/06/2020 9:48 AMI think this issue will be more largely solved as companies begin to integrate ways to make this easier for consumers. When I ask to use my reusable cup in a local shop, it is usually met with a little pushback, for health or portion reasons, and my drink typically tastes different due to ratio. It’s not a huge deal for me, but it has to become an overall norm to not affect the consumer so heavily.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWildlife Leave No TraceEducator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?
Karem Montemayor 4/06/2020 9:41 AMI feel especially connected to the larger ecological problems when I have control over them. I am cultivating practices in my home that I can see, whether they are small or large, so that I can feel I have daily practices that I can manage and not think about.
