April 1 - April 30, 2020

Mike Pollard

""It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available and works cooperatively against common threats" ~ Charles Darwin"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
603 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

21

miles

traveled by foot
UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

28

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

855

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

21

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

855

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

73

conversations

with people
UP TO

41

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

29

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill

Mike's actions

Fresh Water

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 15 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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Use Muscle Power

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY 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

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 2 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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?

Mike Pollard 4/30/2020 3:02 PM

Great initiative for a great cause!!! Closing out my final challenges and hoping to make good on Laruen B.'s wager. :) Cheers to our Green Team captain Monirupa for pulling this together and pushing us to think and act differently for the benefit of the environment.

Read More
Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:39 PM

A bit of a slower start for me than I planned, but conscious each action still makes a difference! Great lessons to learn and habits to build from the eco-challenges. Well done to all of our participants.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Use Muscle Power

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:36 PM

Transportation choices allow you different options for engaging with your community. Walking, riding, biking allows for appreciating town amenities and nature preserves, while driving allows you to support local restaurants / stores.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Earth Day Together! Earth Day Action: Share Eco Tips

What environmentally friendly habit have you most recently implemented? How do you ensure that you are successful in creating or changing a habit?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:34 PM

My most recently implemented, environmentally friendly habit is eating Vegan at least once per week. Creating the habit requires self-discipline, but is much easier when also supported by others. My wife has been Vegan for over a year, and her dedication to her diet is unwavering, which sets a good example.

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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?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:30 PM

Connecting with others allows us reassurances that we're in this together - referring to the COVID-19 pandemic; that all of us have good days and bad, and we're all coping in our own way. Your chaotic day may be just what someone else needs to hear to realize theirs wasn't so bad, and if things are going well, others know it's possible. The struggle is real, and talking about it helps.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Oceans Join a Cleanup Effort

How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:25 PM

Though I haven't completed this exercise for the challenge, I've done clean-ups in the past. There is a sense of shared accomplishment, which feels great - knowing your small effort can make a difference. Leaving a place better than you found it adds a sense of pride as well.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Oceans Say No to Plastic Straws

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:23 PM

We use plastic bags often for kids' snacks and saving food for later. We've made more conscious choices to use reusable containers instead, and try to cut back on water when washing them.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Spend Time Outside

Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:19 PM

The statement rings true, though I won't comment on 'spiritual' development. Certainly emotionally and physically, stopping to appreciate the beauty of the outdoors promotes a positive mentality, and helps put things into perspective. For a culture that spends most of its time indoors, the implications are irritability, generally poorer health, and missed opportunities to connect with others (when CDC guidelines allow, of course).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Forests Forest-Friendly Foods

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:10 PM

Changing your diet take some focus, but is achievable. Most reputable coffee worth drinking comes from fair-trade areas and supports a sustainable environment.

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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?

Mike Pollard 4/29/2020 4:07 PM

Our electricity is generally higher than our neighbors. Between my wife and I, and our 2 kids, we have 5 night lights and 3 sound machines that run all night long (sometimes during the day too when the kids forget to shut them off :). We can reduce our electricity usage by eliminating some of the lights / sound machines at night, or using timers.

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