Colleen Pulsifer

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.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about a wild animal I find interesting, including their life cycle, habitat, ecosystem functions, and interactions with humans (if any!).

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.

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.

My husband and I are caretakers of a Christmas Tree Farm and plant baby saplings on each Earth Day. This year we are planning to plant 1,000 Balsam and Concolor Firs.

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.

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.

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will spend at least 10 minute(s) a day researching climate issues or climate solutions in my local area and share with others through my team feed, social media, or conversations with my peers.

Now that we're all working from home, energy bills could go up. Take some time to evaluate your home office space (even if it's the kitchen table!). Many utilities offer home efficiency kits (LED bulbs, shower heads, etc.) - visit your electric utilities website to see if they offer any of these solutions. The links below will also help you find energy efficiency opportunities in your own space.

Use an online tool (links below) to calculate my carbon footprint and see what changes would make the most difference. Each calculator varies, but you'll typically need to gather: utility records, the flight history for the last year, and annual mileage and fuel efficiency of your vehicles.