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April 1 - April 30, 2020
joshua schrank's avatar

joshua schrank

Agents of Change

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 506 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    4.0
    miles
    traveled by foot
  • UP TO
    7.0
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    240
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    4.0
    miles
    not traveled by car
  • UP TO
    105
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    10
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    2.0
    documentaries
    watched
  • UP TO
    6.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    96
    gallons of water
    have been saved

joshua's actions

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 60 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

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

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.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 2 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

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

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 5 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

Climate

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

Forests

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area while following CDC guidelines for social distancing.

COMPLETED
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

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 LED Bulbs

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Forests Forest-Friendly Foods
    How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 3:53 PM
    My diet already falls within these guidelines generally, except for coffee. Cutting that out of my diet has been challenging, and I was unaware it contributed to deforestation. I was further motivated by reducing my personal addiction to caffeine and finding other methods of staying energized and motivated throughout my day.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Forests Explore My Area
    How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 3:51 PM
    It allows me to grow attached to my community, unfortunately I live in Rockford, so it may not be the best idea at all times of the day.
  • 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?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 3:50 PM
    I can use alternative methods of travel including walking and biking, which has the added benefit of being physically active and improving my personal health.
  • 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?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 3:48 PM
    I made a video for Camp Winnebago showing them how to create a fun toy known as oobleck from cornstarch and water, which is entirely biodegradable (breaks down into carbon dioxide and water) and is educational as it teaches kids that the states of matter are not only defined by temperature but also pressure.

  • joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 3:24 PM
    I spelled environment wrong in my previous post and am not sure how to correct it. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
    How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 3:22 PM
    Food sovereignty gives a greater power to the populace to control the means of production for food in a manner that benefits both society and enviroment.
  • 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?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 2:55 PM
    Humans are by nature extremely social creatures. Communication is necessary for our mental as well as our physical health. This also serves as an opportunity to prove to our community that we care about each and every member, and don't only communicate when its convenient.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate 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?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/28/2020 2:53 PM
    During a pandemic, staying healthy personally is vital. For that reason, there is a lot of motivation to walk around your community to stay engaged and healthy. Walking allows you to actively enjoy your surrounding, whereas driving requires constant focus and is a high stress situation.
  • 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?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/08/2020 6:49 PM
    A vast majority of our oxygen comes from phytoplankton, which lives typically on the surface of the ocean. By reducing the amount of plastic we consume, we can prevent plastic from entering the ocean and reduce the waste produced in the manufacturing of plastic that ends up in the oceans as well.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Conserve Toilet Water
    What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

    joshua schrank's avatar
    joshua schrank 4/08/2020 6:46 PM
    People in my area, especially at my college, will take unnecessarily long showers, sometimes leaving 3 showers on so that the water will come to temperature, and taking the entire shower with all 3 running. We need to make people more accountable for their affect on the environment, hopefully we can educate students, encouraging to deal with colder water, and encourage the school to more reliably heat the water.