Brianne Smith

GSU's GeoWarriors

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,038 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

87

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

200

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2,375

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

2,435

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed

Brianne's 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

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about a wild animal I find interesting, including their life cycle, habitat, ecosystem functions, and interactions with humans (if any!).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 20 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

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: Research and Support Local Organizations

I will spend 20 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

Oceans

Advocate For More Packaging Options

Plastic packaging can clog our water ways and the stomachs of sea creatures. I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate

Stay on the Ground

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Smart Seafood Choices

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

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
Oceans Smart Seafood Choices

Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

Brianne Smith 4/30/2020 1:57 PM

After I began teaching oceanography, and realizing what the seafood industry does to the environment, I swore off seafood. IF I eat it, it is at a local restaurant at the beach and I choose the local catch. Otherwise, I stay away from it. The cost of industrialized fishing is too high.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Oceans Advocate For More Packaging Options

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Brianne Smith 4/30/2020 1:55 PM

I hate single-use packaging! When I think about all of the garbage piling up on the planet I get completely disgusted!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate Stay on the Ground

What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?

Brianne Smith 4/30/2020 1:53 PM

At this time, with the pandemic, it is actually pretty easy to avoid air travel considering I don't want to be in close proximity to anyone on an airplane. I drove instead, and will probably continue to drive when I travel for the foreseeable future. While this seems to be a carbon-suck, I have a fuel-efficient vehicle that produces little emissions, so it is better for the environment if I drive instead of fly this distance.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Earth Day Together! Earth Day Action: Research and Support Local Organizations

Why is it important to support local organizations and businesses? How does it help to build a more resilient community?

Brianne Smith 4/30/2020 9:16 AM

Local businesses are the pillars of communities. Chain stores and restaurants are nice in that you know exactly what you're going to get when you go, but local businesses and restaurants offer a completely different experience. The local economy is built around these businesses, and the community is more unique and overall a better place to live because of these businesses.

Read More
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?

Brianne Smith 4/30/2020 9:13 AM

Most recently, I have started using Blueland for all of my soap and cleaner needs. They create tablets that you dissolve in water. When you run out, they send more tablets. It eliminates waste from plastic bottles, and all of their packaging is waste-free. It smells nice too!

Read More
Brianne Smith 4/30/2020 9:09 AM

Today is the last day of the challenge. We have just been knocked out of our top 10 spot. Let's finish strong and get our spot back!

Read More
Brianne Smith 4/28/2020 1:01 PM

MILESTONE MOMENT: This team just broke into the top 10! 814 teams are now competing, and we are beating teams with 150-200 members on them. I am so proud of all of you!!!

Read More
Brianne Smith 4/28/2020 8:21 AM

With the exception of my last 2 daily challenges, all of my challenges have been completed and my annual donation to the Northwest Earth Institute has been made. I am currently sitting in the top spot on our team. My offer is double the amount of extra credit for anyone who surpasses me in points. Come and get me!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife Research a Wild Animal

What interesting facts did you learn about the animal you researched? What are some of your favorite things about this animal?

Brianne Smith 4/28/2020 8:18 AM

I researched the pangolin. I chose this animal because it was the favorite animal of the last foster child I had and because she had informed me that it was the most trafficked mammal in the world. Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal in the world, and are an endangered species. They are a scaly, ant-eating mammal fund in Asia and Africa. They are poached because it is believed their scales are necessary for certain Chinese remedies and their meat is consumed. More recently, the pangolins have come into the spotlight as being the intermediate host for the COVID-19 coronavirus. This means that is was not a bat that transmitted the disease to humans, but the pangolin. Bats are believed to have the ancestor strain of the virus, which then was passed to the pangolin, which was passed to humans who consumed their meat (though eating pangolin meat is supposed to be illegal across the globe).

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

Brianne Smith 4/28/2020 8:07 AM

I watched the documentary Farmland, which may be a step away from what this challenge was originally about with food sovereignty. However, I've watched so many documentaries about how the food and agricultural industry that we currently have set up is doing so much damage to the environment, I thought it was time to take a step back and watch one about how the industry affects the people directly involved: the farmers. I found this documentary to be an interesting look at how the younger generation of farmers are incorporating technology and new farming methods to maximize the yields of their crops, while trying to meet today's environmental demands. As someone who grew up on a farm, I know how hard it is to balance the environmental needs with production needs. It is such a blurry line between the 2. And yet, without taking care of the environment, crop yields consistently decrease drastically affecting the farmers' lives.

Read More