Terry Tarr

CSU Channel Islands Sustainability Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
114 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

4.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

45

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

45

minutes

not spent in front of a screen

Terry's 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

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.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Terry Tarr 4/22/2020 12:29 PM

saving money, energy - fuel, and time by working at home - telecommuting... good at many levels for the environment... but hard on the spirit related to social aspects of work that we may not recognize as valuable until it stops... also limiting trips to grocery etc. so am thinking if this became a "new normal" I could sell my car and bike to grocery store... I really only need if for commuting to work and occasional travel that could be done with mass transit and uber... save on vehicle insurance, upkeep, registration, etc. - except who would buy my car? well maybe the uber driver will need it... ha!

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Terry Tarr 4/21/2020 1:46 PM

Disconnect your RO filter waste pipe and run it to a barrel outside. Our house came with an under counter RO Reverse Osmosis filtration system we use for drinking water, coffee, tea, etc. It is capable of producing a couple gallons per day which has been plenty for our family of 4 (now down to 3 - one has launched!!). When I found out that it takes a couple gallons of wasted water into the sewer to create a gallon of drinking water that did not sit well for conservation or energy mindedness. So I disconnected the hose from the waste line and plugged hole, drilled and then ran the pipe out the wall to the exterior, and installed a water barrel and I use that water for plants. (I have found that some plants don't like this waste water (not sure why - probably a remaining PH issue? - maybe someone knows and can respond?) In any case having spare water there to use instead of the hose is great!! It also keeps a modest supply of drinkable water (might have higher mineral and toxin content than desired?) were the domestic water ever shut off due to an emergency or pipe line break. A nice security feature as a side benefit.

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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?

Terry Tarr 4/21/2020 12:36 PM

Certainly rings true. Curious that the generation most concerned with environmental impacts we are having as a planet community spends very little time out in it. To experience it and develop spiritually and emotionally via nature interface is wonderful and healthy at so many levels, yet so many are preferring indoor inactivities ;). I too spend more time indoors now than ever due to our digital electronics world, entertainment, etc., and yet when I am outdoors am always reminded of the incredible entertainment value of the natural world once I relax and open my mind, observe, and take time to absorb, My best and favored memories with friends, family, and even solo are nearly all outdoors. There are of course many people being activated, taking on careers to protect and nurture our outdoor environs and I think that bodes well for our future if they can somehow educate the bulk of the planet very very soon. So many of the planets burgeoning societies and economies are just now attaining education and financial capacity to want and afford technological devices, transportation, etc. that are causing all the problems we see here in the USA, Europe, China, etc. with pollution, emissions, trash, environmental damage, etc. and that desire to "have what they have" amongst 6 billion+, that the other billion or so have had - for some time. This will create incredible strain on the planet for resources and the damage from excessive use of them that will occur unless we can constrain it. Somehow the human need to "live better than our parents" needs to be curbed; humble living in better tune with our planet and limited resources and a willingness to sacrifice those wants/desires/cravings so as to not contribute to the problem should be a life long goal. I am not there yet... but striving to get out there, appreciate the environment more, impact it less, help others along the way to better understand, and be more emotionally at peace knowing I am not the problem... a work in progress... I do believe less time indoors will help reduce the cravings for "stuff" and help balance our lives with spirituality and emotional development (to say nothing of exercise and activity for the body) thereby absorbing our time in a healthier manner for us, and for the planet.

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Terry Tarr 4/21/2020 11:09 AM

Seems like with schedules changed, situations for work and interaction adjusted, and other impacts due to Covid19, consistency with meeting daly challenges seem interfered with. I had thought it would be easier and more time available but that has not been the case.

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