

Melanie Onnen
"Make the world a greener place! "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 747 TOTAL
participant impact
-
UP TO15conversationswith people
-
UP TO36milesnot traveled by car
-
UP TO251minutesspent learning
-
UP TO33gallons of waterhave been saved
-
UP TO313pounds of CO2have been saved
-
UP TO225minutesspent exercising
-
UP TO1.0documentarywatched
-
UP TO30meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
Melanie's actions
Waste
Go Paperless
Do at Home
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.
Simplicity
Track My Purchases
Do at Home
I will spend 10 minutes each day maintaining a record of all my purchases and learning about my spending habits.
Health
Exercise Daily
Do at Home
Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.
Community
Engage In Active Listening
Do at Home
I will practice actively listening to a friend, family member, co-worker, acquaintance, or someone who I may disagree with in at least 15 conversations.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
Do at Home
I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Health
Reduce Refined Sugar
Do at Home
I will adopt a diet free of refined sugars, which eliminates sweetened beverages, candy, and processed foods.
Nature
Learn About the Impact of Old Refrigerants
Do at Home
I will spend 10 minutes researching the impact of old harmful refrigerants on our environment.
Simplicity
Research My Investment Portfolio
Do at Home
I will find out what stocks and bonds are in my investment account portfolio to determine if they align with my values (e.g. environmental, social responsibility, community).
Transportation
Work From Home
Do at Home
I will work from home 1 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.
Simplicity
Research Impact Investing
Do at Home
Using the links provided below, I will research impact investing and determine if it is right for me.
Simplicity
Needs Vs. Wants
Do at Home
I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
Food
Try a New Way to Prep
Do at Home
I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.
Water
Calculate My Water Footprint
Do at Home
I will calculate my Water Footprint to learn about my tap water use and "virtual water" use.
Action Track: Healing and Renewal
Core Values
Do at Home
We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.
Waste
Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
Do at Home
I will spend 30 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.
Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community
Learn More about Food Apartheid
Do at Home
I will spend 30 minutes learning about food apartheid and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.
Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community
Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
Do at Home
I will spend 15 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.
Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community
Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
Do at Home
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.
Action Track: Healing and Renewal
Family Game Hour
Do at Home
I will spend quality time with family and friends by playing low-tech game(s) and/or through the spirit of imagination.
Food
Plant an Herb Garden
Do at Home
I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.
Water
Fix Leaky Faucets
Do at Home
I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 3 gallons (11 L) of water per faucet every day.
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 QUESTIONWaterHow does your view on water consumption change after completing this action?
Melanie Onnen 10/08/2021 11:08 PMI was surprised that the national average water consumption is 1,802 gallons per day. I was also surprised by my own water consumption. Living in an apartment, you do not get much of a choice on the appliances or water fixtures that are installed. This activity has invoked reflection on whys in which I can advocate for lower water consuming fixtures for my apartment building and others. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNatureWhy are old refrigerant gases so harmful to our environment?
Melanie Onnen 10/06/2021 9:28 PMThe utilization of old refrigerants such as CFCs and HCFCs deplete the ozone layer.-
Stina Kerans 10/06/2021 10:39 PM
-
-
REFLECTION QUESTIONFoodWhy do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?
Melanie Onnen 10/06/2021 9:23 PMPeople in richer countries eat more meat due to availability and economics. Eating more meat has a negative impact on our planet as it increased farming animals which increased greenhouse gas emissions and depletes water tables.-
Stina Kerans 10/06/2021 10:44 PMBig corporations cash in on people being able to afford to buy from them - they are gaining more and more control of our food - they are ruining our soil and damaging our animals with giant feed lots - beef, pigs, chooks (it's totally horrible). We need to go back to designing developments that are more like our sustainable past—we can have the best of the past and the present if we take action together. United we are powerful.
-