Ecochallenge.org

The People's Ecochallenge

October 6 - October 27, 2021

Michelle Folken

Mayo Clinic

"to live as healthy a life and be as kind to the earth as possible"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
522 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

10

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

2.4

pounds

food waste prevented
UP TO

105

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

119

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

5.0

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

230

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.0

locally sourced meal

consumed
UP TO

6.0

pounds

waste composted
UP TO

10

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

Michelle's actions

Simplicity

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Forgiveness

Do at Home

I will begin, or continue, on the journey of forgiving myself and/or other(s). I may do this through journaling, meditation, prayer, and/or talking with a licensed healthcare professional.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

Do at Home

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

Do at Home

I will reduce food waste and save money by prepping for 1 meal(s) each day, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

Do at Home

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

Do at Home

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 45 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

Do at Home

I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Compost Food Waste

Do at Home

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Learn More about Food Apartheid

Do at Home

I will spend 60 minutes learning about food apartheid and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

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
Health

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?
Michelle Folken 10/27/2021 4:31 AM
Can affect the health of the community members, even negatively impacting their immunity to contagious diseases, and can increase their risk of chronic disease such as diabetes. Having access to local nutritious food can help a community be more self-sufficient and resilient to things like bad weather, strikes, gas price hikes, foodborne pathogen outbreaks, etc.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?
Michelle Folken 10/25/2021 2:31 PM
try to buy more from local small family farms or local CSAs

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Michelle Folken 10/25/2021 4:52 AM
I watched the documentary Regaining Food Sovereignty this weekend, and I thought it was so cool how stuff always seems to tie in with each other. One Native American resident from the Red Lake Reservation was speaking about how they view Food as Medicine, and that was one of the topics that was presented on at FNCE this week, so dietitians are learning and hopefully teaching others this same concept, which I thought was really neat

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

New to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?
Michelle Folken 10/20/2021 7:36 AM
I have been composting for years. I have not done anything with the compost yet, as I do not have time to garden much anymore now that I'm back in school. Next spring maybe I will use some in my container garden that I have on my deck. I think I will grow tomatoes, spinach, and kale in it

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?
Michelle Folken 10/20/2021 7:32 AM
it's probably more culturally acceptable to eat meat, people have more income to spend on meat, and have access to meat. If raised in the right way, on small family farms, eating more meat can help provide necessary nutrients to people and be a healthy part of the ecosystem (can provide manure that helps nourish the soil, keeps grass eaten down, pigs eat food scraps, chickens eat insects and larvae that help preserve beneficial garden insects, etc) and provide income to family farmers. Incentives need to be provided to encourage small family farms that raise animals the correct way. What needs to be discouraged are CAFOs which are very harmful to the environment.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four in the US spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?
Michelle Folken 10/11/2021 4:37 AM
No, this does not surprise me. We have so many options at the grocery store, and it takes time to sit down and meal plan. It's easier and faster to just go to the store and grab items that look good that you think your family will eat this week. And it is very hard to resist temptation when you see items that you want, but don't really need. Also, I always have an urge to stock up on items, and I imagine a lot of other people do as well. I would rather use the money to pay down credit cards.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?
Michelle Folken 10/06/2021 2:58 PM
invite friends to go on walk with me, try to hit the nature trail more

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Michelle Folken 9/23/2021 6:14 AM
I am excited to learn some new positive and relatively easy things I can fit into my lifestyle to help myself, others, and the planet and to share those ideas with others!

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