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Welcome to The People's Ecochallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an The People's Ecochallenge expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org
The People's Ecochallenge
October 6 - October 27, 2021
Paul Young's avatar

Paul Young

EcoINL

"Farmer, family man, and quality engineer: Passionate about local food and quality sources, and using that passion to enhance my life and the life of my family."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 951 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    19
    whole food meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    53
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    30
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    370
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    930
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    57
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1,170
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched

Paul's actions

Health

Go Get a Check Up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

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

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those around the world who produce my food in order to make better choices when I shop.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Sign Up to Vote

Do at Home

I will make sure I’m registered to vote. While I’m at it, I’ll sign up to help others register too!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Learn About Constructive Communication

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minute(s) learning about constructive communication.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Whole Foods Diet

Do at Home

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

Do at Home

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Tend a Garden

Do at Home

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Car Share

I will sign up for a car-sharing service, or organize car sharing with my neighbors, to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

Do at Home

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Forage for My Food

Do at Home

I will use the resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

Do at Home

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Joyful Movement

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes doing an activity where I'm both moving my body and enjoying myself.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Research Restorative Justice

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes learning about restorative justice and conflict resolution opportunities in my own community or state.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

Do at Home

I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Research Local Waste Sites

Do at Home

I will spend 15 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

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 30 conversations.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn More about Food Apartheid

Do at Home

I will spend 15 minutes learning about food apartheid and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Take Control

Do at Home

Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

Do at Home

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

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
    Simplicity
    How is creativity a necessary ingredient for practicing simplicity?
    Paul Young's avatar
    Paul Young 10/18/2021 4:16 PM
    Rather than buying a new item that I may "need", I have been able to look at items I already have laying around and repurpose them. Sometimes this has required a creative approach. I needed to build a base for some cabinets in my home, and I was able to find a few 2x4's laying outside that had been used as part of a chicken coop. They had been weathered and warped, but I was able to clean them up and straighten them out with a planer. I still need to come up with some paint, but they'll make a wonderful cabinet base.

    This has the added advantage of cleaning up the yard :)
    Read More
  • Paul Young's avatar
    Paul Young 10/06/2021 3:36 PM
    Constructive communication can be a challenge for me, both in my personal relationships and in my self-talk. It was motivating to read a few short articles on the topic, and I will apply the things I learned today.
    Read More