Why buy something I will only use once or a few times if someone nearby has it for me to borrow, and why not share something I have that someone may only need a few times a year? To reduce my consumption and waste, I will create or support the sharing economy with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Land + Forests
Personal Waste Audit
The waste we create daily can go unnoticed. I will track the waste I create in a day and post a photo log on the feed to see how much I create and where I can make different choices to reduce my waste going forward.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Freshwater + Oceans
Reduce Pollutants in Cleaning
Understanding cleaning product ingredients and their effect on water and biodiversity is helpful to our consumer choices. I will spend 25 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Freshwater + Oceans
Learn About Water Justice in My Area
I will spend at least 7 minutes a day using the resources provided to learn about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
Freshwater + Oceans
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
It's estimated over a billion water bottles are thrown away each year. Even if they were recycled, that still uses energy and resources from the earth. I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.
COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS
Freshwater + Oceans
Go Plastic-Free
Millions of tons of plastic is produced each year worldwide. Each day, I will conduct a plastics audit of what I buy and use throughout the challenge (kitchen, bathroom, personal care products, etc.), to see how single-use plastic shows up in my life. I will find plastic-free alternatives to these products and advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, product manufacturers, at work, or on campus.
COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS
Action Track: Community
Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans
I will spend 25 minutes learning more about the importance of freshwater + ocean conservation, and how I can reduce my water use. I will share what I learn with people in person, on social media, and on the feed.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Action Track: Community
Keep My Community Clean
At times it may not feel like it's up to us to keep our community clean and healthy, but we all have a role to play. Each day I am outside, I will pick up any litter I see.
COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS
Action Track: Community
Plant Trees
Trees capture carbon and produce oxygen that is essential to life on earth. I will support this important piece of nature by organizing or joining a community group to plant 1 native trees in my community, public parks, office location, campus or backyard.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Action Track: Community
Write Letters or Emails
I will gather a group of friends, family, neighbors or colleagues and write 1 letters or emails to public officials or companies to advocate for planet-friendly policies.
COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS
Freshwater + Oceans
Understand My Water Footprint
Each of us has a water footprint, directly linked to our daily activities as well as the water required in the production of things we use each day. Understanding our water use is important for a healthy planet. I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste, then share what I learned on the feed.
Final post for April, I found a local place to fill my 5 gallon recycled Firehouse pickle buckets with assorted soils. I think the veggie babies will love it come time to transfer into the ground, soon!!
How did you participate in the sharing economy? (Consider posting a photo!) What are the benefits of a sharing economy? How could a sharing economy change the dynamics you have with friends, family and/or neighbors?
My socially awkward, introverted "sharing" participation involves gifting seeds. I currently do not have my own space or land (this land is not my land) SO I grow what I can just to keep my thumbs green then I share the rest whenever & wherever I can, in hopes that good growth will catch on & counterbalance our backwards growth mass-crap production. I LOVE LOVE LOVE watching seedlings sprout. I also found a few curbside "shares" of unwanted pots to transplant a few of my seed babies. More to come... Also currently watching the recommended doc "The Third Industrial Revolution..."
Today was rest day, perhaps the most important energy "conservation" awareness. I recognize how I exert extraordinary amounts of energy doing mostly mindless, manic hustle-type "work" for a multi-billion or trillion dollar company that bank$ upon mass consumption or "Customer Obsession." I have some serious unsustainable beef with that & feel the long lines of labor trauma guilting my conscience from wanting desperately to resist or revolt. So rest. Rest is the best conservation of personal energy & physical/MENTAL health. Plus, the peppers are sprouting...
Noticing how often I am hooked-in to the plastic consumption sy$tem, even as I use my refillable bottle every day. Even paper cup options at coffee shops have plastic lids & the straw situation is out of control. But there are alternatives, like paper/compostable & SUGAR STRAWS!! It may be worth a letter or two to Scooters or any/all food/bev chains to suggest alternatives. The plastic-wrapped grocery/food industry is a bigger beast, of course, as is AMAZON with not only most products plastic wrapped but pallets of pallets through shipping plastic wrapped as well (not well). Once you see it, you can not unsee the QUANTITY of plastic wrapped rolls of plastic... absolutely worth an internal voice/letter to address gross unsustainable business. Tbc...
Today's new sprouts are beets & squash though, so there is hope in new growth...
Thinking about accountability & responsibility, for my own actions & awareness to minimize unnecessary waste or dispose/recycle properly. Also seeing the greater responsibility of what gets carelessly tossed, like caps, wrappers, lids, & straws & how it ties to our everyday consumerism... overall awareness & thoughts on alternatives without restricting basic needs. Again, more tbd.
Noted all the plastic-wrapped soil for sale at Home Depot, now currently looking for better alternatives for my garden project. Also noted the Round-Up still on the shelves even with its connection to serious health issues... hope to follow-up.
Hello, I am Molly, joining the group to be part of similar minded Earth humans to continue taking steps toward personal & interconnected community awareness. Thank you! 💚