Earth Month Ecochallenge 2023: Sustainable Development Goals

April 1 - April 30, 2023

Erin Bick

"To do my best to be more actively conscious of my environment and the impact that I have within it. To take steps to reduce my carbon footprint, and encourage others to do the same. We can all make a difference!!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
801 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

100

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

300

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

1.0

meatless or vegan meal

consumed
UP TO

68

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

15

documentaries

watched
UP TO

1.0

water footprint

calculated
UP TO

8.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

2.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

1,390

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

300

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

2.9

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

400

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

1.4

pounds

food waste prevented
UP TO

2.0

hours

volunteered

Erin's actions

Health & Equity

Watch a Documentary About Equity, Gender, Health, or Peace

SDG 3, 5, 10, 16

I will watch 3 documentaries about equity, gender, health, or peace.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Volunteer in My Community

SDG 1

I will volunteer 2 hours in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Share Your Eco Habits

SDG 11

Through my Earth Month Ecochallenge feed, I will share with others an environmentally friendly habit I have cultivated.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate & Ecosystems

Plant a Tree

SDG 15

On average, a tree absorbs 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of carbon dioxide yearly during the first 20 years. To do my part, I will plant 1 trees in my community, public parks, or backyard.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Try a New Vegan or Vegetarian Recipe

I will try a new vegan or vegetarian recipe and share how it turns out on the Ecochallenge feed, or with family and friends.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Spend Time Outside

SDG 3

I will replace 20 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside exercising, enjoying the sunrise/sunset, gardening, journaling, or practicing gratitude for nature.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Reduce Animal Product Consumption

SDG 2

One kilogram of beef and cheese emits 71kg and 24kg of greenhouse gasses, while 1kg of rice, grains, and legumes emits between 2-4kg. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts emit less than 1kg per 1kg. I will reduce my climate impact by enjoying 1 meatless meals and/or 1 vegan meals each day this week.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Watch a Documentary About Climate Change or Nature

SDG 13, 14, 15

I will watch 1 documentaries about climate change.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Know Your Produce

SDG 2

I will become a savvy produce shopper when buying organic and non-organic items.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Support Indigenous & First Nations Communities

SDG 10

I will spend 20 learning about the past and present indigenous communities in my regions and what I can do to be supportive.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Calculate Your Carbon Impact

SDG 13

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how lifestyle changes could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Make Zero-Waste Meals

SDG 2

I will cook 1 meals with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Basic Needs & Security

Calculate Your Water Footprint

SDG 6

I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Choose LED Bulbs

SDG 7

I will replace 2 incandescent light bulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Host or Join a Cleanup Event

SDG 11, 17

Within my community at home or work, I will organize or attend a local cleanup event.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Analyze Your Utility Bills

SDG 7

I spend 20 minutes analyzing my recent utility bills, which might include electricity, gas, or water to see what my current usage is and determine if I can reduce my energy and water use.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Watch a Documentary About Food, Water, or Basic Needs

SDG 6

I will watch 3 documentaries about food, water, or basic needs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Watch a Documentary About Education or Work

SDG 4

I will watch 3 documentaries about education or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Watch a Documentary About Economy, Energy, or Industry

SDG 7, 9, 12

I will watch 3 documentaries about economy, energy, or industry.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Practice Mindfulness

SDG 3

I will spend 15 minutes each day practicing mindfulness.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Education & Livelihood

What did you watch, and what was the most important thing you learned in the documentaries you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of climate change and Earth Month?
Erin Bick 4/27/2023 8:44 AM
I visited the NAAEE (North American Association for Environmental Education) site; listened to a podcast Let's Talk Outdoors - Megan Gurski; and YouTube video 4 Types of careers in Ecology, Biology and Environmental Science. The one that stood out the most was the NAAEE website. I love their statement "to create a more sustainable society, we need to determine how to meet the needs of the present without compromising our ability to meet the needs of the future." There were also some great resources for education and youth, and was a great resource for many. Enjoyed them all.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Economy & Communities

What was the most interesting thing you learned from analyzing your utility bill? What are some ways you can save energy and water?
Erin Bick 4/26/2023 10:34 AM
I was actually quite pleased with my energy bill! In December we upgraded to energy efficient windows, and the results can really be seen in my electric bill. No more losing heat with single pane windows, and no more running a dehumidifier all day to suck out all the extra moisture in the house. Huge savings in energy usage and in cost!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Economy & Communities

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Erin Bick 4/18/2023 9:17 AM
I only buy LED bulbs, but I did find that in my condo complex they still had the older bulbs in the lights in our entryways. So, I replaced ours and the upstairs one with a new LED bulb, and it is much brighter and energy efficient! Now to get the rest of the complex on board!

Read More
- B Singh 4/18/2023 1:51 PM
  Hi Erin, I live in a high-rise condo complex in Bellevue, sometime back PSE had a program; where they came in and replaced all regular lights with LED lights. All common area lights, stairways etc., and for all unit interiors as well- tremendous saving overall. You may want to check with your provider and see if such a program is available to your Association.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Economy & Communities

What did you watch, and what was the most important thing you learned in the documentaries you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of climate change and Earth Month?
Erin Bick 4/18/2023 9:13 AM
I watched 3 documentaries: Modern Marvels: How Supermarkets Operate; Modern Marvels: Global Warming Threatens Life on Earth; and Modern Marvels: How the Alaskan Oil Pipeline was Built. They all had a lot of great information. My favorite was Global Warming Threatens Life on Earth. There are more ways to produce energy that I thought, and it makes me wonder why we are not doing more to harness them. I enjoyed learning about FedEx and their Los Angeles facility that is run 80% on their solar energy! Also, that they are looking for more and more ways to produce solar cells, and in future we might be able to find solar in roofs, windows, and even paint! Also, loved to see all the various ways that Greenland is utilizing natural resources to account for over 50% of their energy needs, and with the possibility of electric vehicles, they could be at 100% in the future. WOW! A great one to watch!

Read More
Erin Bick 4/17/2023 10:27 AM
I recently purchased reusable bags for my produce shopping. I was at the store over the weekend, and used my reusable bags, and were stopped by 4 people. They were asking where I had got my bags, so I told them how with Earth Month and KB's commitment to our environment, I purchased them on Amazon, and they are amazing. Then when I was checking out I asked the checker if many people used reusable produce bags, and she said not many people do, but that she loved the idea, and thanked me for doing my part. It was a great feeling, and I will be doing this from now on!!

Read More
- Banu Erdim 4/17/2023 12:04 PM
  I love it! Thanks for sharing, Erin!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Equity

What did you watch, and what was the most important thing you learned in the documentaries you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of climate change and Earth Month?
Erin Bick 4/14/2023 10:38 AM
I watched 3 documentaries on these topics.
The first was The Social Dilemma which was quite the eye opener as to how social media platforms capture, categorize and pinpoint our information to keep us interested. They can also get people with similar interests together, and this is where we can see the fake news and misinformation spread six times faster than normal news. With this we have record high numbers of conspiracy theory threats, some directly related to the sustainability of our plant.
Next I watched The Minimalist: Less is Now which emphasized keeping those things around you with bring you joy and precious memories rather than just having stuff. By donating stuff to local charities, you are able to repurpose, renew and reuse them, decreasing the need to continue producing high amounts of unneeded goods. This also was a good eye opener on how companies use deficit advertising to get you to want to buy more to look or feel like the advertisement. Sneaky!
Finally, I watched a Ted talk by Paloma Medin on Let's stop talking about diversity and start working towards Equality. The one big take away here was, you might invite everyone to your home (or work), but it is how you treat them once they are there that makes the difference.
All great watches and enjoyed.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security

What surprised you about the two produce lists? How will you use these lists for your grocery shopping? Have you used these lists before?
Erin Bick 4/10/2023 1:45 PM
This one I was actually a little happy because I normally eat foods off the 15 clean list. Avocados are one of my favorites on the list, but I also love sweet corn, mushrooms, yellow onions, and sweet potatoes. I have changed to getting some of my fruits in the freezer section now, only because I can portion them better and they last longer. I was a little shocked that spinach and strawberries were on the bad list, but I don't think that means I will avoid them, jut be more mindful when purchasing and cleaning them.

Read More
- Jody Tanori 4/10/2023 4:38 PM
  Erin, I love avocados as well but until recently I would get frustrated with having to wait for them to ripen, only to find they've gone bad. But several months ago, I heard about a trick to keeping them fresh! Put an avocado in a glass container, cover with cool water and a secure lid. Place in fridge for storage. This will ripen the avocado to perfection and keep it fresh for much longer than without this method. I'm not sure exactly how long but my longest storage time to date was about a month, and it was still perfect!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security

What did you watch, and what was the most important thing you learned in the documentaries you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of climate change and Earth Month?
Erin Bick 4/10/2023 8:19 AM
I watched 3 Documentaries: Netflix: Ocean Blue; Netflix: Cowspiracy, the Sustainability Secret; and Nat Geo: Before the Flood. In the Ocean Blue documentary, the piece that shocked me was when they showed a coral reef that had once been flourishing with sea life, now completely dead, with no fish in sight and the once colorful corals, now grey and dead. There was a message that Sylvia Earle said, "We need to protect the ocean in the same way that we protect the land." The Cowspiracy documentary was very interesting, and opened my eyes to how much water and crops are used to simply "grow" cows for beef. I don't know that I will totally eliminate beef from my diet (I am a carnivore), but I have cut back quite a bit already, and will continue to do so. And Before the Flood, was just so interesting about how environmental impacts are affecting our glaciers and ice packs, and the impact that will have over time. 3 great documentaries!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security

What is one way you will reduce your water use? What is a practice you already have that helps you reduce your water use?
Erin Bick 4/07/2023 4:23 PM
I am a great quick shower taker, but others in my household will use ALL the hot water before thinking of stepping out. I need to open their eyes to their environmental impact and get them on board with less than 5 minute showers! Maybe a timer will work.

Read More
- Banu Erdim 4/07/2023 5:02 PM
  5 Ways to Take Shorter Showers and Save Water (tomsofmaine.com)
  
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- Banu Erdim 4/07/2023 5:02 PM
  Here is a useful link for your family :)
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate & Ecosystems

What did you watch, and what was the most important thing you learned in the documentary(ies) you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of climate change and Earth Month?
Erin Bick 4/07/2023 7:49 AM
Knowing that I really needed to get more in tune to our environment and sustainability, I challenged myself to watch 3 documentaries in this area. I watched Netflix: Kiss the Ground, Netflix: Fantastic Fungi, and Netflix: Breaking Boundaries, The Science of our Planet. They all gave some great insight into so many things that I had no idea were threatening our planet. My favorite among these was Kiss the Ground, and just realizing the toll that our agriculture is putting on the environment. There is a difference between dirt and soil, and it was very eye opening. Highly recommended!

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