Watch a Documentary About Climate Change or Nature
SDG 13, 14, 15
I will watch 1 documentaries about climate change.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Climate & Ecosystems
Explore My Area
SDG 14, 15
Each day, I will spend 20 minutes exploring a new area around my neighborhood (e.g., park, water body, nearby trail, community garden, green space, etc.).
COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS
Health & Equity
Make Cleaning Products
SDG 3
I will make a few homemade cleaning products.
UNCOMPLETED
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 1
DAILY ACTION
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
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 6
DAILY ACTIONS
Climate & Ecosystems
Create & Share A Love Letter, Poem, Song or Picture
SDG 14, 15
I will express my love and gratitude for our planet by writing a love letter, poem, song or taking a picture. I will share this in the Ecochallenge feed or on my social media.
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
Economy & Communities
Analyze Your Utility Bills
SDG 7
I spend 30 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
Economy & Communities
Choose LED Bulbs
SDG 7
I will replace 5 incandescent light bulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Health & Equity
Donate Food
SDG 3, 10
I will find out what food programs are in my area and donate food and/or other items that they request.
UNCOMPLETED
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
Economy & Communities
Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
I took an inventory of our light bulbs on the weekend. I still had a few CFLs and a couple of pot light halogens that we needed to convert to LED. My next step is to measure the lighting in each of our rooms and determine if additional lighting is needed. The County's Home Energy Tool Kits, available through the libraries, has a lux meter and guidance on the appropriate amount of light for the type of task.
This is Welly. You will be seeing a lot of Welly as the County rolls out energy conservation programs. Welly was designed by Melissa Coburn.
Looking for an activity to recognize Earth Day tomorrow? The Town of Erin is hosting an Earth Day event between 10 and 3 at the Legion PowerPoint Presentation (erin.ca)
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?
I did not have time to watch a full documentary, but I started watching Down to Earth on Netflix. There is a great episode on innovative solutions. There is a lot of incredible innovation happening in agriculture - seaweed to reduce methane from livestock, bacteria to enhance yield and carbon sequestration in soil. If you are interested in climate and agriculture, I recommend Kiss the Ground (also on Netflix).
I calculated my household water use for 2022. I was surprised to see that our house of 5 is below the Guelph average and well below the Ontario and Canada average for water use. We use a dishwasher and run it when it is full. We have a high efficiency washer and low water bathroom fixtures and faucets. We never water our lawn and we use collected water for our gardens as much as possible.
I started tracking our home energy usage in 2021. I input our monthly gas and electricity consumption into a spreadsheet to look for seasonal and annual changes. The natural gas usage in the summer months is for water heating and cooking and is significantly lower than the colder months. Our electricity usage increases a bit in August due to our air conditioner usage. Our electricity in 2022 was quite a bit higher than in 2021 in general. I will need to investigate to figure out what has influenced this change.
To start or change a habit I first think about the entire habit process and what I need to put into place to make it easier to switch. When we first started composting we placed the kitchen compost bin on the counter as a visual reminder and easy access to achieve the new habit. As the habit became routine we moved the compost bin under the sink to free up counter place. We also line the bin with paper to make clean up easy and place the roadside green bin near the back door so make disposal easy (especially in the snow).
The benefits of going outside are improved health from activity and fresh air, and improved mental health from being in sunlight, in-person social interaction. Studies show that hospital patients with access to natural spaces, even through a window or a picture, recover quicker. Humans are social animals who need to interact with the world around them.
Salamander season is here! Every spring salamanders emerge from their winter homes deep under the forest and migrate to vernal pools to lay eggs. Rainy mild nights are the best time to see these critters. And last night didn't disappoint. We typically see the most salamander activity around 10pm.
my son and I took our dog for a walk in a new area. My son practiced navigating the neighbourhood in relation to his best friend's house. On the way he met new neighbours, picked up sticks, and told me stories.
