Earth Month Ecochallenge 2023: Sustainable Development Goals

April 1 - April 30, 2023

Bernadette Kiser

PWR

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
872 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1,475

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

160

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.0

water footprint

calculated
UP TO

115

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1,475

minutes

not spent in front of a screen

Bernadette's actions

Basic Needs & Security

Take 5-Minute Or Less Showers

SDG 6

I will save up to 6 gallons (23 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers. Tip: Use a timer to practice or count to 60 a few times.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Education & Livelihood

Work-Life Balance

SDG 8

During the workday, I will schedule time for daily breaks during work days to practice work-life balance.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Climate & Ecosystems

Watch a Documentary About Climate Change or Nature

SDG 13, 14, 15

I will watch 6 documentaries about climate change.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Spend Time Outside

SDG 3

I will replace 60 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 17
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Health & Equity

Track My Purchases

SDG 10

Each day, I will track my purchases to identify my spending habits. This will allow me to see what purchases can be reduced.

COMPLETED 2
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

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?

Bernadette Kiser 4/24/2023 5:09 AM
To reduce the need to clean my shower with hazardous chemicals, I started using a squeegee or a Norwex Environcloth to wipe down my shower when I finished. It's amazing how much cleaner your shower will be just by taking a couple of minutes when you're done to wipe it down (you don't get the build-up).

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Bernadette Kiser 4/23/2023 1:28 AM
Today my sister and I took my granddaughter to an Earth Day celebration. We learned about composting and what you can and cannot compost in your own yard, got seed bombs, and enjoyed a beautiful day outside (until a storm came up!). Oh! And we got to meet a miniature pony.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate & Ecosystems

What is one way you will reduce your carbon footprint? What is a practice you already have that helps you reduce your carbon footprint?
Bernadette Kiser 4/21/2023 7:42 PM
One way I will reduce my carbon footprint is by eating more seasonal foods and locally sourced fruits and vegetables. One practice I already have that helps reduce my carbon footprint is to donate the items I no longer use. I know there is always someone else who can use it and if it saves them money it makes me even happier.

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Bernadette Kiser 4/21/2023 7:24 PM
Another way I've created more sustainable habits is to switch from liquid laundry detergent to Norwex Eco-Wash Laundry Detergent Strips. They're ultra-concentrated, 60% biobased, packaged in an eco-friendly cardboard sleeve, and free from all of these harmful chemicals:
- Chlorine bleach
- Synthetic dyes and fragrances
- Phosphates
- Ammonia
- SLS/SLES
- Phthalates
- EDTA
- Parabens
- Preservatives
- 1,4 Dioxane
- Ethylene Oxide
- Fillers
- Optical brighteners
- Not formulated with ‘Formaldehyde Donors’.
And I can safely use them on my new grandbaby's clothes when she's here!
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Bernadette Kiser 4/19/2023 7:16 PM
To eliminate waste, I have begun using the Norwex On-the-Go utensil set that includes a reusable straw and bamboo utensils. I also have replaced plastic snack and storage bags with Norwex reusable food storage bags.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Education & Livelihood

How does practicing a work-life balance create a more sustainable life for you? How might it contribute to sustainability more broadly?
Bernadette Kiser 4/17/2023 7:31 PM
Practicing a work-life balance creates a more sustainable life for me because I get things done that I need to instead of letting them pile up. It helps my mental health to spend time outdoors and to visit with my neighbor. Improved mental health helps me think more clearly about what I'm doing in terms of the environment and the world around me. When I separate from my work at the end of the day and shut down my computer it contributes to saving electricity.

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Bernadette Kiser 4/17/2023 7:26 PM
Today, I washed my horribly nasty car. My poor pearl white Hyundai Sonata hasn't been through the carwash in many months for a combination of reasons. First, winter, but more importantly a small chip in the paint that showed up one day so I decided not to go through the carwash. That small chip has slowly become a large gray area while my car has gotten dirtier and dirtier. However, I still can't go through the carwash because another chip has begun and I have since discovered that it's a problem with all 2015 pearl white Sonatas. But today I gave in and washed my car by hand.

I was able to do so using only about two buckets of water (it was unbelievably dirty!) and no chemicals. My Norwex Chenille car wash mitt is super absorbent and the microfiber holds onto the dirt it lifts away from the car. And since I wasn't using soap or other chemicals, I could dump the water onto the rose bushes beside my driveway. Now that I've gotten all the winter grime off the car, I can use the mitt and only one bucket of water each week to keep it clean! (Sorry, I know this is really long--but maybe someone will search paint and pearl white Sonata and find a way to help the environment if they find this post.)

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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?
Bernadette Kiser 4/11/2023 5:45 AM
I watched Kiss the Soil on Netflix. I learned the difference between soil and dirt (I guess it was more of a refresher since I learned that in school), the importance of plants, and how soil and plants work together. Honestly, I understand more how urban and rural areas both contribute to climate change.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Equity

How have you reduced your purchasing habits and what would you like to do next to reduce your consumption habits?
Bernadette Kiser 4/09/2023 8:02 PM
The best way I've found to reduce my purchasing habits has been to simply stay out of stores. Although I have found that not to be as difficult as I expected, when I do go to stores I tend to look at the clearance section. My next step is to reduce my search for "good deals."

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Bernadette Kiser 4/07/2023 2:17 PM
I didn't get to spend the amount of time outside that I hoped to because it is stormy and raining here in Concord. And as my computer informed me, the temperature PLUMMETED today! It was 83 yesterday and it's 47 today...crazy.

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