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Grant Alston's avatar

Grant Alston

Sustainability in Action

"to beat TCU and save the planet"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,220 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    70
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    716
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    2.0
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    105
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    12
    more servings
    of fruits and vegetables

Grant's actions

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) per day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smart Seafood

I will not eat seafood.

COMPLETED 45
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Watch A Water Documentary

I will watch a documentary about water and the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Wash Only Full Loads of Laundry

I will conserve water by only doing full loads of laundry.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 5 disposable cup(s) to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Buy Nothing But Food

I will not purchase anything but food during the challenge.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Avoid Disposables

I will not use any disposable plates, cups, or cutlery.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More fruits and veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 50
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

I will enjoy the sunrise and/or sunset each day.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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?


  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 12/03/2017 7:09 PM
    I've been driving much less lately and riding my bike! It has been a good alternative and has helped me to be outdoors much more often.

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 11/26/2017 6:12 PM
    I unplugged all of the appliances in my house before leaving to go home for the break. When I came back to San Diego I was at first confused why nothing would turn on! It was funny and i am going to get in a routine of doing so. 

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 11/19/2017 6:57 PM
    I have been working on eating less meat, and it really has not been that difficult! Thanksgiving will have to be an exception though...

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 11/05/2017 9:31 AM
    So far this class has opened my eyes to many things that I would have hardly noticed before, mainly when it comes to plastic and one time use materials. I'm happy about what i have learned because I think it will shape the rest of my life in a small way.


  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 10/29/2017 10:18 PM
    Had a fun time at the beach cleanup yesterday! I could not believe the amount of cigarette litter on the ground and in the sand. Also, you really start to notice the amount of tiny plastics when you start looking, pretty eye opening.

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 10/22/2017 9:07 PM
    A lot of people have been posting about organic foods, go to the OB farmers market on Wednesdays! It will be organic and locally sources, so win win. I may even see you there!

    • Madison Elick's avatar
      Madison Elick 10/22/2017 11:41 PM
      Good to know! I've only been once for a quick little visit, but definitely want to go back. Such a fun environment, too! 

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 10/19/2017 11:17 AM
    Starting it off small by challenging myself to have one day per week where I eat no meat. My first attempt was yesterday and it went well! I felt no different throughout the day, and still had lots of energy for practice later on. 

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 10/08/2017 9:58 PM
    I read something the other day that stated that if we see trash as our own, we will take more responsibility for it. Surfing today I hit a lobster trap that had detached from a rope and was in the shallows. I brought it in to be thrown away later on

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 10/03/2017 6:33 PM
    I found out that my home has a walk score of 72, meaning that it is very walkable. there isn't a ton of public transit, and due to the hills the travel score was pretty low by bike. This made me realize that I generally only walk to the cliffs to go swimming, but not to the store for food (besides walking to the farmers market in OB). This inspired me to use a car less, and walk to my destinations more often.

    • Harry Watkins's avatar
      Harry Watkins 10/05/2017 7:00 PM
      That's awesome, Grant. Walkscore.com should also identify the types of businesses within waking distance, yes? Let us know how that goes for you!

  • Grant Alston's avatar
    Grant Alston 10/01/2017 7:39 PM
    This week we recycled all of our cans and plastics, which was quite the task! It made me feel good to know that they would repurposed. I have been in LA for the entire weekend traveling with athletics and seeing all the smog hovering above the city really was disgusting. I hope that changes can be made in the advancement of reusable energy, and that hopefully our Earth doesn't end up looking how LA did this weekend. 

    • Harry Watkins's avatar
      Harry Watkins 10/05/2017 7:10 PM
      Believe it or not, LA has less than half the smog and particulates in its atmosphere that it did in the 1970's. It is working hard to embrace electric cars, busses etc. to continue reducing the smog problem!