Ecochallenge.org

Campus EcoChallenge

Sabrinna Alonso

Sustainability in Action

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,236 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

29

conversations

with people
UP TO

352

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

141

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

680

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

45

outdoor meals

consumed
UP TO

188

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

8.0

pounds of paper

have been saved

Sabrinna's actions

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products

I will research toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Ditch The AC

I will use a fan instead of a window air conditioner.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Disable Screen Savers

I will disable screen savers and will put the computer to sleep instead, saving up to 28% % more energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Advocate for Food Options

I will advocate for local and/or organic food options on campus.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary about food with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Reduce Unwanted Mail

I will reduce the amount of unwanted mail I receive (catalogs, phone books, etc.).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Shop at Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op, or join a CSA.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of C02 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 34
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Study Outside

I will replace 20 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 34
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

I will cut out or reduce all artificial sweeteners in my diet, especially acesulfame potassium, aspartame, sucralose and saccharin - all which can decrease human health and pollute our waterways.

COMPLETED 40
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will maintain a record of all my purchases.

COMPLETED 39
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Talk to my Friends

I will decide which environmental issue in my community is most important to me and tell 1 friends per day about the issue.

COMPLETED 29
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 44
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Dining Hall Waste

I will carefully fill my plate in the dining hall and take only what I can eat. I'll also inquire about ways to improve composting and use of recyclable foodware.

COMPLETED 43
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

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

COMPLETED 41
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Drive Less

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 41
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Wash Only Full Loads of Laundry

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Print Double Sided

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided.

COMPLETED 38
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 44
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 47
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) per day.

COMPLETED 47
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Gratitude

I will write down three things that I am grateful for each day OR reach out to thank someone who's doing something positive for our world's health and well-being each day.

COMPLETED 50
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Eat Meals Outside

I will eat 1 meal(s) outside each day.

COMPLETED 45
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?

Sabrinna Alonso 12/04/2017 12:52 PM

This last Tuesday I returned home from a trip to Italy where I visited my sister who is studying abroad. While there my family and I did a lot of walking and using public transportation instead of relying on a car. By doing this I was able to correlate the articles we had learned and talked about in class to real life examples. I was also able to share with my family the importance of having walk-able cities and the importance of looking at public transportation from a systems point of view.

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Sabrinna Alonso 12/04/2017 12:49 PM

This week a completed a one time challenge of ridding my bathroom of toxic health/beauty products. After I did this, I went on pinterest to see if I could make some of my own diy products. Of course, when I searched it I found so many different organic products I could make myself. This weekend I plan to try it out and if all goes well I think I will have just found all of my Christmas gifts!!

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Sabrinna Alonso 11/13/2017 2:59 PM

This weekend I had a friend come visit me from Florida. It was so nice to be able to share with her some of the changes I have made this past semester with sustainability in mind. I shared with her one of the no waste videos and it was cool to see that video inspire somebody else in the same way that it did me.

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Sabrinna Alonso 10/24/2017 11:10 AM

Last year my dad opened a Mexican restaurant with a friend. Mexican food as you all know contains a lot of meat and cheese . I am a vegan, so at the time suggested that he offer items that are vegan friendly. He said he would take it into consideration and see what he could do. Since then he has put mushroom tacos, veggie burritos and other pretty tasty items on the menu. It has been great because I and other vegans are able to enjoy Mexican food. I think all restaurants should offer at least one or two plant based items!

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- Harry Watkins 10/29/2017 7:46 PM
  
  Awesome! The best vegan/vegi Mexican restaurant I know of is Ranchos Cocina on 30th street. Try it some time and invite your dad to visit it for ideas! Really good non meat food!
  
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- Jordan Lee 10/27/2017 2:13 PM
  
  I love this! That's really that you were able to influence your dad with a simple suggestion and that many people now have easier access to yummy vegan food.
  
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Sabrinna Alonso 10/22/2017 11:12 PM

This weekend I went home and before I returned to school my family and I had dinner outside by the pool. It was so nice because my dad went grocery shopping and made a completely vegan meal for the whole family! It was nice to spend time with them while also knocking out two of my daily challenges.

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Sabrinna Alonso 10/17/2017 10:08 AM

This past weekend I knew that I had to study for a couple exams that I had for the upcoming week but was also supposed to meet up with my family to go camping at the beach. I took all of my stuff not really expecting to get much work done but I ended up studying at the campsite outside for about an hour and it was so peaceful to hear the birds and the waves crashing. So going forward I would like to incorporate my outdoors time into my studying time to be efficient in both areas.

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Sabrinna Alonso 10/12/2017 10:32 AM

I have committed to using refusing plastic bags while shopping. I have made it a habit to take my reusable bag with me whenever I make a trip to the grocery store. However, I totally forgot my reusable bag when I went shopping at a clothing store but still refused the plastic bag and as i was walking out I saw the security guard watch me more intently as though I might have stolen something just because I did not accept a bag which I though was a bit strange and in the moment discouraging.

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- Erla Teli 10/12/2017 3:09 PM
  
  This is a small task I'm having a hard time remembering as well! My problem is not forgetting the bags in my car, but leaving them in my house after unloading groceries. I usually realize right as I'm pulling into the grocery store that I've left my reusable bags at home. I'm starting to get in the habit of returning my bags to my car as a part of my grocery unloading routine. Props to you for even following through at a clothing store!
  
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Sabrinna Alonso 9/30/2017 8:47 PM

About a month ago my mom became a vegan and since then has been educating herself on how to live a more sustainable life. Because I have also been learning so much from the weekly articles we receive I share them with her. Once I learn more through our Monday meetings I call her and we discuss changes that we can make to better the environment.

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Sabrinna Alonso 9/25/2017 2:55 PM

This week I decided to start charging my phone either before I fall asleep or when I wake up. Before I would charge my phone all night while I slept even though it only takes about an hour. It was a minor change in my daily routine but I know that by doing this I will save a significant amount of energy.

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- Harry Watkins 9/28/2017 10:22 AM
  
  This idea shows good awareness of phantom energy load from connected appliances, and so is worth doing as a first step towards unplugging all appliances that draw energy even when they aren't being used. Well done, Sabrinna! Having said that, according to this article, it is addressing a relatively minor source of wasted energy. http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2009/10/you_charged_me_all_night_long.html
  
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- Grant Alston 9/26/2017 11:33 AM
  
  This is an interesting idea, is there a study that shows how much energy it saves? I might try it out !
  
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Sabrinna Alonso 9/17/2017 9:37 PM

This week I began to consciously switch to washing my clothes in cold water. It gives me great hope to know that a little change such as this one can have such a big impact on the world. Knowing now that washing all loads of laundry can save 1600 lbs of CO2 each year, I do not see myself washing any more loads with hot water.

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