Melinda Angeles

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, and/or trans and nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and BIPOC-majority neighborhoods. I will avoid buying and using 5 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

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

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Solutions.

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Earth Month Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

I will purchase food from a Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant. Establishments that have earned a Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant designation have demonstrated a commitment to take economic, environmental, and social actions that benefit the region. See the link provided for more information and a list of designated restaurants.

Get connected with nature in one of our own Allegheny County Parks. Explore one or more of the many well-marked hiking trails throughout the parks. The link outlines different options for finding and navigating each trail, including a smart phone app.

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

I will source 25 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

Learn about the new hydro-electric plant that will provide clean energy to county facilities!