Jordan Ballantyne
"Aiming to make small changes to my daily routine that will make a big impact"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,108 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO4.8locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO10meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO60minutesspent learning
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UP TO401minutesbeing mindful
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UP TO5.0plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO3.3pounds of paperhave been saved
Jordan's actions
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Support Local Food Systems
Plant-Rich Diets
I will source 20 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.
Industry
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
Bioplastics
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 3 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.
Land Sinks
Explore My Area
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.
Land Sinks
Buy Bamboo
Bamboo Production
When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.
Land Sinks
Forest-Friendly Foods 2
Tropical Forest Restoration
I will replace or remove from my current diet the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products that are known to contribute to deforestation.
Land Sinks
Forest-Friendly Foods 1
Tropical Forest Restoration
I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks
Learn about Biochar
Biochar Production
I will spend 2 minute(s) learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks
Smart Seafood Choices
Ocean Farming
I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Eat Mindfully
I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.
Industry
Practice the 5 R's
Recycling
I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.
Health and Education
Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants
Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders
I will spend 30 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.
Industry
Go Paperless
Recycled Paper
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.
Industry
Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion
Multiple Industry Solutions
I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.
Industry
Recycle Everything I Can
Recycling
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates
Reduced Food Waste
I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Smaller Portions
Reduced Food Waste
I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Keep Track of Wasted Food
Reduced Food Waste
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.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Reduce Animal Products
Plant-Rich Diets
I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood, Agriculture, and Land Use Support Local Food SystemsDependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?
Jordan Ballantyne 4/26/2021 10:44 AMI love fresh local produce and supporting local farmers. I recently discovered the 'Friday Food Market', which is a Boston based produce delivery service that sells excess produce from local distributors at a lower price. I ordered my first box of produce for $22 today and can't wait to receive it tomorrow -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLand Sinks Forest-Friendly Foods 1How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?
Jordan Ballantyne 4/20/2021 7:42 AMIt seems that the production of soybeans is the biggest contributor to deforestation, and most of those soybeans go to feeding farm animals. This made me realize that almost everything in my daily diet - beef, chicken, eggs, dairy - could be being raised and produced in ways that harm the environment. In addition to cutting down on my consumption of these items, I need to understand where these products were produced before purchasing. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCoastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Smart Seafood ChoicesMany states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
Jordan Ballantyne 4/16/2021 7:11 AMI downloaded the NorthEast guide from the seafood watch site, and while I was pleased to see that much of the seafood I enjoy is considered a 'best choice' as it is sustainably harvested a great majority of the time, I realized that tuna fish (something I grew up having for lunch) and salmon are that I need to start learning more about prior to buying, as it is sustainably farmed in some parts of the world, but in others they are overfished or caught in ways that harm the environment. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood, Agriculture, and Land Use Smaller PortionsWhile dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?
Jordan Ballantyne 4/13/2021 6:42 PMMy eyes are always bigger than my stomach, so using smaller plates has helped me not overeat and not feel as drowsy after meals. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONIndustry Learn About & Practice Sustainable FashionHow can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?
Jordan Ballantyne 4/07/2021 9:02 AMI've found that buying new clothes that are sustainably made is more expensive, but always makes me feel better about what I am wearing. Thrifting is also a great way to express personality - buying secondhand can also be more affordable than buying new. -
Jordan Ballantyne 4/06/2021 10:14 AMI just switched to Blueland cleaning products. They produce reusable bottles and tablets that you add to water to create hand soap, laundry detergent, and other cleaning products. They also opt for environmentally friendly packaging options. I ordered the hand soap, and I will let you all know how it is when it arrives!-
Jordan Ballantyne 4/26/2021 2:07 PMAs an update - the foaming hand soap is great!! definitely use it quicker than a normal gel-type soap, but I think thats a characteristic of foaming soaps in general. would recommend!!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood, Agriculture, and Land Use Keep Track of Wasted FoodAn average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. How would you rather use this money?
Jordan Ballantyne 4/06/2021 10:08 AMIt has just been a few days in April and I am already being more mindful of my food waste, since I know I will have to log anything I do not actually eat. I would rather spend the money I would have spent on wasted food on almost anything else, like hiking or camping trips.-
Samantha Smith 4/06/2021 10:20 AMGreat that you are being more mindful!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLand Sinks Buy BambooAre bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
Jordan Ballantyne 4/06/2021 10:04 AMWhen I looked, they were available in my community, both in person and online. It just took me a few tries to realize what products would have a bamboo alternative. I bought a bamboo serving tray :)