Trisha Brink

When you exercise outdoors, you reduce your carbon footprint because you are minimizing the use of energy-consuming machines. Exercising in your home is a good way to start the reduction process, as it does not require any travel in your vehicle. However, we typically turn on lights, fans, and/or televisions to accomplish our workout, and those items do contribute to our carbon footprint.

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 5 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

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

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

On Wednesday, April 28th, Deloitte NPSI is hosting a panel with senior leaders at the firm to discuss the intersections between climate, health and justice. Invite to be added soon!

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

I will replace or remove from my current diet the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products that are known to contribute to deforestation.

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water a day or 330 gallons (1,230 L) a month by installing a toilet tank bank.

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day or 450 gallons (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

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.

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

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.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

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 6 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

I will explore the interactive map in the links below to find a supermarket that does not use HFC refrigerants near my home.

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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

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

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

I will calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce my negative impact on the environment.

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in creating or purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on electric and fuel-efficient vehicles

I will make a donation to a nonprofit that installs microgeneration in low income countries.

I will create a plan to and advocate for solar installation at my business, apartment building, or campus.

Spend 15 minutes browsing the new World Climate Hub website, hosted by Deloitte US Sustainability!

If you have kids at home, encourage them to create a logo for Deloitte NPSI using scrap paper and any crayons, markers, or materials you have in your home. Email a photo of the final product to Emma Howe (emhowe@deloitte.com) for a chance to be featured in our Earth Month recap email and potential future internal communications!

Sign up for Plant Your Change to round up your purchases and plant one tree for every transaction on your personal credit card. Link to sign up found below!

Spend 15 minutes browsing the new World Climate Hub website, hosted by Deloitte US Sustainability! Link to be added soon.

NPSI will be hosting a month-long giving campaign during April. Donate via the NPSI philanthropy cloud website linked below!

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 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.