April 1 - April 30, 2021

Leigh Frick

"My mission is to practice environmentally conscious habits by being intentional in the daily choices I make each day. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
716 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

donations

made
UP TO

450

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

23

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

160

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

140

minutes

spent outdoors

Leigh's actions

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaics, Distributed Solar Photovoltaics

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will spend 20 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Connect With A Nonprofit

Health and Education

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Fund Family Planning

Health and Education

I will donate to supply a community with reproductive health supplies.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Low-Flow Fixtures

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Muscle Power

Multiple Transportation Solutions

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Calculate My Carbon Footprint

All Drawdown Solutions

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

Indigenous Peoples' Forest Tenure

I will donate to Native American Rights Fund, which protects tribal natural resources and environmental rights and promotes Native American Human Rights.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Support Microgeneration in Low Income Countries

Small Hydropower, Micro Wind Turbines, Microgrids

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Tend A Garden

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 9
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Tend A Garden

Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.

Leigh Frick 4/29/2021 8:34 PM

The significant experience in nature that comes to mind is visiting national parks as a child. When you witness animals that you never see living off the land and interacting in herds or groups, it can take your breath away. I remember being so struck at the interdependence of animals, people, and the earth when I visited Yellowstone. As a 12-year-old, it helped me to see the bigger picture of Earth supporting life. They were living in their natural environment and I was awestruck. If I had to say another experience in nature that impacted me, I would have to say my time at camp as a preteen and teenager. We were deep in nature, and it was my first experience of exploring rivers, mountains, caves, and beautiful scenery. I think what impacted me about both of these experiences I've mentioned is that it teaches you to be in reverence of the earth. It's beautiful and we want to keep it that way. We want Earth to thrive and not continue to take a beating.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

Leigh Frick 4/29/2021 8:24 PM

As we switch to more fuel efficient vehicles, we will become less reliant on fossil fuels...and all the ups and downs of gas prices during the year. You definitely will save money in that way after purchasing a green car. As I read about green vehicles, it reminded me that with no tailpipe, pure electric cars produce no carbon dioxide emissions when driving. This reduces air pollution considerably, which is a huge motivator! They are working on improving batteries that can be reused and recharged rather than being disposed. This will make a big difference in the emissions that are created when producing electric cars. This will further impact the environment in a positive way and will motivate more people, I think, to get a green vehicle.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Use Muscle Power

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

Leigh Frick 4/27/2021 9:00 PM

One of the positive things that came out of the pandemic was that I wasn't spending such a large amount of time in my car. I usually drive all over town to see friends, run errands, or do various activities with my kids. So what I learned is that my transportation choices do affect my engagement in my community. I started walking to nearby places, such as the park or to get coffee. I started going for long walks with my children who would ride bikes alongside me. I started noticing things about my neighbors that I hadn't noticed before. I got to know some neighbors I had only waved to and I started knowing little things about my neighborhood, like which neighbor had which pet. Instead of being isolated in my car with just myself or family, I started noticing things about my community. During the echo challenge last year, I really started noticing the condition of the environment around me and started thinking about what my community was doing to take care of the earth. I learned so much more!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Every dollar you put into solar or wind is a dollar not put into traditional financial institutions. You'll also be bolstering the fossil fuel divestment movement, too. Name some companies you know that invest in green energy. How can you support them?

Leigh Frick 4/26/2021 7:32 PM

One company that I know that invests in green energy is starbucks. You can probably guess how I will support this company! Seriously, I do value how this company supports environmental issues. As I was researching, I learned that Bank of America is another company that invests in green energy. I was glad to hear that since they are my bank. I can keep supporting them with my business. On a smaller scale, I am planning on supporting the new STEAM Middle School down the street with many donations and purchases. They are developing many ideas for my city on how to incorporate more green energy. They are even presenting it to the City council and I hope it builds from there!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?

Leigh Frick 4/24/2021 6:50 PM

Sometimes, meat is associated with class or social standing. I think there is an idea with many people that meals consist of a meat, 2 vegetables, and a fruit or bread. That is an outdated idea that was largely accepted when I was growing up. Meat, in reality, does not have all the health benefits that people think it does. Meat is viewed as the main source of protein- and it does provide protein. What many people don't look into is how many other sources of plant based protein there is. The saturated fat in most meats is a big contributor to health problems, specifically heart disease. I have learned in recent years of how meat affects the environment and I think many people don't know how severe that threat is. Our earth 🌎 s significantly impacted by factory farming and the large number of animals being raised for this purpose. This is particularly true for richer countries.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Fund Family Planning

When family planning focuses on healthcare provision and meeting the expressed needs of women, it results in empowerment, equality, and well-being, and the benefits to the planet are side effects. Why is family planning an important civil rights consideration?

Leigh Frick 4/24/2021 6:36 PM

Family planning allows women to families to take responsibility for their future. When women are allowed voice and choice with their own health and we'll bring, they are more likely to be in charge of their future decisions and experiences. Family planning supports women to make choices that will support their abilities to build a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. It is a basic human right to make choices about the timing and circumstances of the family you are creating. Family planning can protect mothers and children from health problems related to pregnancy and potential risks to unborn babies. It can also prevent unplanned pregnancies that can alter futures and reduce the number of abortions. It allows women to make choices for the futures that lead to the becoming more productive, conscious citizens.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

Leigh Frick 4/20/2021 5:32 AM

Let's face it...Water is arguably our most precious and invaluable natural resource. Unfortunately, it is often taken for granted. People around the world are feeling the effects of a limited freshwater supply. After reading the articles on creating a sustainable water future, I learned that most of the proposed water solutions are infrastructural agriculture changes to increase efficiency and optimize the “crop per drop” output. So, how can this be implemented in my region? I think a sustainable water future in my region would look like providing more drinking water through solar energy. I was interested to read about solar-drippers that could irrigate the land. This can slow down drip rates by 1 000 times and it can be reused year after year with little maintenance. Another way a sustainable water future would look would be to keep intensifying our effects to reduce water pollution. It is one of the main threats to the availability and re-usage of fresh water, We are wasting so much water that is unfit due to pollution and that is a effort we can all zoom in on to change the direction of our freshwater availability.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Choose LED Bulbs

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?

Leigh Frick 4/16/2021 5:27 PM

My husband and I have that typical fight over the thermostat each summer. He turns it way up during the day while we are all at work or school which causes me to turn it way down when I get home. My next step is to have a plan for the thermostat with summer right around the corner. I need to read suggestions from energy efficient experts on what the most eco-conscious thing to do is. I imagine that it will be fun being an in between number for the thermostat in the day so that so much energy is not used to cool it down at night. My plan might also include looking into a new thermostat. I am going to look into my summer plan!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Smaller Portions

While 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?

Leigh Frick 4/10/2021 8:49 PM

One obvious effect of using smaller plates is that it can lead to better health. If we have less room, we are more likely to limit things that are unhealthy in abundance, like carbs and sugars. We tend to feel like we should eat everything on our plate and bigger plates can lead to a lot of excess for our bodies to process. Until composting becomes a more widely adopted practice across our nation and others, smaller plates will help to reduce waste. Food waste is undoubtedly too common and this can affect the emissions given off. Finally, smaller plates can lead to a reduced amount of food being purchased. The mass production of food on farms has greatly impacted the quality of food, so maybe this will help with that over time.

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Leigh Frick 4/10/2021 8:32 PM

I am redecorating my girls' bedrooms, so it was a perfect opportunity to pick up energy efficient lightbulbs as part of the new and improved rooms! We are also relocating the garden this year to a better, bigger area of the yard, so I have been sharing what I have learned about regenerative annual cropping during this eco challenge with my husband so that he can make more conscious decisions about the garden.

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