Anna Beissert

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

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

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

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

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching other Drawdown Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Solutions.

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

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

I will spend 20 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities. Fixing leaky faucets can save up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

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

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

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

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 spend 20 minute(s) learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

I will spend 20 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

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 spend at least 20 minutes researching how people can build with carbon-storing materials - including agricultural byproducts - and discuss it with my peers in person or by posting to social media.

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

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

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.

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

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 50 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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 spend at least 30 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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