Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Nick Farsakian

Comerica Michigan Green Team

"Making the world a better place one small action at a time."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
583 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

809

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

36

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

20

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

32

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.3

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

0.0

trees

planted

Nick's actions

Industry

Research Cement Alternatives

Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Choose Recycled Paper

Recycled Paper

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Advocate For More Packaging Options

Multiple Industry Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 3 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket

Refrigerant Management

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 3 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 15 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

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.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?

Nick Farsakian 4/07/2021 8:32 AM

Yesterday, I went for a walk for the first time since Winter. The weather was nice, so I felt the need to take advantage. My girlfriend, dog, and I went for about a two mile walk through the neighborhood and down a couple of main roads. It felt good to do something active and wear shorts comfortably in Michigan again. Weather really does impact my mood!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Nick Farsakian 4/05/2021 8:23 AM

I am so guilty of this. When buying perishable foods, I would not buy anything with a date on it that was closely approaching. It never really mattered to me if it was a use by, sell by, or best by date on the item. Now that I know the difference between the three, I can see myself buying and keeping items with best by dates that do not normally meet my internal requirements for what I consider to be a "fresh" product.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Practice the 5 R's

What are some more "R's" you could add to your daily practice to reduce your waste?

Nick Farsakian 4/05/2021 8:20 AM

Some more "R's" that I could practice more on the daily would be refusing bags at places of commerce when I do not need one for my items and to reuse bags that I have already obtained at one time or another. I find myself with all of these plastic bags at home that go to waste, then I start thinking about how I ended up with so many in the first place! It usually is because I am given a plastic bag for one or two items when I did not necessarily require a bag to carry my two items to my car from the store.

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