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April 1 - April 30, 2021
Elaine Gamolo's avatar

Elaine Gamolo

WSP & Friends Ecochallengers

"My mission is to unlearn unsustainable habits, implement sustainable ones, and become a better advocate for our planet and the people on it."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,020 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    energy audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    25
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    210
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    160
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved

Elaine's actions

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Switch your Search Engine

Ecosia is a search engine with servers that run on 200% renewable energy, plants a tree for every ~45 searches made, and does not sell your data to 3rd parties. See ecosia.org for more information and how to set your search engine default to Ecosia

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Explore Other Transportation Solutions

All Transportation Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Transportation Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure

Bicycle Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Transportation

Make it a Habit to Drive for better MPG

By far, the best recommendation to reduce your fuel consumption is to NOT drive your car. Opt to walk or bike when you can. When you have to drive, there are a few habits to be mindful of to reduce your fuel consumption. Avoiding bad driving habits like accelerating too quickly or late braking and using your cruise control more frequently can all improve MPG. To make things more interesting, keep track of your MPG with each tank fill-up and challenge yourself or compete with a friend to improve the results each time. Click below to LEARN more driving habits to reduce your fuel consumption.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Improve the MPG on my existing car.

Not everyone has the pocket book to purchase a new electric, hybrid or 40+ MPG vehicle. But you can still do your part to improve your current vehicle's MPG. Regular maintenance and replacement of a few key items will go a long way toward that goal. Click the LEARN button below to explore what you can do to get the most out of your tank of gas:

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 30 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

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

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

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.

COMPLETED 9
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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Express My Support For Walkable Cities

Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Learn about Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

Spend 15 minutes and learn about WSP as a leader in helping clients respond to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Industry Recycle Everything I Can
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/29/2021 12:33 PM
    I could incorporate more "R's" by implementing and better sorting things I intend to throw away. By sorting items into more than just trash vs recycle, I can be more thoughtful about what is salvageable for a future use. This could mean adding different kinds of bins to sort through items or getting creative with waste. It makes me feel more resourceful and mindful of the things I'm outputting. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity 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?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/29/2021 12:30 PM
    I recently learned about SunHydrogen, a company that makes renewable hydrogen using sunlight and water (including seawater and wastewater). Hydrogen can be used for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and other technologies. Currently, hydrogen is usually produced from fossil fuels, so being able to use solar and wastewaster is a great start to making hydrogen a renewable energy. My plan is to invest in more sustainable companies, rather than ones that rely on nonrenewables.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Climate Resilience Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure
    What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/29/2021 12:25 PM
    I love being able to see the city from a different point of view (and speed). I don't have a car, so sometimes people have to pick me up from my apartment. Otherwise, I usually walk or take public transit in and out of the city. I wish there were more protected bike lanes. 

  • Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/22/2021 7:21 AM
    Happy Earth Day! :) How are you celebrating today?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Industry Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket
    How close is the nearest climate-friendly supermarket to your home? How could you encourage local supermarket to reduce or phase out their use of HFC refrigerants?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/20/2021 7:19 AM
    The closest climate-friendly supermarket near my home was 17 miles away. I was actually surprised to learn that a lot of Lidls and Aldis were climate-friendly. There's actually a few Lidls and Aldis closer to me that weren't listed on the map and I'm curious if they use the same refrigerants use other types, so I think that would be an interesting thing to look into.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks Explore My Area
    How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/20/2021 7:13 AM
    Spending more time outdoors helps enhance your sense of place by removing you from other distractions and allowing you to experience and appreciate your immediate surroundings. As someone who is usually glued to my computer or phone screen, taking the time to go outdoors helps me reshift and refocus on my thoughts, breathing, and acknowledgement of the space I am in. Rather than being focused on something indoors, especially a screen, I can use my senses to really understand and appreciate what is going around me, whether it's the sights, sounds, smells, textures, etc. Going outdoors doesn't need to imply I'm going on some nature walk, but observing the very environment outside the confines of my home/apartment.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Explore Other Transportation Solutions
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/20/2021 7:07 AM
    I was happy and intrigued to see all the different kinds of solutions. While I was familiar with bike infrastructure, electric vehicles, public transit, and walkable cities, I was surprised to see other solutions like efficient ocean shipping, efficient trucks, even telepresence! Telepresence, or the ability to interact virtually without actually travelling, is obviously a very big thing, but I never realized how much it played a part as a transportation alternative. I was also surprised by the idea of designing new energy efficient trucks. I'm so used to the discussion around private vehicles or how to incentivize public transit, but I haven't really put much thought into the truck industry.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Go for a Daily Walk
    What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/12/2021 4:54 PM
    I genuinely love living in a more urban area because more people are on the streets. It makes the neighborhood lively, as people are going to and from work, running errands, or just leisurely walking around. I noticed how much more popular certain corridors were because of the mix-use in the area -- full of stores, resturants, and whatnot. I think having wider sidewalks would be nice in some areas. Curb bump outs would also be nice at busy intersections.

    • Frederick S. Moses's avatar
      Frederick S. Moses 4/12/2021 7:27 PM
      The pandemic for me, has made me appreciate  more of what we all have in common. Our lives being connected. Being at home, isolated for most of last year was difficult. In my neighborhood, I have enjoyed seeing family walk in the evenings. Not saying that did not happen before, but, it is more often now as things are settling down with the virus in my state.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings Learn about the Legacy of Redlining
    How does city planning and design relate to equity and climate change?

    Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/12/2021 4:50 PM
    City planning and design relates to equity and climate change in that planning often is the agent of change or barrier for communities. Planning and design is what enables exclusion or inclusion in towns and cities. Too often are certain communities facing the brunt of design decisions, leaving residents in polluted areas, environmentally degrading areas, inaccessible areas, etc, whether it's through the incorporation of highways, zoning, and more. Neglected neighborhoods are often those who experience the effects of climate change the most, as they lack the infrastructure and support for clean water, clean air, green space, and more. 

  • Elaine Gamolo's avatar
    Elaine Gamolo 4/08/2021 5:30 PM
    Has anyone made any recent beauty or hygiene sustainability swaps? I'm in the process of using up some of my products before I invest in more eco-friendly alternatives. I've recently been trying bar shampoo and conditioners, but I'm not sold on them yet. 

    • Elaine Gamolo's avatar
      Elaine Gamolo 4/14/2021 1:43 PM
      Thanks for sharing all of your swaps, Meghan!

      The bar shampoo and conditioner I've been using is by byHumanKind, but I've also tried Plaine Products before (a refillable option). I currently use bamboo toothbrushes and am using up my current toothpaste before switching to Davids natural toothpaste. I've never heard of Preserve razors before, so I'll look into that. I've been thinking about getting a safety razor, although I'm worried about the learning curve with handling it. Do you have any go-to sustainable websites to buy from? 

    • Meghan Jones's avatar
      Meghan Jones 4/13/2021 5:13 PM
      Hi Elaine, I keep thinking about your question! I would love to learn from you and others, as I'm trying to make the same types of swaps.

      On my end, I enjoyed some bar shampoo and conditioners that I have tried, but they had no packaging so I have no idea where to get them other than a co-op in Portland. Beyond that, some easy swaps are bamboo toothbrushes and Preserve razors, which are made with recycled plastic. Dr. Bronner's products tend to be made with eco-friendly ingredients and often come in large packages, so you can reduce packaging somewhat. Lately I have been trying out different deodorants, and the most effective eco-friendly one so far has been Tom's of Maine.