Lorraine Hirschberg

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.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

I will spend 30 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

I will donate 50 Femme Kit(s) to help people who menstruate overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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 replace 20 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

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

I will source 1 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

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

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.