Melissa Kopf

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

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

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 upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

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

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

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

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

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 source 10 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 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 take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

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

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.

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