Daniel Neal

SWCA Pasadena

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
88 TOTAL

Daniel's actions

Buildings

Fix Leaky Faucets

Low-Flow Fixtures

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Upgrade My Windows

Insulation

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

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Go by Bike

Bicycle Infrastructure

I will commute by bike 25 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?

Daniel Neal 3/30/2021 9:50 AM

For the past year, my family has practiced eating mindfully -- we start each dinner with a moment of thankfulness for the day, and then we eat as a family with no electronic distractions permitted. This has become one of the best parts of my day every day, and I know that we're eating better (and producing less waste) too.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?

Daniel Neal 3/30/2021 9:48 AM

I was afraid of eating vegetarian or vegan, because I hate tomatoes. I know how much greater the carbon impact is from beef than other meats, and how much greater the carbon impact is from all meats compared to vegan/vegetarian food. Not only that, but meat isn't as healthy as eating vegetarian or vegan. I've started eating vegan microwave lunches and having vegan breakfasts, and I'm feeling good -- the food is good, and my wallet and body are thanking me for it. I do worry about the waste I'm generating from single-serving vegan lunches and dinners, but that's a topic for another day.

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- Nikki Vandivort 4/01/2021 1:21 PM
  
  We occasionally use Nutrisystem and I am also concerned with the amount of waste generated from single-serving packaging. If you're not eating single-serving, your food is still often coming in plastic film (say you make a couple hotdogs for lunch - the dogs came in plastic, and the buns came in plastic, and likely the mustard and ketchup bottles were plastic). Riffing on that, I have started thinking about buying condiments in particular in glass bottles - a lot of those options still exist.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Upgrade My Windows

How does improving your home's (or office's) energy efficiency help you better live out your values?

Daniel Neal 3/30/2021 9:46 AM

Last year, I replaced my roof. In the two or three days that I didn't have a nicely insulated roof, our house was unbearably hot and we actually damaged our HVAC unit trying to keep it cool. Getting a nicely insulated roof lowered our home temperature nicely, and made our HVAC more effective. Lesson learned -- I see the value of energy efficiency insulation in windows, roofs, and building materials!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Fix Leaky Faucets

What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?

Daniel Neal 3/30/2021 9:02 AM

I had a leaky outdoor faucet that I didn't pay attention to for almost 10 years. It wasn't the easiest thing to replace, but I'm glad I did!

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