Lauren Alvarez
"Nature and Culture International works side-by-side with local cultures to protect biodiverse hotspots in Latin America for the well-being of our planet. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 760 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO1.0Carbon FootprintCalculated
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UP TO30poundswaste composted
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UP TO1.0water footprintcalculated
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UP TO2.0advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO26hoursvolunteered
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UP TO210minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO292minutesspent learning
Lauren's actions
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Beauty and Personal Products
Beauty and personal products can create a lot of waste. I will spend 30 minutes learning about the beauty and body products I use to see if they are refillable or recyclable. If not, I will reach out to the manufacturer to advocate for those options.
Climate + Air
Online Energy Audit
Energy use and waste is often invisible. I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Climate + Air
Low Carbon Diet
Carbon is emitted into the atmosphere in a variety of ways, including through the foods we eat and food we waste. I will learn about low carbon foods and replace higher carbon foods with them in my diet.
Climate + Air
Calculate My Carbon Impact
Carbon emissions can show up in many surprising ways in our life. I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how lifestyle changes could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment.
Action Track: Community
Volunteer in my Community
I will volunteer 20 hours in my community.
Freshwater + Oceans
Reduce Pollutants in Cleaning
Understanding cleaning product ingredients and their effect on water and biodiversity is helpful to our consumer choices. I will spend 20 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.
Freshwater + Oceans
Understand My Water Footprint
Each of us has a water footprint, directly linked to our daily activities as well as the water required in the production of things we use each day. Understanding our water use is important for a healthy planet. I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste, then share what I learned on the feed.
Land + Forests
Explore My Area
When we explore natural spaces around us, our connections with them change. I will spend 180 minutes exploring a new area around my neighborhood, office, or campus (e.g., park, water body, nearby trail, community garden, green space, etc.).
Land + Forests
Regenerative Agriculture and Me
Regenerative agriculture focuses on farming and ranching in a way that supports life and restores the soil. I will spend 20 minutes learning about regenerative agriculture and find out if any nearby farms practice regenerative agriculture.
Land + Forests
Compost Food Waste
Food in the landfill is one of the main sources of greenhouse gasses. I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill per day by composting my food.
Land + Forests
Choose Eco-Friendly Wood and Paper
Trees provide food and habitat for local wildlife species, shade our streets and homes, and help keep our air and water clean by capturing pollutants. Buying products that help protect forests makes a difference. I will only purchase wood, furniture, and paper products from ecologically certified sources such as Forest Stewardship Council.
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Community Volunteer in my CommunityHow does volunteering enhance your community and/or change your relationship with it?
Lauren Alvarez 4/15/2024 4:43 PMI volunteer locally to support habitat restoration and restore recreation trails. These activities make me feel more connected to nature here at home and often lead me to meet like-minded folks who increase my optimism in the fact of climate change. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Beauty and Personal ProductsWhat new insights did you gain about the skincare products you use? Did you reach out to advocate for refillable or recyclable packaging?
Lauren Alvarez 4/10/2024 8:36 PMTIL that- there's a site that rates skin and hair products, not only for sustainability but also for toxicity to users. I used to spend so much time researching ingredients, but this makes it SO much easier! Check it out - https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ ; and,
- Ulta stores are now staging beauty product recycling bins where we can bring our empties for upcycling. This isn't as ideal as a refillable option, but it's a step for those of us who resort to using products made from non-traditionally recyclable materials.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate + Air Calculate My Carbon ImpactWhere in your life do you emit the most carbon? What change are you willing to make in your daily life to reduce this output?
Lauren Alvarez 4/08/2024 2:52 PMMy household's carbon impacts are from travel and eating animal products. We are pledging to reduce the cheese, beef, and pork we consume. But we will also be looking more closely at the environmental impacts of the companies we purchase from, and do our best to move away from those with poor or non-transparent practices. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Understand My Water FootprintWhat did you learn about your water footprint and what are you going to do to reduce and be aware of the water you use?
Lauren Alvarez 4/02/2024 5:40 PMAs a serial coffee-drinker who is somewhat removed from where it is produced, the reminder that coffee takes a lot more water to produce than alternatives like tea is a good one.-
Jeanne Poirier 4/02/2024 8:48 PMCoffee is my "shank of the morning" so I hear you! Kind of like carbon capture and storage - we want to hope it works, but conviction tells us . . .
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REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate + Air Low Carbon DietWhich high carbon foods will you eat less of, and what are some low carbon options you'll choose instead?
Lauren Alvarez 4/01/2024 5:22 PMWow. According to UN estimates, producing 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of cheese results in 23.9 kg (52.7 lbs) of greenhouse gas emissions. That is 2x the emissions released with every 1 kg of pork produced, 5x the emissions released with every 1 kg of eggs, and nearly 60x the emissions from every 1 kg of nuts!
As a southern Californian, I am more cognizant of the water costs associated with nut cultivation, especially almonds. However, I haven't spent a lot of time considering the impacts of my love of cheese. Definitely some food for thought. -
Lauren Alvarez 3/29/2024 5:09 PMVery excited to kick off Earth Month next week with my friends and colleagues at Nature and Culture International!