Lauren Ferguson
"Let's make a better tomorrow for Austin TX by preserving our city's natural beauty with sustainable practices."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 80 THIS WEEK
- 963 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO18poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO60milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO60milestraveled by foot
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UP TO116pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO1.0Carbon FootprintCalculated
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UP TO18pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
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UP TO6.0poundswaste composted
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UP TO918gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO1.0advocacy actioncompleted
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UP TO1.0community eventhosted or attended
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UP TO1.0public official or leadercontacted
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UP TO970minutesspent learning
Lauren's actions
Freshwater + Oceans
Reduce Plastic Usage
Minimize use of single plastics to fight against plastics in the ocean. Replace plastic bottles with reusable water containers, use clothes bags for grocery shopping, and avoid products with excessive plastic.
Climate + Air
Sustainability Lunch and Learn
Learning in a social setting can inspire connection and change. I will work with a friend or colleague to plan and host a lunch and learn at work, school, in my neighborhood or other location to learn more about an environmental topic important to me. After the lunch and learn, I will share more about it on the feed.
Freshwater + Oceans
Smart Seafood Choices
We need to support healthy seafood populations. I will spend 180 minutes learning about sustainable seafood choices, commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean, and share what I learned on the feed.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Pick Up the Phone
I will gather a group of friends, family, neighbors or colleagues to make 1 phone calls to public officials or companies to advocate for planet-friendly policies.
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
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.
Land + Forests
Personal Waste Audit
The waste we create daily can go unnoticed. I will track the waste I create in a day and post a photo log on the feed to see how much I create and where I can make different choices to reduce my waste going forward.
Climate + Air
Stay on the Ground
Carbon emissions from air travel is harmful to planetary and human health. Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).
Climate + Air
Weekly Meal Planning
One third of all food produced worldwide is wasted, and so is the energy it takes to produce and transport that food. I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need and eating what I planned each day.
Climate + Air
Declutter My Home Without the Landfill
Each day, I will learn about responsible ways to dispose of items and de-clutter, clean, donate, repurpose or recycle unneeded items in my home to make sure that what I get rid of doesn't go into the landfill.
Climate + Air
Use Muscle Power
I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.
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.
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
Keep My Community Clean
At times it may not feel like it's up to us to keep our community clean and healthy, but we all have a role to play. Each day I am outside, I will pick up any litter I see.
Action Track: Community
Share My "Why"
I will record a video to share why I am taking action this Earth Month, a sustainable swap I've made, and/or a local conservation effort in my area.
Action Track: Community
Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans
I will spend 60 minutes learning more about the importance of freshwater + ocean conservation, and how I can reduce my water use. I will share what I learn with people in person, on social media, and on the feed.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Endangered Species
Wildlife and biodiversity play an important role on our planet and are being threatened each year. I will spend 60 minutes each day learning about the current status of local or global wildlife and how I can align my actions to support their livelihood.
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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Lauren Ferguson 4/29/2024 11:59 AMAs the Earth Month EcoChallenge 2024 wraps up, I wanted to reflect on a new habit that I've formed. I now prioritize walking to the gym instead of driving. I pick-up at least one piece of trash on the way. This simple new routine has led me to pick-up near 20 pieces of litter on my local trail. I also traveled almost 60 miles by foot. I hope to continue this habit over the coming year.-
Cindy Abramowitz 4/30/2024 8:11 AMThat's awesome.
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Lauren Ferguson 4/25/2024 9:50 AMI love the option to create a challenge. I challenged myself to reduce plastic usage by choosing more sustainable options, like bringing my own bags to the grocery store. I want to also get into the habit of bringing my own to-go containers to reduce my plastic usage.-
Lisa Dowland 4/25/2024 3:47 PMI'm hopeful that with the use of recycled bags and reusable containers, others will catch on, and in turn, businesses will follow.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Endangered SpeciesWhat endangered species did you learn about and what did you learn?
Lauren Ferguson 4/17/2024 7:17 AMI learned about endangered mussels in Texas. Native mussels experience many threats, but a major one is invasive species like the Zebra Mussel. We can do our part to stop the Zebra Mussel migration and protect native species by following state regulated boating practices. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate + Air Sustainability Lunch and LearnWho did you engage in your lunch and learn? What resources did you use? How did it go and what did you learn?
Lauren Ferguson 4/15/2024 11:23 AMI attended a sustainable lunch and learn with friends. My friend hosts a monthly potluck focused on local and plant-based meals. The theme of this dinner was Earth Month, and we talked about ways to be more sustainable with everyday actions like meal choices. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Smart Seafood ChoicesMany states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
Lauren Ferguson 4/11/2024 12:40 PMBased on Texas Fish Consumption Advisory Viewer - 2023 (arcgis.com), there are no advisories in Austin. Seafood consumption should be limited to avoid high mercury intake and environment impacts of the fishing industry. My diet choices are not affected as I am plant based. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate + Air Online Energy AuditWhere did you do an energy audit (work, home, school, other) and what did you learn?
Lauren Ferguson 4/11/2024 12:07 PMI did an energy audit at home and learned the majority of my energy is towards powering the washer/dryer. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Personal Waste AuditWhat are the results of your waste audit and what did you learn? How can you reduce your waste going forward?
Lauren Ferguson 4/11/2024 12:03 PMI learned a lot of my waste is from packages from online shopping and mail. I recycle the material, but it's much better to reduce than recycle. I'm going to take the initiative to reduce my online shopping to reduce my waste. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Pick Up the PhoneWhat do all of us have in common, regardless of politics, race, religion, occupation, or place we live? How can finding common ground help us as a society and as a species?
Lauren Ferguson 4/10/2024 9:30 AMRegardless of all our unique variables, we are all human. This common ground can help when it comes to talking about the environment and planet. By making more eco-friendly choices, we can work together to create a better tomorrow. -
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 Ferguson 4/10/2024 9:26 AMI was surprised to learn that it would take 1.2 earths to support my footprint.
I emit the most carbon by using a car. Since this challenge, I have been adjusting my car habits by carpooling, walking and biking. -
Lauren Ferguson 4/08/2024 6:13 AMI'm loving this ecochallenge to work on bettering myself and the planet.