Lara Jenkins
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 386 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO51meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO63milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO63milestraveled by bus
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UP TO0.8pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO5.0poundswaste composted
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UP TO18plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO0.0advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO105minutesspent learning
Lara's actions
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.
Action Track: Community
Borrow Before I Buy
Why buy something I will only use once or a few times if someone nearby has it for me to borrow, and why not share something I have that someone may only need a few times a year? To reduce my consumption and waste, I will create or support the sharing economy with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors.
Action Track: Community
Visit the Earth Day Celebration in the Agora
On Monday April 22 from 10:30-2:00pm, the Sustainability Office is hosting an Earth Day celebration! Come and learn about sustainability and climate action initiatives taking place at JAC and in the wider community. Take part in a workshop and pick up some seedlings or house plants!
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Reduce Animal Products
One kilogram of beef and cheese emits 71kg and 24kg of greenhouse gasses, while 1kg of rice, grains, and legumes emits between 2-4kg. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts emit less than 1kg per 1kg. I will reduce my climate impact by enjoying 2 meatless meals and/or 1 vegan meals each day this week.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Beauty and Personal Products
Beauty and personal products can create a lot of waste. I will spend 15 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.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Save the Bees
Bees are vital to ecosystems. To help save the bees, I will learn which local flowers provide nectar and plant them in my backyard or in a pot on my balcony.
Climate + Air
Use Public Transit
Public transportation reduces pollution, improves community, and creates safe streets. I will use public transit 6 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
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.
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
Zero Waste Day
The impacts of our waste are far reaching. I will create zero waste for an entire day and share my reflections and learnings on the feed.
Freshwater + Oceans
Low Water Gardening
Grass lawns are water-intensive and on average require about 30 percent of a household’s water consumption. Native plants are water-efficient and help maintain the balance and diversity of local ecosystems. I will plant native species with water-efficient plants to conserve water and improve the habitat, then post a photo on the feed to share.
Freshwater + Oceans
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
Itr's estimated over a billion water bottles are thrown away each year. Even if they were recycled, that still uses energy and resources from the earth. I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.
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 15 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.
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 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?
Lara Jenkins 4/09/2024 6:41 AMI went down a rabbit hole of "clean" beauty and while I think it is important to be mindful of the skincare and makeup products we use, it is also important to realize that the "clean beauty" trend is a money-making trend. Throwing out all your makeup into a landfill to buy "clean" products that will also end up in a landfill may do more harm than good. I do think manufacturers should focus more on sustainable and reusable packaging.-
Melissa Tomecz 4/09/2024 6:38 PMI agree!
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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?
Lara Jenkins 4/02/2024 12:20 PMI already do not eat meat, but I was surprised at how high cheese is on that list. I will reduce my consumption of cheese and replace it (when possible) with vegan alternatives, such as using cashews and/or nutritional yeast to make a creamy, cheesey sauce. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Compost Food WasteNew to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?
Lara Jenkins 4/02/2024 12:17 PMMy municipality has transitioned to picking garbage up every two weeks instead of every week, so I decided to stop being lazy and get into composting. I've noticed a significant reduction in the number of garbage bags we fill. I compost using the municipal program. When the compost is ready, it is distributed to residents of the town for a very small fee!
I am also grateful that there is a compost bin very close to my office at work. The convenience has allowed me to stay very consistent in my composting goals! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate + Air Use Public TransitHow has your access to various kinds of transportation throughout your life influenced your current attitudes about transportation and your transportation behavior?
Lara Jenkins 4/02/2024 12:13 PMGrowing up, I barely had any access to public transit and had to rely on my parents to drive me everywhere until I got my license. Even then, I had to use their car since I couldn't afford my own. I now live close to one infrequent bus route that (thankfully) takes me to work. The schedule is not ideal, but I make do so that my family can get by with only one car.
I am a huge advocate for frequent, reliable public transit! Imagine rarely having to think about cleaning your car in the winter, filling up with gas, or dealing with traffic...! It's better for the environment and it's better for my mental health. It's also cheaper! Now, if only the frequency and reliability could improve... we could get more people on board (pun intended).