Ripal Patel

Eckenhoff Saunders Architects

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
147 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

Carbon Footprint

Calculated
UP TO

13

single-use bags

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted

Ripal's actions

Climate + Air

Solar Power

I will get an estimate for photovoltaic panels at my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Community

Write Letters or Emails

I will gather a group of friends, family, neighbors or colleagues and write 1 letters or emails to public officials or companies to advocate for planet-friendly policies.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Use Reusable Bags

Plastic bags can be mistaken for food by many wild animals and can end up in habitats that harm wildlife. I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Plastic in Clothing and Water

Synthetic clothing can contain plastic and shed harmful microplastics into our water. I will use a microplastics catcher in my laundry, or install a microplastics filter for my washing machine.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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
Biodiversity + Wildlife Use Reusable Bags

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?

Ripal Patel 4/30/2024 6:48 AM

I feel I'm pretty good about not using plastic bags. I always bring my own bags to shop, but I usually forget the produce bags. I make do by keeping my veggies and fruits loose, but sometimes when I'm in a hurry, I do grab the already bagged items. I made it a point to close the gap this month.

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Ripal Patel 4/23/2024 11:43 AM

I finally got the estimate for photovoltaic solar power at my house today! Looking forward to implementing 1/2 of them. We cannot afford to replace our cedar shake roof early to accommodate some panels, but we can put some one our metal roof.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate + Air Calculate My Carbon Impact

Where in your life do you emit the most carbon? What change are you willing to make in your daily life to reduce this output?

Ripal Patel 4/23/2024 11:38 AM

My largest contributors are my transportation and shelter. I have been driving my electric car more often this year to work to visit jobsites as well as for personal reasons to manage appointments and to pick up my daughter from practices when the bus is unavailable. I can't control much of this. My home is larger than average, so I need to mitigate its effect on the environment. We currently have solar thermal panels to heat our water and help with winter heating. I have reinvigorated our search for photovoltaic panels, and plan to purchase them this year. Eventually, we will be downsizing when our children complete college.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Biodiversity + Wildlife Plastic in Clothing and Water

How did you try to catch the release of microplastics in your laundry? What did you learn in the process?

Ripal Patel 4/23/2024 11:11 AM

I learned about the difficulty in making a real impact on this problem with a single washer. There really needs to be collective action, so I contacted my water district to ask them to upgrade their equipment to handle this on a larger scale, instead.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land + Forests Personal Waste Audit

What are the results of your waste audit and what did you learn? How can you reduce your waste going forward?

Ripal Patel 4/16/2024 4:59 PM

There is some waste I cannot avoid. I try not to take plastic bags when I shop, so I buy the small recycled poop bags to handle my dog's waste. I have been trying to use them multiple times. Seems gross, but I haven't found a good alternative. I contacted my water district but they do not allow flushing dog waste because they do not have the ability to treat it.

Some things I can change. I endeavor to bring my own food container to restaurants for leftovers. I am buying natural dental floss in a glass container with refills. I plan to buy tablet toothpaste not packaged in plastic.

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