Karthik Shanmugam
"Its my responsibility to save the Earth it will save us forever"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,729 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO125milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO125milestraveled by foot
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UP TO2,449pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO57advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO2.0community eventshosted or attended
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UP TO20hoursvolunteered
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UP TO25public officials or leaderscontacted
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UP TO20treesplanted
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UP TO3,851minutesspent learning
Karthik 's 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Join a Cleanup Effort
I will organize or participate in a trash pickup at a local river, beach, or natural body of water.
Land + Forests
Advocate for Forest Protection
Using my voice can help create a more sustainable and just world. I will contact 1 local, regional, or national decision makers to advocate for public policy that protects forests and improves their ability to sequester carbon and nourish biodiversity.
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.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Leave No Trace
I will respect and protect biotic communities by practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace whenever I am outside.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Pick Up the Phone
I will gather a group of friends, family, neighbors or colleagues to make 2 phone calls to public officials or companies to advocate for planet-friendly policies.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Invest in Nature
A healthy world needs both our daily actions and support from larger systems. I will spend 30 minutes learning about how I can use my investments and savings to advance environmental sustainability.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Grow Local
I will research and plant a garden filled with native fruits, vegetables, and flowers to nurture local wildlife and ecosystems. I will find nearby nurseries that offer plants native to my area.
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
Go Plastic-Free
Millions of tons of plastic is produced each year worldwide. Each day, I will conduct a plastics audit of what I buy and use throughout the challenge (kitchen, bathroom, personal care products, etc.), to see how single-use plastic shows up in my life. I will find plastic-free alternatives to these products and advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, product manufacturers, at work, or on campus.
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 2 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Seek Alternative Gifts and Souvenirs
When traveling, I will seek souvenirs that support local communities and do not cause harm to the environment or wildlife.
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
Choose Renewable Energy
Renewable energy options are becoming more widespread and accessible. Not only are they good for the planet, they can help save money as well. I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will contact them to advocate for this option in the future.
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.
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
Plant Trees
Trees capture carbon and produce oxygen that is essential to life on earth. I will support this important piece of nature by organizing or joining a community group to plant 10 native trees in my community, public parks, office location, campus or backyard.
Action Track: Community
Volunteer in my Community
I will volunteer 5 hours in my community.
Action Track: Community
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.
Action Track: Community
ATTEND THE ECOCHALLENGE CONSERVATION WEBINAR
On Wed 24th April, I will attend the Earth Month Ecochallenge Webinar on Conservation to learn about what individuals, companies and other organizations can do to promote biodiversity and nature protection.
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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Karthik Shanmugam 4/29/2024 6:40 PMTen Simple Things You Can Do to Help Protect the Earth- Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Cut down on what you throw away. ...
- Volunteer. Volunteer for cleanups in your community. ...
- Educate. ...
- Conserve water. ...
- Choose sustainable. ...
- Shop wisely. ...
- Use long-lasting light bulbs. ...
- Plant a tree.
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Karthik Shanmugam 4/28/2024 6:52 PMThe sea is important for many reasons, including:- Climate regulation: The sea absorbs heat and regulates the climate, which affects economies and livelihoods globally.
- Biodiversity: The sea is home to a wide variety of marine life, which contributes to the world's biodiversity and maintains its balance.
- Food and work: The sea provides food, water, and jobs like fishing and tourism.
- Inspiration: The sea can inspire poetry and make people feel the beauty of life.
- Therapeutic properties: The sea's high magnesium and negative ion content can help create serotonin, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress.
- Symbol of prosperity: Maritime trade routes have helped spread prosperity by connecting civilizations and promoting commerce and economic growth.
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Hariprasad Manivannan 4/29/2024 1:17 AMAgree..
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Karthik Shanmugam 4/28/2024 6:49 PMWater bodies are important for many reasons, including:- Drinking water: Water bodies provide fresh water for drinking, sanitation, livestock care, and nutrients in soil.
- Natural resources: Water bodies provide natural resources such as groundwater.
- Climate regulation: Water bodies regulate climate patterns.
- Recreation: Water bodies offer recreational opportunities such as swimming, fishing, boating, and waterskiing.
- Biodiversity: Water bodies sustain biodiversity.
- Infrastructure: Water bodies are an important infrastructure of urban landscape. For example, tanks and ponds harvest rainwater for local use, which serves many environmental functions including flood and soil erosion control.
- Communication and trade: Water bodies are hubs of commerce that allow for the growth and sustenance of civilizations.
- Separation and protection: Water bodies provide physical boundaries that can keep enemies at bay.
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Hariprasad Manivannan 4/29/2024 1:18 AMAgree..
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Karthik Shanmugam 4/27/2024 4:46 AMSea animals are important to the biosphere and human life in many ways:- Food and medicine: Sea animals are a major source of food and medicine. More than 3 billion people get almost 20% of their animal protein from aquatic animals.
- Ecosystem services: Sea animals provide ecosystem services like increasing primary productivity and helping the ocean absorb carbon dioxide. For example, large whales bring nutrients to the ocean surface through their excretions, which supports phytoplankton growth that feeds marine organisms. Sea turtles, tuna, sharks, sardines, and dolphins can also help the ocean absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Livelihoods: More than 50 million people earn a living from fisheries and aquaculture.
- Shelter and raw materials: Sea animals provide humans with shelter and raw materials for daily life
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Hariprasad Manivannan 4/27/2024 9:43 AMGood info :) -
Vasundara Abhishek 4/27/2024 5:07 AMInformative
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Karthik Shanmugam 4/25/2024 11:18 PM5 Reasons We Need Trees for a Healthy Planet- Trees purify our air and combat climate change. ...
- Trees provide housing to millions of species that protect us from disease. ...
- Trees cool our streets and cities. ...
- Trees protect against floods and water pollution. ...
- Trees ease the mind during stressful times.
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Hariprasad Manivannan 4/27/2024 9:44 AMAgree . . . -
Ioana Tanta 4/25/2024 11:31 PMTotally agree with you!
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Karthik Shanmugam 4/25/2024 12:48 AMMountains are important for many reasons, including:- Water: Mountains provide 60–80% of the world's freshwater, which is used for agriculture, drinking, food preparation, and generating electricity.
- Food: Mountain ecosystems provide food for at least half of the world's population.
- Clean energy: Mountain ecosystems provide clean energy for at least half of the world's population.
- Biodiversity: Mountains encompass some of the most spectacular landscapes, a great diversity of species and habitat types, and distinctive human communities.
- Protection: Mountains protect a geographical region from the extremely cold winds.
- Minerals: Mountains provide various mineral resources and precious stones.
- Tourism: Mountains play an important role in tourism.
- Cultural importance: Mountains are places of great cultural importance.
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Govind Joshi 4/25/2024 12:56 AMInformative 🙌
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Karthik Shanmugam 4/23/2024 6:39 PMFertilizers can negatively impact the environment in many ways, including:- Waterways: Fertilizer runoff can cause toxic algal blooms, which can block out light, lower oxygen levels, and turn the water green or rust colored. These blooms can also lead to fish kills.
- Soil: Excessive use of chemical fertilizers can lead to soil degradation, compaction, and a reduction in organic matter and carbon.
- Climate change: Applying synthetic fertilizer to lawns releases nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more effective at warming the climate than carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Drinking water: Fertilizers can introduce pathogens and nitrates into drinking water.
- Air quality: Fertilizers can emit odors and gases into the air
Its time to go back to our natural way of fertilizers, Too much Chemical fertilizers will kill our soil-
Kasinathan Sekar 4/25/2024 2:45 AMGood Info
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REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Save the BeesWhat did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!
Karthik Shanmugam 4/22/2024 11:33 PMBud Rose, its very easy to maintain, bees get attracted easily. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Plastic in Clothing and WaterHow did you try to catch the release of microplastics in your laundry? What did you learn in the process?
Karthik Shanmugam 4/22/2024 11:31 PMUse microplastics absorber while washing cloths in machine, which can absorb and avoid pollutants. -
Karthik Shanmugam 4/22/2024 10:22 PMBring the culture change inside us to protect our planet.