- Buy in bulk to reduce packaging.
- Take reusable bags to carry your purchases home.
- Purchase a reusable water bottle.
- Say "no" to a plastic straw when out to eat.
- Take your coffee mug instead of using disposable cups and avoid single use k-cups.
- Choose to "go paperless" when possible for bills.
Liesl Warbel
"Doing what I can to help learn and make an impact"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 295 THIS WEEK
- 1,563 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO15poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO51milestraveled by foot
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UP TO51milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO1.0Carbon FootprintCalculated
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UP TO87pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO127plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
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UP TO1.0water footprintcalculated
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UP TO748gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO1.0hourvolunteered
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UP TO2.0community eventshosted or attended
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UP TO31advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO20minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO195minutesspent learning
Liesl's actions
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.
Action Track: Community
Join a webcast with Bill Nye
Learn about everyday actions to drive change in the future.
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.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Endangered Species
Wildlife and biodiversity play an important role on our planet and are being threatened each year. I will spend 30 minutes each day learning about the current status of local or global wildlife and how I can align my actions to support their livelihood.
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
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.
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.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Beauty and Personal Products
Beauty and personal products can create a lot of waste. I will spend 10 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
Leave No Trace
I will respect and protect biotic communities by practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace whenever I am outside.
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
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
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
Explore My Area
When we explore natural spaces around us, our connections with them change. I will spend 20 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
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.
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
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 1 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 1 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.
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
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
Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans
I will spend 4 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.
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
Join a Cleanup Effort
I will organize or participate in a trash pickup at a local river, beach, or natural body of water.
Action Track: Community
Volunteer in my Community
I will volunteer 10 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.
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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Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 5:59 PMSo proud of how hard everyone worked on the ecochallenge! Go team!-
Dhandapani Janarthanan 4/30/2024 6:03 PMIndeed
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Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 4:17 PM“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver." —Martin Luther King Jr. -
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 4:03 PMJust dropped off recycling! Our county dump has free recycling! -
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 8:40 AMI have learned so much this month and look forward to continuing with the improvements moving forward. It was especially great watching my kids get into earth conservation efforts with me! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Zero Waste DayWhat was hard about having a Zero Waste Day? What did you learn about yourself and your habits?
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 8:27 AMJust a few easy ways to have zero waste:-
Vanessa Illah Toling 4/30/2024 8:30 AMNice! Thanks for sharing.
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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?
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 8:25 AM- turning off the tap while brushing your teeth
- using water-saving toilets
- installing a water-saving showerhead
- taking shorter showers
- only washing your clothes when necessary
- fixing household leaks
- using less water in the garden and when cleaning
- not disposing of medicines, paints or other pollutants down the sink
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Reduce Pollutants in CleaningWhat did you learn about ingredients in our cleaning products and how they impact water and biodiversity? Did you try making your own cleaning products? If so, how did it go?
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 8:22 AMThe chemicals present in most commercial cleaning products are hazardous to the environment and when released into streams, rivers, or other bodies of water can lead to water pollution. I went to a local shop that did a hands on activity to teach us how to make everyday products with clean ingredients. I left with cleaning spray, hand soap, lotion and even an oil roller for allergies! -
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 5:57 AM“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” Lady Bird Johnson. Let's keep the momentum going for our planet and future. -
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?
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 5:56 AMHere are a few ways to start reducing waste:
Buy in bulk
Don't use Plastic Bottles
Invest In a Set of Cloth/Reusable Produce Bags
Avoid Produce That's Wrapped in Plastic
Support Your Local Farmer
Avoid Single-Use Plastic
Green Up Your Closet-
Jeff Wawrzeniak 4/30/2024 5:58 AMGreat ideas. My family particularly likes the supporting the local farmer practice. We also have a few 'farm to table' restaurants in our area which are great to visit.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate + Air Online Energy AuditWhere did you do an energy audit (work, home, school, other) and what did you learn?
Liesl Warbel 4/30/2024 4:51 AMI was able to get one schedule through energy star in the next month. I actually need new windows so hoping to see where else I can make improvements.