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Amanda Boling's avatar

Amanda Boling

U.S. Bank

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 198 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    Carbon Footprint
    Calculated
  • UP TO
    7.2
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    water footprint
    calculated
  • UP TO
    0.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    30
    minutes
    spent learning

Amanda'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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Land + Forests

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Beauty and Personal Products

Beauty and personal products can create a lot of waste. I will spend 5 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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Smart Seafood Choices

We need to support healthy seafood populations. I will spend 5 minutes learning about sustainable seafood choices, commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean, and share what I learned on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Cooking Oil Disposal

Pouring cooking oil down the drain can cause damage to waterways and ecosystems. I will learn how to properly dispose of cooking oil to help support healthy ecosystems.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate + Air

Consume only Needs vs Wants

The more stuff we consume, the more greenhouse gasses we put into the atmosphere. I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach this month and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 5 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 1 hours in my community.

UNCOMPLETED
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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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
    Freshwater + Oceans Reduce Pollutants in Cleaning
    What 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?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/22/2024 12:03 PM
    I keep aquarium fish, so I was already aware that certain chemicals do horrifying things to waterways. I do most of my cleaning with "elbow grease", vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide (with the occasional bleach or denatured alcohol on things that can't be sanitized by placing them in the sun for a few hours). I made my own laundry soap for a long time but stopped when the soap I used for it became difficult to find. I wouldn't mind doing so again if I can find the right ingredients :)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate + Air Stay on the Ground
    What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/22/2024 11:22 AM
    We don't tend to travel via plane anyway, so this one is easy. We're planning a local getaway this year, no real travel needed. Less than a tank of gas in the Prius, round trip :)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate + Air Consume only Needs vs Wants
    Consuming only what we need vs. what we want can be really hard to do. What has been challenging about committing to this action for a month? What have you learned about yourself? Will you change any habits going forward?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/22/2024 11:19 AM
    My family spends a lot of money on Amazon (which definitely makes me part of The Problem lol)... I try to buy quality products that will last a long time, and we tend to repair instead of replace things if it is at all a viable option, but there is always room for improvement in this space. I also will pay more attention to labels and try to buy things that are at least manufactured on this continent when it's an option.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Biodiversity + Wildlife Save the Bees
    What did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/22/2024 6:48 AM
    My yard is mostly native clover, dandelion, and wild violet, and I regularly see at least 4 or 5 species of bees in my yard (I don't get close enough to take pictures, though, because I'm allergic to bee venom, even from the little green sweat bees the size of a grain of rice). Who knew having "weeds" instead of grass was so beneficial?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Freshwater + Oceans Cooking Oil Disposal
    Did anything about this action surprise you? Do you use more or less oil than you thought?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/22/2024 6:37 AM
    We don't really use a lot of oil in our house for cooking (we're mostly a cooking-spray household, which carries its own problems, I suppose lol). What we do use for deep-frying gets strained and re-used a few times before it goes in the trash. They make a product that solidifies oil for disposal, and I'm thinking about reading up on how it works and using it if it's a better method from an environmental standpoint than soaking it up with paper towels or pouring it into a plastic jug.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Borrow Before I Buy
    How did you participate in the sharing economy? (Consider posting a photo!) What are the benefits of a sharing economy? How could a sharing economy change the dynamics you have with friends, family and/or neighbors?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/19/2024 2:59 PM
    Many members of my family are artists. We share art supplies all the time to try out each other's favorite crafts before we decide if we want to invest in it ourselves, and do swaps when we don't need something anymore.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Freshwater + Oceans Smart Seafood Choices
    Many 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?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/19/2024 2:52 PM
    We're advised to not eat larger fish from our local waterways because of possible mercury and PCB contamination. Our family already eats smaller, fast-growing fish like bluegill instead of larger fish like bass and catfish that have more exposure to contamination. For commercial fish, we usually will eat farmed species or sardines and save the big species like tuna for special occasions.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Biodiversity + Wildlife Beauty and Personal Products
    What new insights did you gain about the skincare products you use? Did you reach out to advocate for refillable or recyclable packaging?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/19/2024 2:42 PM
    My products are a mixed bag. My shampoo is pretty toxic but my laundry soap and hand soaps are environmentally friendly and come in refillable containers. I will look into more eco-friendly shampoos.
  • 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?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/19/2024 2:35 PM
    Most of my carbon is listed as "travel" but I'm not sure that the tool I was using accurately reflects my actual carbon footprint. I work from home and rarely travel anywhere. The options it provided to me were not applicable to my situation and I wasn't too comfortable with the extended sales pitch at the end of the "test".
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Freshwater + Oceans Understand My Water Footprint
    What did you learn about your water footprint and what are you going to do to reduce and be aware of the water you use?

    Amanda Boling's avatar
    Amanda Boling 4/19/2024 2:19 PM
    I learned that our family actually is pretty good on water consumption. We use a little over 1100 gallons a day, which is apparently well below US average. I will look a little harder at our recycling habits to see if we can bump it even further down.