Krystina Foelker

I will spend 120 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.

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.

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.

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 1 native trees in my community, public parks, office location, campus or backyard.

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.

Wildlife and biodiversity play an important role on our planet and are being threatened each year. I will spend 240 minutes each day learning about the current status of local or global wildlife and how I can align my actions to support their livelihood.

When traveling, I will seek souvenirs that support local communities and do not cause harm to the environment or wildlife.

The world is full of unique species. I will spend 15 minutes each day learning what the native plants and wildlife are in my region.

Beauty and personal products can create a lot of waste. I will spend 60 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.

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.

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.

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.

I will look for sustainable palm oil products with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSP) label. I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation and opt for ones that help sustain healthy communities and forests.

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 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

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.

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).

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.

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.

I will volunteer 2 hours in my community.

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.

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.