Beverly LaPierre

WVC EcoKnights

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
85 THIS WEEK
147 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

2.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

2.0

pounds

waste composted
UP TO

40

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

40

minutes

spent learning

Beverly's actions

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 2
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Reduce Animal Products

One kilogram of beef and cheese emits 71kg and 24kg of greenhouse gasses, while 1kg of rice, grains, and legumes emits between 2-4kg. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts emit less than 1kg per 1kg. I will reduce my climate impact by enjoying 1 meatless meals and/or 1 vegan meals each day this week.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Land + Forests

Explore My Area

When we explore natural spaces around us, our connections with them change. I will spend 60 minutes exploring a new area around my neighborhood, office, or campus (e.g., park, water body, nearby trail, community garden, green space, etc.).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land + Forests

Regenerative Agriculture and Me

Regenerative agriculture focuses on farming and ranching in a way that supports life and restores the soil. I will spend 30 minutes learning about regenerative agriculture and find out if any nearby farms practice regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land + Forests

Compost Food Waste

Food in the landfill is one of the main sources of greenhouse gasses. I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill per day by composting my food.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When marine wildlife ingest plastic, they have a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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 Reduce Animal Products

How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?

Beverly LaPierre 4/30/2024 1:38 PM

Honestly, I don't think eating meat is the problem. Humans are omnivores and there are critical proteins we need from meat. However, anthropologists think that meat was only 10-15% of our diets, and it was often bone marrow from carcasses that other predators left behind. I think the issue is how we raise our meat and the quantity that we eat. For example, even before this challenge I noticed that my body does not do well when I eat meat multiple times a day as many Americans do. I also do much better with grass fed, organic meats than processed meats. The giant feed lots with the diets that are not healthy for cows, are in turn unhealthy for us. It feels like we manipulated a system to get a greater output but it's bad for everyone, and the planet. I think we could afford to have less feed lots and more grass fed cows and bison if we ate less meat. Also, everyone wants to talk about cow methane production but not human methane production from our digestion. If we ate more plants and grains, humans would produce less methane too.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land + Forests Regenerative Agriculture and Me

What did you learn about the practice and benefits of regenerative agriculture? How can you support healthy farming practices for people and the planet?
Beverly LaPierre 4/29/2024 9:37 AM
I mainly learned about soil practices. Industrial agriculture leads to soil erosion (which can cause disasters like the Dust Bow), high water use, crop vulnerability, desertification, and methane gas. Regenerative agriculture improves water retention and infiltration, reduces erosion, sequesters carbon, increases soil health and stability, plant health, crop yields, and biodiversity. Practices include:

Increase organic matter in soil

Increase the quantity of living roots in soil (perennials)

Increase ground cover (shrubs, grass, moss, plant debris)

Increase biodiversity (include many plant types, bee hives, owl boxes

Let cows graze, as they were designed to

My favorite thing I learned is that cows aren't bad, just the way that the are raised in the US. Grass-fed cows do not produce as much methane as cows at feed lots because they have a healthy diet.
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- Waseem Ahamed A 4/29/2024 9:48 AM
  
  Informative..!
  
  Read More
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?

Beverly LaPierre 4/29/2024 8:53 AM

For me, it meant continuing to take the bus even when it would've been more convenient to drive. It also meant not buying ice cream even though my favorite grocery store has a discount on frozen items on Fridays. It also meant holding myself accountable to pack my lunch. When I am running late, it is easier to drive to school and buy lunch than it is to take the bus and pack a lunch, but doing that saves me money, gas, and is better for the planet.

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Beverly LaPierre 4/24/2024 11:26 AM

My dad, my sister, her friend, and I visited the top of Chelan Butte yesterday to look at the wildflowers. It's the best time of year to hike in this area since the hills are actually green. This morning, I went back up the butte but only halfway because I was visiting my fiancé's job site. There is a large effort to conserve the Butte, although there is construction at the base. At the Earth Day Fair in Chelan, I talked to the CBC (Chelan Butte Conservatory) and at the last meeting over a hundred people showed up to show their support of conserving the butte.

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