Earth Month Ecochallenge 2023: Sustainable Development Goals

April 1 - April 30, 2023

Terry Morgan

"We only have one Earth, unique in so many ways. Each of us should do whatever we can to preserve the wildlife and resources for the benefit of ourselves now and for those that come after us."

Points Total

0 Today
0 This Week
265 Total

Participant Impact

up to

0.3

pounds

food waste prevented
up to

8.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
up to

2.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
up to

0.7

pounds of CO2

have been saved
up to

37

gallons of water

have been saved
up to

1.0

water footprints

calculated
up to

1.0

donations

made

Terry's Actions

Economy & Communities

Electric Vehicles

I recently attended an overview at the local library about electric vehicles to learn more about them and offer public input on where to put charging stations.

Completed
One-Time Action

Basic Needs & Security

Take 5-Minute Or Less Showers

SDG 6

I will save up to 6 gallons (23 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers. Tip: Use a timer to practice or count to 60 a few times.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Make Zero-Waste Meals

SDG 2

I will cook 1 meals with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Know Your Produce

SDG 2

I will become a savvy produce shopper when buying organic and non-organic items.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Basic Needs & Security

Calculate Your Water Footprint

SDG 6

I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste.

Completed
One-Time Action

Basic Needs & Security

Reduce Animal Product Consumption

SDG 2

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 2 meatless meals and/or 1 vegan meals each day this week.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Watch a Documentary About Food, Water, or Basic Needs

SDG 6

I will watch 1 documentaries about food, water, or basic needs.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Education & Livelihood

Share Your Eco Habits

SDG 11

Through my Earth Month Ecochallenge feed, I will share with others an environmentally friendly habit I have cultivated.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Health & Equity

Donate Food

SDG 3, 10

I will find out what food programs are in my area and donate food and/or other items that they request.

Completed
One-Time Action

Climate & Ecosystems

Collect Litter on a Plog / Plalk

SDG 15

Each day, I will go on a plog or plalk for 15 minutes and collect 12 items of litter.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate & Ecosystems

Support Local Pollinators

SDG 15

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will plant pollinator-friendly plants in my area to support local pollinators.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Climate & Ecosystems

Watch a Documentary About Climate Change or Nature

SDG 13, 14, 15

I will watch 2 documentaries about climate change.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Feed

Reflection Question
Education & Livelihood Share Your Eco Habits

How do you create new sustainability-related habits or change bad habits?

Terry Morgan 4/25/2023 9:57 AM

The trick is to make the sustainable habit realistic and one that you will be able to do without too much effort. If a new routine is cumbersome to do or takes longer than anticipated, it is not likely to continue. Being mindful of the desired outcome is also important.

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Reflection Question
Basic Needs & Security Reduce Animal Product Consumption

What was the tastiest meatless or vegan meal you ever had or had recently? Did you make it? Can you share a recipe?

Terry Morgan 4/19/2023 6:25 AM

Salads are pretty easy for me to throw together and I'm getting more creative using ingredients on hand. A little arugula, spinach, dried cherries or cranberries, almonds, feta cheese, cooked sweet potatoes, shredded carrot, cucumbers and Braggs Liquid Aminos (or make a quick salad dressing with lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper) has been my 'go to' salad.

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Terry Morgan 4/17/2023 2:16 PM

This isn't my best Earth Month but I am doing what I can. I have formed some new habits like composting as much as I can at home, keeping off unnecessary lights and eating more plant-based meals. Tonight I am attending a program at the local library to learn more about electric vehicles. I also purchased re-usable cotton pads to remove makeup and purchased a more efficient electric toothbrush. I also did some research to return my old electric toothbrush to a company that will recycle them along with other dental related materials like empty floss containers and toothpaste tubes. Little things do add up.

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Reflection Question
Basic Needs & Security Take 5-Minute Or Less Showers

With 5-minute or less showers reducing your water footprint, what do you plan to add next to your water conservation habits?

Terry Morgan 4/13/2023 1:09 PM

We all can do more to conserve water. I clean my house less often using water and don't wash my hair every day like I used to do. In fact, washing my hair every other day (or two) keeps the style better and my color stays longer (yes, I color my hair.....). I am going to try the bucket method while waiting for the shower water to warm up before I step in and use that extra water to water my garden.

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Terry Morgan 4/05/2023 12:32 PM

Recently I took a bag of food items to my local food pantry. I will try to do this more often as I find I buy some non perishables and am unable to use them up in time of their expiration dates so donating is a good option and the food is not wasted.

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Terry Morgan 4/05/2023 12:30 PM

While researching how to recycle my electric toothbrush I found this website so I'm going to try it! I wanted to share with anyone else who may be interested. They also take floss picks, floss covers and toothpaste tubes to name a few things other than electric toothbrushes and the program is FREE - https://oralb.com/en-us/recycling/

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Reflection Question
Basic Needs & Security Make Zero-Waste Meals

How did you incorporate using an entire vegetable (skins, peels, tops, and stalks) during one of your meal preps? What's something new you're going to try that is a zero-waste meal practice?

Terry Morgan 4/03/2023 2:55 PM

I have been making my own vegetable stock - I cut off tops/ends of vegetables and put them in a container in my freezer. When I have enough, I make soup stock. The used vegetables are then put in a compost bucket with soil and other materials and I use it in my flower bed. I also use left overs in meals and donate items that I cannot use to my local food pantry.

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- Shauna Donaldson 4/05/2023 7:13 AM
  
  I love the vegetable stock idea, Terry. Last year, my husband and I (who are beginners) grew our own cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes in our yard and it turned out great! This year, we are going to do the same with the addition of potatoes - they are currently chitting and should be ready to plant soon. Hoping those go well, too. I plan to use any left over vegetable pieces for compost as well.
  
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