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Malia Rains's avatar

Malia Rains

Deloitte Omaha / Des Moines

"keeping the earth safe, clean and beautiful :) "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 692 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    conversation
    with a person
  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    206
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    5.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    5.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    1.0
    meatless or vegan meal
    consumed
  • UP TO
    120
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    610
    minutes
    being mindful
  • UP TO
    0.5
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    1.1
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    3.0
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Malia's actions

Climate & Ecosystems

Use less single use containers

I will minimize the amount of take-out containers (box, cups, etc.) used while eating out.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Shop with a reusable bag

Use a reusable shopping bag or no bag at all to cut down on your waste from the grocery store!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Ecological & Xeriscape Gardening

SDG 14, 15

Studies show a grass lawn is water intensive and on average it require about 30 percent of a household’s water consumption. I will do one or more of the following actions in my yard or community to conserve water and improve habitat: plant indigenous plants, landscape with water-efficient plants, add mulching, replace a lawn, and/or use eco-friendly fertilizers.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

RESEARCH LARGE SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES

I will research sustainable alternatives to large purchases such as: cars, roofs, landscaping, concrete work, siding, paint, etc.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Create A Readiness Plan

SDG 9

Each day, I will spend time developing a readiness plan for my household in the event of an emergency.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Basic Needs & Security

Make Zero-Waste Meals

SDG 2

I will cook 1 meals with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Economy & Communities

Chat With A Nonprofit

SDG 12

I will have a conversation with one or more nonprofit organizations I want to be involved with.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Choose LED Bulbs

SDG 7

I will replace 5 incandescent light bulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Replace Manual Thermostats

SDG 7, 9, 12

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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

Stay on the Ground

SDG 11

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally). As an example, a plane from New York to Los Angeles (~2,450 miles) generates about 65 tons of carbon dioxide.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Watch a Documentary About Education or Work

SDG 4

I will watch 1 documentaries about education or work.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Advocate for Equitable Participation and Representation

SDG 5

I will call my elected officials to ask what they are doing regarding equitable gender participation and representation in my region.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Watch a Documentary About Equity, Gender, Health, or Peace

SDG 3, 5, 10, 16

I will watch 1 documentaries about equity, gender, health, or peace.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Watch a Documentary About Economy, Energy, or Industry

SDG 7, 9, 12

I will watch 1 documentaries about economy, energy, or industry.

UNCOMPLETED
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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Basic Needs & Security

Try a New Vegan or Vegetarian Recipe

I will try a new vegan or vegetarian recipe and share how it turns out on the Ecochallenge feed, or with family and friends.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Volunteer in My Community

SDG 1

I will volunteer 5 hours in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Research Impact Investing

SDG 8

Using the links provided below, I will research impact investing or my current investment portfolio to determine if they align with my values.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Work-Life Balance

SDG 8

During the workday, I will schedule time for daily breaks during work days to practice work-life balance.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Health & Equity

Practice Mindfulness

SDG 3

I will spend 10 minutes each day practicing mindfulness.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Health & Equity

Make Cleaning Products

SDG 3

I will make a few homemade cleaning products.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Watch a Documentary About Climate Change or Nature

SDG 13, 14, 15

I will watch 1 documentaries about climate change.

COMPLETED
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?


  • Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/29/2023 7:05 AM
    Fast fashion is a growing industry that takes a large impact on the environment. A lot of these companies provide cheap clothing that is up with the trends but not necessarily source, produced, or sold in eco friendly way. I have tried to make an impact with this by shopping for clothes at companies that have the environment in mind. I have compiled a list below of my favorite brands to shop at! Some of these are B Corps and some have programs to reuse or resell unwanted clothing. All of these brands have sustainability or eco impact sections of their website that provide more details!

    Online Consignment:
    Thredup - includes stats on materials saved buying used
    The Real Real - includes stats on materials saved buying used

    Online Retail (underlying goal is to create clothing that is built to last and end up in landfills):
    Outdoor Voices - use of recycled materials and sustainable ecommerce packaging
    Girlfriend Collective - use of recycled/retrieved plastics and SA8000 certified factories
    Patagonia - climate activism; program to mend/repair damaged clothing or turn in unwanted used items
    Topo Design - recycled or organic materials; sustainability built into creation of the company
    Rei - Co-op that focuses on outdoor brands and is selective in the brands that they support based on sustainability
    Madewell - uses recycled materials; Recycled denim program
    Teva - uses recycled materials; Recycled shoe program



    • Darian Patwal's avatar
      Darian Patwal 4/29/2023 5:19 PM
      Thank you for this info Malia! I have wanted to try a few of these companies and will have to do that now!

  • Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/28/2023 9:07 AM
    I was recently listening to a podcast this week and it dove into the use of reusable water bottles. Usually these are in a positive light when it comes to sustainability, but there can be a negative side too. Having a couple reusable water bottles on hand is great to fight the impacts plastic water bottles have on the environment. I think we also have to keep in mind the impact of producing reusable water bottles has on the environment as well. A lot of resource go into producing a single reusable water bottle and you have to use a water bottle a certain amount of times to overcome the impacts of a single use water bottle. I am always an advocate for avoiding single use water bottles and will always look to using those instead of plastic water bottles that may end up in the landfill. But, I think we should also keep in mind the impact of purchasing multiple water bottles and how many uses are actually required to see clean results.

    • Darian Patwal's avatar
      Darian Patwal 4/29/2023 5:20 PM
      This is an eye-opener! I have tons of reusable water bottles but I never thought about the negative impact they have from being produced. One person really only needs 2-3!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate & Ecosystems Watch a Documentary About Climate Change or Nature
    What did you watch, and what was the most important thing you learned in the documentary(ies) you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of climate change and Earth Month?

    Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/28/2023 8:57 AM
    I watched a documentary on the coral reef and the current state it is in. It was very thought provoking and sad to learn the healthy history and how recently it has taken a downturn. A lot of coral is dying which drastically impacts the rest of the Earth's ecosystem. Putting a picture behind what poor eco habits can impact motivates me to change little things in my life in hopes of preventing negative impacts on the environment.
  • 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?

    Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/19/2023 8:53 AM
    One thing I am going to add to my habits is being more conscious of the water used around my house. It is easy to be doing dishes and just forget that the water was left on the entire time. Same with brushing your teeth. These are a couple areas that I am trying to work on and will continue to adjust my habits!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health & Equity Make Cleaning Products
    What was surprising about the ingredients in your cleaning supplies, personal care, and pet products?

    Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/18/2023 12:21 PM
    A lot of these ingredients are natural items! I use vinegar and baking soda a lot around the house to clean items and it works better than store bought products. It also leaves less of a residue and does not leave any cheapy fragrances or smells.

  • Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/18/2023 12:19 PM
    One of my goals this Earth month was to use less single use containers or products. I am at DU this week and the amount of snacks is great, but, it is also A LOT of single use wrappers, cups, silverware, etc. I have been trying to opt for the snacks that are not packaged and also use the mugs and cups that are reusable.

  • Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/17/2023 5:41 AM
    In regards to researching large sustainable alternatives - I have recently been renovating a loft space in my house. I wanted to be sure I am making the right choices in materials to use in that space. I also needed a new roof. I researched all my options inluding: recycled rubber shingles, wool carpet instead of plastic, efficient HVAC options, linen of flax window treatments, tencel bedspreads, etc. I also looked into how the old items will be recycled, reused, or just discarded. It was a super helpful process to make sure I was creating a clean space for myself while also keeping the environment in mind.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Education & Livelihood Work-Life Balance
    How does practicing a work-life balance create a more sustainable life for you? How might it contribute to sustainability more broadly?

    Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/17/2023 5:28 AM
    From my experience, I am more likely to practice sustainable habits when I have a work life balance. When I am bogged down with work and don't have a lot of free time, I do whatever is an easier habit and not the right habit. I think an example of this is ordering take out or food delivery. There are definitely better sustainable options compared to take out, but sometimes it is the easier option. When there is a better work life balance, cooking and trying new recipes turn into a well-being activity instead of a chore.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health & Equity Practice Mindfulness
    What was it like to practice mindfulness? If this is a practice for you already, what was something new you understood in practicing during Earth Month?

    Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/04/2023 10:31 AM
    There are so many ways to practice mindfulness. I choose to practice this during my morning yoga. Yoga has been a great way for me to practice mindfulness and to just take a moment to start my day off with the right intentions. This Earth Month, I have tried to focus my intentions on habits that I can include in my daily life that are sustainability focused. It is also a great way to bring in positivity and let go of negativity in life so you can shift your focus on things that truly matter (like the Earth!) :)

  • Malia Rains's avatar
    Malia Rains 4/03/2023 6:20 AM
    Making your own cleaning products is easy! I make an all-purpose spray out of vinegar, water, and dish soap which cleans and disinfects all of my surfaces. It's an alternative to purchased cleaning products that can have many more ingredients and can be more expensive.