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Delaine Spangler's avatar

Delaine Spangler

Alliance Red Team

"I hope to evaluate my personal environmental impacts and expand my understanding of environmental issues, local biodiversity, and native species."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,231 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    energy audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    Carbon Footprint
    Calculated
  • UP TO
    187
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    water footprint
    calculated
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    36
    public officials or leaders
    contacted
  • UP TO
    6.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    tree
    planted
  • UP TO
    353
    minutes
    spent learning

Delaine's actions

Land + Forests

Advocate for Forest Protection

Using my voice can help create a more sustainable and just world. I will contact 5 local, regional, or national decision makers to advocate for public policy that protects forests and improves their ability to sequester carbon and nourish biodiversity.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Community

Plant Trees

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Biodiversity and Me

I will spend at least 15 minutes each day researching what biodiversity is, how biodiversity positively impacts our world, and how the loss of biodiversity harms it. I will share what I learn on the feed.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will organize or participate in a trash pickup at a local river, beach, or natural body of water.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Plastic in Clothing and Water

Synthetic clothing can contain plastic and shed harmful microplastics into our water. I will use a microplastics catcher in my laundry, or install a microplastics filter for my washing machine.

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

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Learn about Native Species

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.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Community

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 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Community

Write Letters or Emails

I will gather a group of friends, family, neighbors or colleagues and write 1 letters or emails to public officials or companies to advocate for planet-friendly policies.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Seek Alternative Gifts and Souvenirs

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land + Forests

Personal Waste Audit

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Invest in Nature

A healthy world needs both our daily actions and support from larger systems. I will spend 5 minutes learning about how I can use my investments and savings to advance environmental sustainability.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate + Air

Online Energy Audit

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Community

Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans

I will spend 5 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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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 10 minutes learning about regenerative agriculture and find out if any nearby farms practice regenerative agriculture.

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Advocate for Forest Protection
    Higher standards of living are very often dependent on moving our environmental costs elsewhere. What are some specific ways in which the environmental impacts of your own lifestyle might be shifted elsewhere?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/30/2024 6:09 AM
    I can shift my buying habits to more local sources and try to support small businesses and farms instead of the large corporations that are singlehandedly destroying the environment,

    • Katie Shonk's avatar
      Katie Shonk 4/30/2024 7:44 AM
      I'm looking forward to farmer's markets this summer. I think the kids would enjoy doing a chopped basket challenge Food Network-style.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Zero Waste Day
    What was hard about having a Zero Waste Day? What did you learn about yourself and your habits?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/30/2024 5:00 AM
    Definitely the hardest challenge for me. I ended up producing one or to pieces of waste through food containers/wrappers, but was able to reuse one as a sandwich bag for later. Everything else was recyclable or compostable. Most of my waste comes in the form of paper, which I hand a tendency to through in the trash, rather than recycle or compost, which I'll make an effort to do more of.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate + Air Online Energy Audit
    Where did you do an energy audit (work, home, school, other) and what did you learn?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/24/2024 8:40 AM
    I performed an energy audit for my 2-bedroom apartment and found that my roommate and I use significantly less electricity than the monthly average -- about 280-300kWh/month, as compared to the average (according to Google lol) of 578 kWh/month. This is likely due to us being frugal with our electricity usage (e.g. only turning on the AC on the weekends when electricity is free, keeping lights off, using fans instead of AC when we can, etc.). However, as summer approaches, this may not be as feasible, and our electricity usage will probably skyrocket
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Community Plant Trees
    How is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/17/2024 11:46 AM
    Planting trees helped me feel more connected to nature and the land by giving me something to take care of that will be around for decades.
  • 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?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/17/2024 11:44 AM
    I learned that regenerative agriculture is significantly more efficient than modern agriculture that focuses on short-term output and monocropping. I can help promote regenerative agricultural practices by doing more research regarding where my food comes from and trying to focus my spending power on regenerative farms.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Community Join a Cleanup Effort
    How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel? What results did you see? Please consider posting a photo of your cleanup!

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/12/2024 10:54 AM
    Working with others on a cleanup event helps me feel better connected to my community, and gives me the opportunity to meet and work with like-minded people
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Personal Waste Audit
    What are the results of your waste audit and what did you learn? How can you reduce your waste going forward?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/11/2024 9:24 AM
    I discovered that the majority of my waste comes from single-use plastics, like food containers and the occasional coffee cup. I know I can reduce coffee cup waste by bringing my own cups, but food containers are a little trickier. I can try to avoid plastics when I go grocery shopping, but there are few foods that don't use some type of plastic wrap/container. To mitigate this I can try to buy more whole foods and vegetables, rather than processed foods.

    • Katie Shonk's avatar
      Katie Shonk 4/11/2024 10:19 AM
      I was thinking about this last night. Seems like it would be easier to do this summer at the farmer's market rather than the grocery store. I think you're right about the compromise of less processed foods, and maybe we reuse those tubs and containers where possible.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Biodiversity + Wildlife Seek Alternative Gifts and Souvenirs
    How do your consumption choices affect the health of wildlife and other communities?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/10/2024 11:24 AM
    By limiting my consumption to "needs" instead of "wants", I can greatly reduce my environmental impacts by not supporting mass-produced products. Instead, I can shop locally and support smaller businesses and local handmade goods.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Biodiversity + Wildlife Invest in Nature
    What did you learn about how investing can support the environment and create a more sustainable world?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/09/2024 7:14 AM
    I learned that I can use my investing potential to promote clean energies and green projects around the world.
  • 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?

    Delaine Spangler's avatar
    Delaine Spangler 4/05/2024 5:41 AM
    I learned that I actually have a pretty good water footprint compared to the national average. The majority of my water usage comes from my "virtual usage" (i.e. electricity and utilities). I can't really reduce these kinds of usages, but I can get creative in other areas by doing things like using water used for cooking (water from boiling vegetables, eggs, etc.) to water my plants, or doing less loads of laundry/dishwashers.

    • Anne Coudrette's avatar
      Anne Coudrette 4/05/2024 5:47 AM
      I like this idea of reusing cooking water for plants! Do you just let it cool down and then use it? or you have a larger container to store it until needed?