Michaela Voigtlaender
"I would like to take on the challenge of achieving more sustainability in terms of the environment but also fair trade production. There is always room for improvement."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,291 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO8.8poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO153meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO19pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO442gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO1.0water footprintcalculated
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UP TO30advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO1,880minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO360minutesspent learning
Michaela's actions
Action Track: Community
Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans
I will spend 45 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.
Action Track: Community
JOIN OR CREATE A GREEN TEAM AT EMERSON
I will continue to contribute to Emerson's environmental sustainability goals beyond April by learning more about the Global Green Teams Network, joining a team near me, or maybe even creating a new team.
Action Track: Community
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NEWS ON SUSTAINABILITY AT EMERSON
I will sign up to the Sustainability Aficionados distribution list to receive global news on sustainability at Emerson, including world news and Greening OF, BY, and WITH news.
Action Track: Community
ATTEND THE ECOCHALLENGE CONSERVATION WEBINAR
On Wed 24th April, I will attend the Earth Month Ecochallenge Webinar on Conservation to learn about what individuals, companies and other organizations can do to promote biodiversity and nature protection.
Freshwater + Oceans
Go Plastic-Free
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.
Freshwater + Oceans
Smart Seafood Choices
We need to support healthy seafood populations. I will spend 15 minutes learning about sustainable seafood choices, commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean, and share what I learned on the feed.
Freshwater + Oceans
Low Water Gardening
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.
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.
Land + Forests
30 for 30 in Nature
Studies have shown that when we spend consistent time in nature, our health improves, our creativity increases, and our connection to the planet gets stronger. Each day of the Ecochallenge, I will spend 30 minutes outside (in a large or small patch of nature), then share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the feed.
Land + Forests
Forest-Friendly Foods
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.
Land + Forests
Borrow Before I Buy
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.
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 3 meatless meals and/or 3 vegan meals each day this week.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Invest in Nature
A healthy world needs both our daily actions and support from larger systems. I will spend 15 minutes learning about how I can use my investments and savings to advance environmental sustainability.
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.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Save the Bees
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.
Climate + Air
Choose Renewable Energy
Renewable energy options are becoming more widespread and accessible. Not only are they good for the planet, they can help save money as well. I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will contact them to advocate for this option in the future.
Climate + Air
Weekly Meal Planning
One third of all food produced worldwide is wasted, and so is the energy it takes to produce and transport that food. I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need and eating what I planned each day.
Climate + Air
Stay on the Ground
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).
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Community Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and OceansWhat did you learn about freshwater and oceans you did not already know? In sharing this information with people in your life, which conversation was impactful to you?
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/30/2024 8:06 AMFrom the point of view I haven't seen it yet, but it's true:We have always measured economic progress by the goods and services we produce and consume. This is the gross domestic product or GDP/BIP. We never did that for nature. But nature provides services that have value, and we need to take that value into account when measuring our economic progress.
We can imagine a gross product of the ecosystem that allows us to understand that nature produces values that we want.
By considering both nature and economics, we can see how our economic activity affects nature, how the presence of nature affects us as a society and as a species, and how our activities could be changed so that we can achieve prosperity without harming or destroying nature in the process. 🌎
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REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Invest in NatureWhat did you learn about how investing can support the environment and create a more sustainable world?
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/29/2024 8:09 AMAnything can help. It's not just investing in projects. I e.g. B. bought very few shares in a solar park. It's all. Taking other people's rubbish out into nature who still haven't understood that the shell of a chocolate bar creates microplastics that won't rot forever and can now be found in even the most remote areas.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Community ATTEND THE ECOCHALLENGE CONSERVATION WEBINARWhat did you learn in the webinar? Did anything surprise you?
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/29/2024 8:01 AMI think the industrial development and innovation is on a good way. They slowly realized that sustainability is necessary - it also creates jobs and sales.But there is always room for improvement. For each!!!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Low Water GardeningWhat are the most prominent water concerns in your area? Examples include drought, flooding, pollution, access, security, and privatization.
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/29/2024 7:56 AMI think the biggest problem in my region is the loss of groundwater. The groundwater level is falling from year to year. Last year, our municipality issued a recommendation not to water the lawn. We don't do that anyway. We water our garden with 3 water tanks in which we store rainwater. In my opinion, watering pools should be banned in regions with falling groundwater levels. In my opinion it is unbelievable that this happens with drinking water.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Forest-Friendly FoodsWhat did you learn about forest-friendly foods? How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/29/2024 7:50 AMWhat I learn: Unfortunately, some products are grown in a way that causes harm to the rainforest and the people and animals that live there. You can make sure you’re making a positive impact by choosing products that contain one or more of the following labels:
Fairtrade
Organic
Rainforest Alliance
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)
What I do:
All in all, I'm trying to reduce my coffee consumption. This is also healthier. I still drink coffee, but I pay close attention to the above- mentionede certifications. Likewise with choculate and buy palm oil free products. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Smart Seafood ChoicesMany states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/27/2024 8:08 AMFor my understanding we need to ensure that if we eat fish enough fish remain in the ocean or lake. I downloaded for this reason the WWF APP. Please thake a look.-
Claudia Zimmermann 4/28/2024 3:30 AMThanks for sharing.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Borrow Before I BuyHow did you participate in the sharing economy? (Consider posting a photo!) What are the benefits of a sharing economy? How could a sharing economy change the dynamics you have with friends, family and/or neighbors?
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/27/2024 3:14 AMBelow you can see a picture from a clothes swap party in Munich. Our daughter had exchanged new clothes and old ones away which she no longer wanted. 0€ by the way. We tend to share garden tools with neighbours or friends. Very sustainable in my opinion ☺️ -
Michaela Voigtlaender 4/27/2024 12:31 AMAdditional to my post yesterday.I looked into our garden this morning and saw if you have a garden how easy it is to help the bees and insects. Fruit 🍋🟩 trees bloom beautifully and provide food for the bees 🐝.-
Tony Böttcher 4/27/2024 11:56 PMnot only for the bees - sometimes it provides food for you after the bees did their work :) cherry and apple time :D -
Frank Scheuermann 4/27/2024 12:45 AMThat is true. I have the same situation in my garden and the bee hotel is almost fully booked :-)
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REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Save the BeesWhat did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!
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Tijana Bunjevacki 4/26/2024 2:22 PMBeautiful!
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Michaela Voigtlaender 4/26/2024 1:42 PMJust a walk after work at nature😀