Helen Gavrilov

Columbia Land Trust

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
507 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

160

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

14

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

51

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

17

whole food meals

consumed

Helen's actions

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Adjust the Thermostat

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and ending unwanted subscriptions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will spend at least 15 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Whole Foods Diet

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

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

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
Waste Go Paperless

Reducing your paper mail can be such a freeing action to take -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?

Helen Gavrilov 4/29/2019 9:37 AM

Going paperless takes away the weekly guilt of tossing stacks of junk mail and bills into the recycling bin. It's more complicated to opt out of credit card offers and other junk mail, but that's next on my list.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than in other places, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?

Helen Gavrilov 4/29/2019 9:35 AM

I think having meat farmed in the mass quantities that it is contributes to our high level of consumption in North America. The power of marketing also can't be underestimated- all the fast food commercials have their impact on our consumption. I think a huge benefit to moving towards less meat would be the shut down of the massive meat farms and having only locally raised meat available at markets.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Find Local Recycling Depots

Our ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors. Luckily there are places that accept uncommon things to recycle or dispose of in a less harmful way. What did you find when looking for places to recycle items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin?

Helen Gavrilov 4/18/2019 12:40 PM

I found that some major corporations have recycling programs that we don't know about- like Crest, which recycles toothpaste tubes.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Personal Waste Audit

Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?

Helen Gavrilov 4/18/2019 12:39 PM

It's difficult for people to understand the impacts of waste when we don't deal with waste on a daily basis. When waste "disappears," we don't see the impact. Seeing the amount of waste I produced will help me be more conscious about my purchases and the packaging that things come in.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Whole Foods Diet

Michael Pollan states that "it is better to pay the grocer (our edit: or the farmer!) than the doctor." What are your thoughts on this?

Helen Gavrilov 4/18/2019 12:37 PM

A healthy diet is so important to overall health and wellness. The healthier we eat, the less illnesses we would develop and/or our body would be better equipped to fight them off.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Adjust the Thermostat

Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your zipcode, and in your state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?

Helen Gavrilov 4/18/2019 12:35 PM

Turn down my thermostat, use less hot water, keep only one light on at a time.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Choose LED Bulbs

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! In what other ways can you exercise your civic duty to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions?

Helen Gavrilov 4/18/2019 12:33 PM

Turn down my thermostat and turn off electronics when not in use.

Read More