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Chris McBride's avatar

Chris McBride

FIT Academy Charter School

"Learning more about myself in order to fix my habits that are not sustainable."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,066 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    22
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    energy audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    340
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    10
    miles
    not traveled by car
  • UP TO
    10
    miles
    traveled by bus
  • UP TO
    24
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    20
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    7.0
    pounds of paper
    have been saved

Chris's actions

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 10 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to 4.56 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Online Energy Audit

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

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper each day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 3 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 13
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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Heat and Cool Naturally

I will naturally heat and cool my house, office, or dorm room by opening or closing my windows, curtains, and blinds, and by using fans.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Power Down the Computer

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

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?


  • Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 4/08/2019 8:29 AM
    Hello all!

    Thank you for joining the Eco-Challenge. After 1 week, we had made great strides to help live more sustainable lives. One important factor we miss is sharing our goals and desire to change with others. You can help make a big difference by educating a friend or family member. This week, I challenge you to invite 2 friends or family members to join our team and set their own goals.

    Continue check-in and continue to evaluate your goals.

    You all rock!

    Mr. McBride

  • Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 4/07/2019 10:45 AM
    A sad reality that we are living.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Use Reusable Bags
    What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reuseable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to establish this a successful habit?

    Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 4/04/2019 9:04 PM
    I have a bunch of reusable bags, but I have found that I sometimes forget to bring them back to my car. When I then go to the grocery store, I don’t have them when I need them. I have carried a small load of groceries when I could. When I do use a disposable bag, I opt for paper bags.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Power Down the Computer
    What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?

    Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 4/01/2019 12:04 PM
    I could turn off the lights when I leave a room and shut down other appliances I am not using

    • Chris McBride's avatar
      Chris McBride 4/02/2019 7:10 PM
      Awesome, Grace! If we can spread the word or hold each other accountable, we can all do a little better at living a more sustainable lifestyle.

    • Grace York's avatar
      Grace York 4/02/2019 6:09 PM
      Just this morning I turned off two lights in my living room that my dad left on.  :)

    • Ruthie Eggimann's avatar
      Ruthie Eggimann 4/01/2019 7:15 PM
      That's a very good idea i'll work on that. I often struggle with turning off lights so that will be one of my goals! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Heat and Cool Naturally
    What are other ways you could use the power of the sun to reduce your own environmental footprint?

    Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 4/01/2019 11:25 AM
    We could solar panels and wind turbines to produce electricity. I could also let my clothes air dry.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Turn it off
    How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?

    Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 3/31/2019 6:40 PM
    I love to have a lot of windows. Natural light not only makes me feel better, it allows me to use less electricity when I am home.

  • Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 3/31/2019 6:39 PM
    When I take time to evaluate my behaviors, I usually find ways I can be more sustainable.  I am not perfect, but I hope to learn more about myself in this challenge and change some of my habits. 
  • 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?

    Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 3/31/2019 6:37 PM
    I am a fan of the fan when I sleep. Not only does it keep me cool, it helps to lower my energy cost (compared to lowering the thermostat).  I also opt to open a window during warmer nights.

    • Ruthie Eggimann's avatar
      Ruthie Eggimann 4/01/2019 7:17 PM
      I also sleep with a fan it's a really good idea for people that get hot easily or anyone really :) 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Choose Clean/Renewable Energy
    How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to clean energy?

    Chris McBride's avatar
    Chris McBride 3/31/2019 6:36 PM
    A lot of people will not change due to cost.  What some do not realize is that there are some small ways to increase our use of renewable energy at little to no cost to us.  For example, my electric company allows me to dedicate a percentage of electricity coming from wind farms at little to no cost, depending on the percentage.