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Welcome to Live Greener Challenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Live Greener Challenge expert in no time!

Portland Trail Blazers
Live Greener Challenge
April 1 - April 30, 2019
Helen Gavrilov's avatar

Helen Gavrilov

Columbia Land Trust

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 507 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    51
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    14
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    15
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    17
    whole food meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    160
    gallons of water
    have been saved

Helen's actions

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

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

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

Food

Whole Foods Diet

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

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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

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

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste
    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's avatar
    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
    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's avatar
    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
    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's avatar
    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
    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's avatar
    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
    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's avatar
    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.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy
    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's avatar
    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
    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's avatar
    Helen Gavrilov 4/18/2019 12:33 PM
    Turn down my thermostat and turn off electronics when not in use.
    Read More