

Rachel Olen
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,344 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO48disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO981gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO28locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO132meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO193milesnot traveled by car
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UP TO138milestraveled by bus
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UP TO48milestraveled by foot
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UP TO645minutesspent learning
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UP TO72plastic bottlesnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO24plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO96plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO24poundswaste composted
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UP TO728pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
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UP TO24whole food mealsconsumed
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UP TO48zero-waste mealsconsumed
Rachel's actions
Transportation
Consider Switching To An Electric Vehicle
I will test drive an electric vehicle at the Forth showcase in downtown Portland.
Transportation
Choose a Carbon Offset
If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.
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.
Transportation
Car Share
I will sign up for a car-sharing service, or organize car sharing with my neighbors, to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.
Water
Ditch the Lawn
I will replace my lawn with a drought-tolerant landscape and save the water, money, and time I used to spend cutting the grass.
Transportation
Conduct Virtual Meetings
I will not travel for meetings and will instead conduct them virtually.
Transportation
Walk Instead
I will walk 2 mile(s) each day instead of driving and avoid sending up to 1.3 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
Waste
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.
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.
Waste
Compost Food Waste
I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.
Waste
Find Local Recycling Depots
I will spend at least 5 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.
Transportation
Work from Home
I will work from home 1 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.
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.
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.
Water
Get Involved in the Water Justice Movement
I will spend at least 30 minutes using the resources provided to learn about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.
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.
Water
Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants
I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.
Water
Collect Rain Water
I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.
Water
Eco-friendly Gardening
I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.
Water
5-Minute Showers
I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.
Energy
Turn it off
I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.
Water
Fix Leaky Faucets
I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.
Water
Conserve Toilet Water
I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.
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.
Transportation
Use Public Transit
I will use public transit 6 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to 0.07 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
Food
Plant an Herb Garden
I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.
Food
Locally-Sourced Meals
I will source 1 meal(s) each day from local producers.
Food
Whole Foods Diet
I will enjoy 1 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.
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.
Food
Zero-Waste Cooking
I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day
Food
Buy From a Farmers Market
I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.
Waste
Recycle Everything I Can
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 5 minutes researching and recycling all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.
Waste
Use a Reusable Mug
I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.
Waste
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.
Food
Meet My Local Farmers
I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those who produce my food in other regions of the world to make better choices when I shop.
Waste
Go Paperless
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and ending unwanted subscriptions.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 5 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Food
Choose Organic Ingredients
I will enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.
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 QUESTIONTransportation Car ShareTake a moment to think of places you frequent often (work, grocery store, natural areas). Could you choose one or two days a week to schedule driving with a friend, neighbor or co-worker to these places?
Rachel Olen 4/18/2019 4:10 PMI could definitely carpool with a coworker to my job at the coffee-shop at least once, maybe twice a week, as long as we are scheduled in at similar times. It's not always easy planning something like this, because our schedules change weekly. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportation Choose a Carbon OffsetA round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2—per person. That’s a lot of carbon! What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
Rachel Olen 4/18/2019 12:59 PMI like to take road-trips as much as I can, but when I am travelling out of the country, that isn't possible. I have been doing a better job at planning my trips and ensuring that I'm booking nonstop flights as much as possible! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergy Power Down the ComputerWhat are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?
Rachel Olen 4/12/2019 3:56 PMNot using the dryer to dry every item I wash. There are a lot of items that can hang on a dry rack, or even outside when the weather is nice. This could significantly reduce the amount of energy I use every week. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWater 5-Minute ShowersFive minute showers are an impressive step toward reducing your water footprint. What is the next step you can take?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWater Ditch the LawnWhat is the main water source in your region?
Rachel Olen 4/12/2019 3:47 PMThe Bull Run Watershed is where the majority of tap water comes from in the Portland area. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Go PaperlessReducing 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?
Rachel Olen 4/12/2019 3:46 PMI really hate getting junk mail. Whenever I see it in my mailbox I just cringe. I'm going to find a way to keep reducing the amount of junk I get in the mail, even if it means constantly emailing about getting off of coupon and credit card lists. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWater Say No to Plastic StrawsWhat single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Rachel Olen 4/12/2019 3:44 PMWhen I go out to eat at certain noodle joints, I find myself taking a to-go container occasionally. I re-use them at home as much as possible, but I really should just start keeping a small container with me to use instead, or i just need to suck it up and eat my whole meal! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use a Reusable MugMaybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reuseable one but it's just hard to make the switch. Think about what stands in your way of making this a habit. By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?
Rachel Olen 4/12/2019 3:42 PMI just need to keep a spare one in my backpack or the car. The weekends are when I am more likely to forget to bring my coffee mug along with me, because I'm out and about. I always feel guilty if I have to get a single use cup at the coffee shop, so it would make me feel much better knowing that I am not contributing to our waste anymore than I already do! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use a Reusable Water BottleWhile water bottles serve an important role in places for health and safety, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. Can you identify the barriers in making this a new habit? How can you set yourself up for success in making this a permanent change?
Rachel Olen 4/12/2019 3:40 PMWhat sometimes snags me up, is when I travel out of town, especially Internationally. I try to pack as light as possible and sometimes bringing my trusty water bottle seems like a drag. What I need to do is invest in a lightweight one that I can easily hook onto my backpack or luggage. Yes, it might not stay cold as long, but at least I wouldn't have to buy any plastic water bottles. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Reduce Single-Use DisposablesBringing your own bags and containers to the grocery store, and even to restaurants for leftovers, are a couple of ways to reduce your waste. What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Rachel Olen 4/12/2019 3:36 PMI will admit that I do use the vegetable bags at the grocery store, but I feel guilty every time! I try and reuse them as much as possible, but I know I just need to invest in the reusable ones that I could easily buy there, or online.