Cici Curran

Nature, God, and Social Justice Spring 2025

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
549 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

131

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

6.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

20

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

450

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

33

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

295

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

515

minutes

of additional sleep
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people

Cici's actions

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 60 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits and Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Car Share

I will sign up for a car-sharing service or organize car sharing with my neighbors or classmates to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Someones Trash is your Treasure

When looking for a clothing item you want, instead of ordering a brand new one, look for hammy down one first. There are many consignment/thrift stores, both in person and online, that sell old clothing that would normally be thrown out and wasted. This way someone else's trash can be another persons treasure, and theres less waste involved!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

I will save up to 15 gal (56 L) of water a day or 450 gal (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Engage In Active Listening

I will practice actively listening to a friend, family member, co-worker, acquaintance, or someone who I may disagree with in at least 5 conversations.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Core Values

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Joyful Movement

I will spend 20 minutes doing an activity where I'm both moving my body and enjoying myself.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Cici Curran 4/22/2025 12:12 PM
Great job everyone! Hopefully we can stick with these lifestyle practices despite the challenge being 'over'!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What was it like to actively listen to someone? How did both people and the conversation(s) benefit from active listening?
Cici Curran 4/19/2025 6:08 AM
I did this active listening practice with both of my parents. Sometimes I felt like I had to jump in and offer some advice to try and 'help' them if they were expressing something causing them distress. Or even the erge to make them feel better. But what I realized is sometimes all they need in that moment is just someone nodding and listening; that can be healing. For me it was beneficial for a couple different reasons; the main two were being patient and also just being present/focusing on something outside of myself. Both of which are very grounding.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?
Cici Curran 4/19/2025 6:03 AM
I'm not exactly sure what "prepare for changing water situations means" as in self changes or huge wordly changes that impact water sources. But I'm going to take it as the second one. I think that as a household we could have buckets outside to catch the water when it rains, and use it for purposes outside that I might traditionally pick up the hose for.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?
Cici Curran 4/19/2025 5:45 AM
Well, right now since Im at college technically I'm not saving any money from cold showering. But an alternative value I receive from this practice, other than money, is peace of mind. And with this peace of mind, I can feel less guilty about the footprint I'm leaving on the environment. Also additionally the shower head that I installed distributes the water in a better pattern so the girls in my hallway really appreciate it. Its a win win!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

Take a moment to think of places you frequent often (school, 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?
Cici Curran 4/17/2025 7:52 AM
Absolutely I can, I think there are multiple benefits to ride-sharing. Both environmental and communal! I'm trying to start ride sharing when going to the grocery store, and coordinating union station/DCA with people who have similar transportation times. When reflecting, sometimes I feel like I shy away from ride sharing out of convenience from not having to coordinate with others. But whenever I do take the time to coordinate, its not that challenging, I always have such a great time. Because its combining socializing and doing the task you both need to do.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

What are your top 3-5 core values? How did you narrow it down to those as being your core values?
Cici Curran 4/17/2025 7:47 AM
1. Integrity/Honesty
2. Work Ethic
3. Kindness/Caring/Love
4. Respect

I do a lot of journaling and reflection so coming to the conclusion that these are my core values wasn't super challenging. A huge impact for me adopting these values was definitely from my parents, especially the piece about integrity. I think having integrity is the most important, it encompasses both truth and honesty. Without these qualities behind your daily actions are they truly meaningful? I personally don't think so. As for the rest of these, I also adopted them from both my families values and also my real life experiences.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

Switching out your 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?
Cici Curran 4/17/2025 7:39 AM
I had originally told my Dad about switching the light bulbs in a couple rooms because he mentioned on the phone some renovations he was doing. After he said yes, we were brainstorming some other implementations that could be done during this renovation. And we came up with making sure we only get the appliances we truly need. I also brought up changing the shower heads to be low-impact ones ( < 1.8 Gallons per 2 minute) which is something I implemented in my college dorm for another task in this challenge actually.

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Cici Curran 4/17/2025 7:15 AM
Have a good break everyone! Let's keep up the good work, even when out of our usual routine!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

What's your favorite activity(ies) in which you experience joy while being active and moving?
Cici Curran 4/13/2025 7:24 PM
My favorite joyful movement activity has been going to yoga! I usually don't have time or don't make the time to go to yoga classes despite me wanting to try. I'm used to more intense and pressured practices from sports so going to yoga is a treat. Going to yoga is both a mental and physical practice. The temperature of the room is extremely hot which makes the whole 'practice' a lot harder but it is a good challenge. It forces you to be completely mindful and aware of your own body and its spatial impact. It helps me be better present in the moment! I've been going with friends which makes it a fun shared experience!

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- Lindsay Lee 4/15/2025 11:40 AM
  I have become such a big fan of yoga since coming to college! It's such a nice break!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?
Cici Curran 4/13/2025 7:17 PM
I see eating more fruits and vegetables as nourishing your body with the nutrients it needs to be able to perform its best! We are human and it is normal and natural for us to eat fruits and vegetables so we should be doing so. If we are able to perform at our best cognitive and physical ability, by being nutrient dense, then we can be more aware and intentional and energized to impact the world.

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