Josie DiBartolomeo (102)
4/07/2025 8:12 AM
I need to connect with nature more as well as reducing my water and paper intake.
Josie DiBartolomeo (102)
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 261 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO16plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO6.3pounds of paperhave been saved
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UP TO41minutesspent learning
Josie's actions
Food
Smart Seafood Choices
I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.
Waste
Prevent Recycling Contamination
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 4 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.
Waste
RESEARCH LOCAL WASTE SITES
I will spend 10 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.
Waste
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and POC-majority neighborhoods. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.
Waste
Go Paperless
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.
Health
Support Pollution Reduction
I will spend at least 3 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.
Waste
Choose Two-Sided Printing
I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided when I have to print documents.
Nature
Leave No Trace
I will practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.
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 QUESTIONNatureEducator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?
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Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/07/2025 8:07 AMThis course has already taught me how to limit waste as well as put resources to better use. Eat better, use less paper, don't use so much water when you don't have to, even using colder water instead of hot water when you get the chance. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWasteReducing your paper mail can reduce mental clutter as well as physical waste -- 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?
Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/07/2025 8:06 AMThis is very important, I personally like having something physically in my hand but everything is better and faster through email now but I understand how email might not be a secure way to reach out, what if someone hacks your email? But if we at least reduce the amount of mail that is coming, we could save so many trees and pieces of paper from being over consumed. Let's be honest we throw away at least half of our mail anyway. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWasteIn what neighborhoods or areas of your region are landfills or other waste sites located? Which communities are most affected by these locations?
Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/07/2025 8:03 AMThere are a couple landfills near me, they're mainly north from York. The companies that encourage these landfills are corporations like Coca-cola, coffee brands, and waste management teams. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealthWhat environmental factors affect human health in your region, and how do they affect it?
Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/07/2025 8:00 AMMainly air pollution is the problem, it makes the air around us dirty which is not good for our lungs and could increase cancer risks. Climate change is another big one, the weather constantly changing and increasing to temperatures humans aren't familiar with can cause us to become sick. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWasteChoosing two-sided printing can be an easy adjustment on your computer settings. How can you help others make this same switch? Can it be encouraged company wide?
Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/06/2025 1:57 PMI personally don't like having so many papers, it's messy, not portable and a waste a resources, I rather have it all on one piece. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWasteWhat single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What did you substitute or could be substituted instead?
Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/06/2025 1:56 PMI use plastic bags and coffee cups every know and then, they say the coffee cups are recyclable though. I want to stop using plastic bags and just have a trash bag, I will use my reusable mug for coffee from now on. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWasteWhat have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?
Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/06/2025 1:55 PMIt's hard to know what to recycle, I can't recycle plastic bags, broken glass, ceramics, plastics wrap, packing peanuts, and food-soiled materials in my area. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFoodMany states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
Josie DiBartolomeo (102) 4/06/2025 1:49 PMI understand this policy and this helps to not over consume fish, helping the species last longer, I rarely eat fish so this policy seems easy and fair to me.