Justin English

Nature, God, and Social Justice 2023

Points Total

35 Today
35 This Week
1,721 Total

Participant Impact

up to

56

whole food meals

consumed
up to

131

pounds of CO2

have been saved
up to

100

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
up to

1.0

waste audits

conducted
up to

4,940

minutes

spent exercising
up to

1,785

minutes

spent outdoors
up to

70

minutes

spent learning

Justin's 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

Energy

Learn About Renewable Energy

I will spend 20 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.

Completed
One-Time Action

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

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

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

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

Completed
One-Time Action

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

Completed
One-Time Action

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 30-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 43
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Whole Food Lifestyle

I will enjoy 2 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 60 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 47
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 3 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 46
DAILY ACTIONS

Feed

Reflection Question
Energy Switch to Cold Water

What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?

Justin English 3/24/2023 1:45 PM

Unfortunately my utilities are split 6 ways so any reduction efforts by me are spread around to all my roommates so it will not make a substantial difference financially to me. However, I didn't switch to cold water for financial reasons so it doesn't really matter.

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- Marguerite Saunders 3/26/2023 9:32 AM
  
  This reminds me of the Tragedy of the Commons! Good for you, Justin, for going out of your way to make more energy efficient choices. The challenge (I face this too) is now convincing your roommates to join you!
  
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Justin English 3/14/2023 10:15 AM

Took a break from the challenge during spring break. Brief adjustment getting used to logging in again, but honestly it is pretty rewarding. Seeing the little differences stack up each day is fun and is a solid incentive to keep doing the daily activities.

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Reflection Question
Waste Personal Waste Audit

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?

Justin English 3/12/2023 2:02 PM

Its so difficult because we rarely see any direct consequences of our consumption. It just gets tossed off in various garbage cans around the day and we don't see what impact it actually ends up having. Seeing in a day how much trash my roomates and myself accumulate, it is easier to understand how damaging that is for every person to consume that way. Having the total quantity accumulated in one location made that more apparent.

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Reflection Question
Waste Use a Reusable Mug

Maybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reusable one, but it's just hard to make the switch. 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?

Justin English 2/19/2023 9:31 AM

The main thing that stood in my way was the lack of quality homeade coffee. Now that I have found a roast that I like and have a machine that functions well it is much much easier to brew myself a pot in the morning and use the same mug instead of walking over to saxby's or starbucks.

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Reflection Question
Nature Explore My Area

How might spending more time outdoors enhance your brainpower?

Justin English 2/19/2023 9:30 AM

I think there are some synergies between exercise/fresh air and increased brain function. I often feel like I am thinking my best after a brisk walk or a light run. I think being outside also just tends to lower stress levels too, and stress definitely seems to impair my ability to think very clearly.

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- Marguerite Saunders 2/26/2023 8:11 AM
  
  Agreed, Justin! It was particularly nice to spend time outside earlier this week during the warm weather, but I find that I benefit from the fresh air even when the weather is less pleasant. There's something grounding and energizing about being outside and realizing that the world extends beyond the indoors -- and this really benefits my ability to focus, too.
  
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Reflection Question
Health Exercise Daily

How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?

Justin English 1/31/2023 9:08 AM

One of my favorite exercise activities is running along the tow path with one of my roommates. Surrounded by trees and overlooking the Potomac the route is incredible for long slow jogs. Working out in that environment with a friend really does make the time fly by.

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Reflection Question
Nature Go for a Daily Walk

How do you experience your neighborhood or city differently when walking instead of driving?

Justin English 1/25/2023 6:35 AM

I notice the beauty of the architecture and landscaping much more. Especially in Georgetown, I find myself walking with my neck craned sideways, admiring all the different homes.

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Reflection Question
Food Whole Food Lifestyle

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 assertion?

Justin English 1/24/2023 8:38 AM

I think that the statement is very helpful in todays society to illustrate that eating healthily is very effective in preventing illness, and is likely far cheaper than waiting to fix health issues once they surface.

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