Perseo Ilias

Capstone spring 2025

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
413 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

131

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

6.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

60

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

120

minutes

spent learning

Perseo's actions

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 2
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

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn More about Food Apartheid

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 10 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

RESEARCH LOCAL WASTE SITES

I will spend 30 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Visit A Local Farm

I will visit a nearby farm to pick my own fruits and veggies.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Canning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA or another trusted source. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?
Perseo Ilias 5/04/2025 2:44 PM
I was hoping to go to Sauvies Island in June and pick a variety of berries, like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and other fruits with pits like peaches. To make jam for the Fall and Winter. The process does get tedious. You have to decide if you want to use Pectin or not. “Pectin is a naturally occurring thickener and stabilizer, helping jams, jellies, and fruit preserves set(Denenberg 1).” Luckily the USDA guide under ‘Preparing and canning jams and jellies(USDA 183).’ explains how to make jams with or without Pectin. And the rest of the process.

Denenberg, Z. (2023, May 9). What is pectin, anyway?. Bon Appétit. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-pectin?srsltid=AfmBOoqGDaaD8HWHoaLcieD38Be1IKm4uyMlH07XIIdYgJqeQ_EhHamM

USDA. (2015). USDA-complete-guide-to-home-canning-2015-revision.PDF. National institution of food and agriculture . https://www.healthycanning.com/wp-content/uploads/USDA-Complete-Guide-to-Home-Canning-2015-revision.pdf

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- Amy Minato 5/06/2025 1:44 PM
  
  TEAM CAPTAIN
  there are some upick sites even closer than Sauvie island but great plan!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?
Perseo Ilias 4/26/2025 6:50 PM
Through the Oregon Department of Energy website I learned that there are “Three investor-owned electric utilities that serve Oregonians: Pacific Power, Portland General Electric, and Idaho Power (which serves customers in the northeast corner of Oregon)(ERM, Pg.1).”
I learned that Pacific Power mostly uses Coal, Natural Gas and Wind. Portland General Electric mostly uses Natural Gas, and Hydroelectric Power. And finally, Idaho Power mostly uses Hydroelectric Power, and coal.

My electricity is generated through Portland General Electric (PGE). PGE Mostly uses 34% Natural gas and 17.70% of Hydroelectric Power. Others are 21% Unspecified, 10% Wind and 3% Solar. Our natural gas comes from The Ruby Pipeline. “The Ruby Pipeline is a 678-mile natural gas pipeline that runs from Opal, Wyoming, to Malin, Oregon, and crosses Idaho and Nevada along the way. It went into service in 2011 and is the only named natural gas pipeline that crosses federal land in Oregon(Programs, Pg.1).”

Our Hydroelectric Power comes from our two Dams. The Bull Run Dam 1 and Dam 2. These Dams are used to generate clean energy “Hydropower generation is a supplemental benefit of operating the water supply system…These facilities allow the Water Bureau to store year-round rainfall to help meet consumers’ demand(About, Pg.1).”

Drilling for natural gas can drastically change the ecosystem “causing erosion and fragmenting wildlife habitats…the construction process can cause erosion of dirt, minerals, and other harmful pollutants into nearby streams(Union, Pg.2).”

“A dam and reservoir can also change natural water temperatures, water chemistry, river flow characteristics, and silt loads…These changes may have negative effects on native plants and on animals in and around the river (Administration, Pg.1).”

Sources:

Administration, E. (2022, November 7). U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - independent statistics and analysis. Hydropower and the environment - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/hydropower-and-the-environment.php#:~:text=A%20dam%20and%20reservoir%20can,in%20and%20around%20the%20river.

About the Portland Hydroelectric Project. Portland.gov. (n.d.). https://www.portland.gov/hydroelectricity/about-hydroelectricity.

ERM, O. (n.d.). Energy in Oregon. State of Oregon: Energy in Oregon - Oregon Electricity Resource Mix. https://www.oregon.gov/energy/energy-oregon/Pages/Electricity-Mix-in-Oregon.aspx

Programs: Energy and minerals: Oil and gas: About: Oregon-washington. Bureau of Land Management. (n.d.). https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/about/oregon-washington#:~:text=Oil%20and%20Gas%20Pipelines%20on,crosses%20federal%20land%20in%20Oregon.

Union. (2023, May 9). Environmental impacts of natural gas. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/resources/environmental-impacts-natural-gas.

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- Amy Minato 4/30/2025 8:03 PM
  
  TEAM CAPTAIN
  thank you so much for all this information!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does food sovereignty address the complex transition from localized food systems to modern global food systems?
Perseo Ilias 4/19/2025 2:35 PM
I watched a documentary called Regaining Food Sovereignty. Because the documentary promoted school to farm, and food safety. It talks about how as humans we have to take up a responsibility to take care of the earth. The documentary focuses on Native American communities. What I found fascinating is that, the way to take back their food sovereignty was unlearning the commercialized commodities, and re-learning how to live off the land again. Not just teaching the kids how to fish, but also what type of fish swim in their lakes.
It's going back to the roots, promoting sustainable foods without severely impacting the land. And taking back control of our food systems from the corporations that only care about money and not the health of the consumer.

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- Amy Minato 4/22/2025 10:40 AM
  
  TEAM CAPTAIN
  thanks for the film suggestion. (you might want to do an energy action next week)
  
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- Taiya Essex 4/20/2025 7:27 PM
  Hi,
  I think reconnected to where your food comes from and learning about your local ecosystem is amazing. I wish more communities did this, even with produce.
  
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- Lally Pollen 4/20/2025 3:18 PM
  This sounds like a really interesting film, I'll have to track it down.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you or aren't allowed to use the one you brought? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?
Perseo Ilias 4/13/2025 3:29 PM
I would ask for a paper bag, or try and take the groceries out to the car in the cart, to unload without bagging them. According to What to do when your Grocery Store Says “No Thanks” to Your Reusable Bag, Paper is more readily recyclable in your curbside recycling bin (if it's clean and dry)(Services, Pg.1).” Finding myself in a situation where I keep forgetting my reusable bag, the article goes on to suggest leaving a reusable bag in the trunk of your car. I say leave the reusable bag in your backpack and use both to load your groceries. And simultaneously create a good habit of always carrying your reusable bag.
Services, R. (2020, April 22). What to do when your grocery store says “no thanks” to your reusable bag. CSRWire. https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/44831-what-to-do-when-your-grocery-store-says-no-thanks-to-your-reusable-bag

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- Amy Minato 4/14/2025 5:07 PM
  
  TEAM CAPTAIN
  good ideas and thanks for the link!
  
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- Ava Miel 4/13/2025 10:03 PM
  Hi Perseo, I think your strategy of placing reusable bags in multiple places would be really effective for me personally, since I tend to forget things that aren’t a part of my usual going-out items. Reading the article you linked to, it suggests using paper bags instead of plastic. I have found that paper bags, which most stores in this area use instead of plastic, are good for collecting compost or for carrying lots things from place to place when things like tote bags or backpacks won’t cut it. I also reuse plastic bags when I am provided with them for things like transporting delicate art projects since paper bags get wet in the rain.
  
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