Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Sarah Kang

Nature, God, and Social Justice Spring 2025

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
875 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

24

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

24

miles

traveled by foot
UP TO

173

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1,660

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

25

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

410

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

3.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

750

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

300

minutes

spent learning

Sarah's actions

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 3 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

I will replace 30 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Joyful Movement

I will spend 30 minutes doing an activity where I'm both moving my body and enjoying myself.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Walk Instead

I will walk 1 mile(s) each day instead of driving and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 22
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?

Sarah Kang 4/22/2025 9:19 AM
Last day of eco-challenge!

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Sarah Kang 4/20/2025 4:12 PM
Today, my family and dog came down to Georgetown. During most of break, I spent time catching up on school work and studying for exams. However, this time with my family as well as with my sister yesterday allowed me to spend time outside and rest. This reminded me of this idea from the reading "Rest as a Form of Social Justice in Our Movements": "Rest is only possible if we are intentional about it." This resonated with me as I realized how I had to consciously choose rest over more studying. In our constantly busy world, true rest requires deliberate decisions and boundaries. By intentionally creating space for family time and outdoor breaks, I wasn't just recharging—I was practicing the principle that rest is an active choice that counters the expectation of constant productivity. These moments of connection didn't just happen by chance, but through purposeful commitment to my wellbeing.

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Sarah Kang 4/19/2025 12:07 PM
For Easter break, my sister came to visit me, so we went around to all the different stores in Georgetown and spent a lot of time outside. It was a great way to reduce screen time and enjoy nature!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?
Sarah Kang 4/16/2025 3:19 PM
I've found several simple habits that help reduce my environmental footprint. I've started unplugging electronics when not in use to avoid and I'm taking shorter showers to conserve water. I'm also trying to be more mindful about my food waste by meal planning and properly storing leftovers. These small changes don't require much effort but collectively make a meaningful difference in my daily energy consumption and waste production!

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Sarah Kang 4/16/2025 3:10 PM
My Ecochallenge is going really well! I'm actually shocked at how consistent my actions have become. Although they're small changes, I hope they contribute to something bigger in the long run. This experience keeps bringing to mind Heather McTeer Toney's powerful words from in "Collards Are Just as Good as Kale." In her essay, she expresses, "You can pray and believe all you want, but without action, ain't nothing about to happen" (McTeer Toney 77). This line constantly reminds me that intention must move through action. The challenge has helped me put those words into practice and turn my environmental concerns into daily habits that are becoming second nature.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?
Sarah Kang 4/16/2025 3:07 PM
One impactful way I can help my community become more sustainable is to establish or participate in a local community garden. This creates green space, provides locally grown food that reduces transportation emissions, educates community members about sustainable practices, and builds social connections that can lead to more collaborative environmental initiatives. Even starting small with a few shared plots can create meaningful environmental and social benefits.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

What's your favorite activity(ies) in which you experience joy while being active and moving?
Sarah Kang 4/15/2025 6:59 AM
Personally, I enjoy just walking outside and seeing what's around me. Georgetown has so many great views and things to see, which makes walking here enjoyable. In addition to this, I enjoy playing pickle ball with friends.

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Sarah Kang 4/13/2025 1:02 PM
This weekend, I traveled to Lake Henrico and was able to truly spend time in nature. My friends and I went on walks, sat by the lake, and some of us even went swimming. Although the weather on Saturday wasn't as warm, it was a really fun time! Today, the weather was super nice and the sky was blue. This time away from our screens allowed us to enjoy ourselves / spend time in other productive ways.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

Choosing 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?
Sarah Kang 4/10/2025 6:51 AM
One effective way to help others switch to two-sided printing is by sharing a quick step-by-step guide with others, demonstrating how easy the setting is to adjust. This simple change can contribute to larger efforts to become more eco-friendly, which is so fascinating to me. To encourage student wide (or company wide) adoption, it's important to communicate the environmental and cost-saving benefits of duplex printing. Setting the double-sided printing as the default option on shared printers throughout campus can reinforce this change and promote a more sustainable culture.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?
Sarah Kang 4/08/2025 7:17 AM
Yes, I think Rachel Carson’s idea rings true for me. Being in nature helps me feel calm and connected to something bigger than myself. When people spend most of their time indoors, they can become disconnected from the natural world, which might lead to more stress, loneliness, or even a lack of care for the environment. A culture that rarely goes outside may forget how important nature is—not just for our health, but for our sense of wonder and peace.

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- Aidan Cohen 4/14/2025 11:21 AM
  I think this is an amazing approach to this idea. I found that the exercise we all did for our second journal really embodied what you are addressing.
  
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