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Welcome to Campus Ecochallenge!

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Ecochallenge.org
Campus Ecochallenge
Lindsay Lee's avatar

Lindsay Lee

Nature, God, and Social Justice Spring 2025

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 848 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    220
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    365
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    53
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    116
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    67
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    616
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1,455
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    1,815
    minutes
    of additional sleep
  • UP TO
    340
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    90
    minutes
    spent learning

Lindsay's actions

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

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

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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 2 conversations.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Stay on the Ground

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
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?

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 45 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 45 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater

I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 3 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 2 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

I will enjoy the sunrise and/or sunset each day.

COMPLETED 19
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

Energy

Learn About Renewable Energy

I will spend 30 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.

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

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 30 minute(s)

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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?

  • Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/21/2025 3:05 PM
    This weekend I was home with my family celebrating Easter. I found myself much more conscious of my efforts throughout this challenge as my parents asked why I was doing some things differently and I shared what we have been talking about in class!
    Read More
  • 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?
    Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/18/2025 5:26 PM
    I would say that oftentimes I am just walking to places when I go around school or into town, but in regards to getting dinners or ubering to the train station, I will be more conscious of not only the cost benefits but also the environmental impact this has. Generally I would always just uber on my own to the train station to go home or get somewhere else (I had to travel to nyc a few times this past year), but after having gone with friends, it was much more fun and I was happy to think about how this small habit change can make a larger impact.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy
    What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?
    Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/18/2025 5:24 PM
    ideally I would want to use this money to help others in a way, but honestly I will provide invest in my future and just save up the extra money I save. I had no idea the impact of such a small shift could have on my life!
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health
    How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?
    Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/18/2025 5:23 PM
    I am very lucky because being a part of the squash team has combined spending time with friends and working out. Outside of just practices, I am someone who likes to be active and so my friends and I are often doing something like going for a walk or run outside when the weather is nice! These past three days I have started my morning by going on a run with one of my friends from home on a local nature trail! It has been such a great way to wake up.
    Read More
  • Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/18/2025 5:19 PM
    I had no idea the amount of water I could save by such a simple action of washing my clothes in cold water. In All We Can Save, the author of Onward writes "Roll up your sleeves. Everyone has a role to play. And we hope, if you haven’t already found yours, that through the kaleidoscope of voices and stories in this book you are starting to envision it. For there is so much that needs doing, and will continue to need doing. This is an era of transformation". It can be difficult to feel as though my work as an individual has any impact, but this challenge has showed me there is much that can be achieved through small actions, if only we look to understand the impact we make.
    Read More
  • Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/16/2025 8:27 AM
    Saw the sunset yesterday and it was beautiful so thought I would share!
    Read More
  • Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/15/2025 1:30 PM
    For one of my one-time actions I watched a documentary called "the True Cost" to learn more about the impact of fast fashion and the role sustainable fashion can have. It very much changed the way I think about the clothes that I wear and has made me more willing to pay more for sustainable clothing. I know a bit about the Reformation brand and their sustainable practices but have had very little exposure outside of that one brand. I hope that soon we can make sustainable clothing less expensive and more accessible. When talking with someone in the restaurant industry and who previously worked in ESG consulting, she mentioned that high-end dining has become synonymous with sustainability. In order to see true, widespread change, this link needs to extend beyond luxury to become a baseline practice/attribute.
    Read More
    • Evelyn Slatoff's avatar
      Evelyn Slatoff 4/16/2025 8:44 AM
      I also did the one-time action of learning about sustainable fashion! I agree with you that sustainable fashion needs to become more affordable for it to really take hold. I also love Reformation but I did not know they were a sustainable fashion brand so I am excited to look into this!
      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Simplicity
    Social media can keep us connected with loved ones, make us laugh, and help us to learn new things. It can also create echo chambers and take more time than we realize or intend to give. After completing this action for a few days, how do you feel? What do you notice?
    Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/15/2025 11:39 AM
    After limiting my social media usage for the past few days, I have noticed a greater focus in my life. Oftentimes I feel like social media can pull me away from the present moment or the communities that are right in front of me. I think social media is important because it allows me to stay in touch with my friends and family who live far away, but I also think it can be dangerous. A lot of our authors have talked about being rather than striving, and this time spent away from social media has highlighted the importance of that on my well-being. While social media can be helpful, it can also take away from personal satisfaction. Going forward, I hope to continue my efforts to be more present and limit my social media usage, specifically in the morning and night. Now that I have done it for a few days, it has begun to feel like a habit. That also goes to show how when you commit to doing something, that is the first step towards transformation and change as the Great Turning podcast says.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health
    Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What are you finding works for you to be successful in this action?
    Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/15/2025 11:35 AM
    On average I get about 7-8 hours of sleep a night which I feel like is pretty good. Throughout this challenge I have really focused on avoiding using my phone before bed and staying committed to my schedule of getting back to my dorm by 10 pm. In All We Can Save, one of the authors talks about showing care for the earth because the earth cares for us (Calling in). In thinking about my commitment to getting more sleep, I feel like it is a responsibility I have to myself in order to be the best version I can be. Just like we must care for earth because of all the care the earth provides us, we must care for our bodies because of all that we do throughout our daily lives.
    Read More
  • Lindsay Lee's avatar
    Lindsay Lee 4/12/2025 8:59 AM
    For one of my one-time actions, I chose to think about an alternative way to travel. This past weekend I had a retreat with my club, and we all decided to take advantage of the unique public transportation system in Miami. Instead of ubering everywhere which makes an immense carbon impact, we chose to use the monorail system that is 100% free and connects the city or walk wherever we could. Because Miami is so warm at this time and has these opportunities, this felt much easier than our typical access in DC which got me thinking about how we need to think about changing transportation systems within US cities. This past summer I was very fortunate to visit Bordeaux, a small town in France, that similarly has a free public transportation system. In the most recent All We Can Save reading, the author focuses on how policy can incite change when we uplift the right voices. The author writes, "Concrete policy proposals can and should evolve out of conversations with community leaders, starting with their concerns and priorities and including solutions that are formulated together with those who are most impacted". In order to change the way we get around, people need to have access to affordable options and this must become second nature. Policy is one way to achieve this, although sometimes slow and ineffective. If a city like DC or Houston could change its ways and improve urban architecture, the act of one institution could have ripple effects on the behavior of thousands.
    Read More