Corbin Lukanski

ENST 246 - Spring 2025

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
485 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

8.0

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

10

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

662

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

7.0

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

400

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

9.0

people

helped
UP TO

1.0

hour

volunteered
UP TO

662

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning

Corbin's 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

Simplicity

Work-Life Balance

I will not work more than 8 hour days each day to practice work-life balance.

COMPLETED 17
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 20
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 20
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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Visit A Local Farm

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 15 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

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Locally-Sourced Meals

I will source 1 meal(s) each day from local producers.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 1 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Community

Help Others

I will offer to help 1 person(s) who are in need each day.

COMPLETED 6
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?

Corbin Lukanski 2/19/2025 7:29 PM
Throughout the Eco-Challenge, I realized just how much my everyday decisions affect the environment and my community. One thing that stood out to me was how materials like plastic and paper impact landfills. Plastic, for example, sticks around in landfills for centuries, releasing harmful chemicals into the environment. Paper decomposes more quickly, but it still requires a lot of water and energy to produce. Learning this made me start using reusable bags, bottles, and containers whenever I could. But honestly, I soon realized that individual actions like these aren’t enough. The article The Truth About Carbon Footprints states that "just 100 companies emit 71% of climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions worldwide." That opened my eyes. It’s easy to think that small personal changes will fix the problem, but when most of the pollution comes from big industries, it’s clear that individual actions are only part of the solution. Still, that doesn’t mean what we do doesn’t matter. Volunteering in my community showed me how small efforts can make a difference. Participating in clean-up drives and local sustainability projects made me feel part of something bigger. Thoreau said it best in Where I Lived and What I Lived For: "To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." That quote stuck with me because volunteering wasn’t just about helping the environment; it was about bringing people together and strengthening the community. Volunteering also made me think more about how everything is connected. Our environment and community aren’t separate—they depend on each other. Thoreau’s idea of living deliberately really resonated with me when he said, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach" (Where I Lived and What I Lived For). Volunteering allowed me to slow down and focus on caring for our surroundings and supporting each other. It reminded me that living a meaningful life means recognizing these truths and doing something about them.

Learning about organic food's history, cultural roots, and disposability added another layer to my understanding. In the past, food systems were naturally local and organic, but industrialization changed everything. Mass production and convenience became the focus, leading to more waste and environmental harm. The Eco-Challenge encouraged me to rethink this by supporting local farmers and adopting a zero-waste lifestyle. Choosing locally sourced food reduces carbon emissions from transportation and supports the local economy. Thoreau’s words on simplicity came to mind during this time: "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand" (Where I Lived and What I Lived For). Choosing local and organic food and cutting back on waste felt like reconnecting with a more straightforward, thoughtful way of living.

Ultimately, the Eco-Challenge taught me that modern environmental issues are deeply connected to historical patterns and cultural norms prioritizing convenience over sustainability. Volunteering helped me realize that personal responsibility and community action are most potent when they work together. Thoreau’s reflections in Where I Lived and What I Lived For and insights from The Truth About Carbon Footprints encouraged me to live more intentionally. It’s all about balancing the small changes we can control and understanding the more significant issues we must address. This experience has motivated me to live sustainably and inspire others to do the same.

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- Andrew Stuhl 2/20/2025 10:23 AM
  - TEAM CAPTAIN
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  Great Corbin! I appreciate this reflection. You do a great job integrating quotes from Thoreau's piece throughout and drawing connections among the Eco-Challenge's categories of nature, simplicity, waste, food, and community. Being able to see how our individual and collective actions compare - what we can or can't accomplish with daily actions, for instance - is really powerful when it comes to our next unit, on building a social movement thru collective action. We will each need to convince others to join us and that our combined efforts matter. I'm glad you're feeling inspired now and read to take on that challenge! As a sidebar, I found this interesting resource when thinking about your question in class today on whether landfilling or incineration was better for the environment. This source, which points out some of the data/research it is drawing from, says landfilling is def not ideal, but it is far better than incineration: https://ccanactionfund.org/media/Sugarloaf-1.pdf
  
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Corbin Lukanski 2/05/2025 6:40 PM
Over the past week, participating in the Eco Challenge has been a good experience. Adjusting my thermostat, spending more time outside, and taking five-minute showers would be easy, but each one presented its difficulties. This challenge helped me understand how my daily habits affect the environment in ways I have never thought of.
The thermostat challenge was the most difficult. Making the room a few degrees colder during the day was easy because I wasn't in the room most of the time. Also, wearing extra layers instead of increasing was an easy solution. However, the night was more challenging. Sleeping in a colder room was extremely uncomfortable at first because I had difficulty sleeping at the start. After a few nights, I adjusted and was surprised to learn how much energy I saved after Professor Stuhl reviewed it in class. This realization made me more aware of my heating and air conditioning usage and how it impacts the environment.

Spending more time outside was different for me compared to others in this challenge. As a Division I lacrosse player, I already spend a lot of time outside practicing and perfecting my craft, which makes the game enjoyable and boring at the same time. While many people in this class took the opportunity to enjoy nature or step away from screens, for me, it was more about appreciating the time I already had outside. Using 30 - 60 minutes of extra outside time to practice lacrosse made me rekindle my relationship with the game and realize that I play lacrosse every day because it is fun. Also, spending time outside is a way to focus on something I love while taking a break from schoolwork and other responsibilities. Instead of seeing time outdoors as just an environmental effort, I saw it as a way to reduce stress and improve my game.

The five-minute shower challenge was the hardest to adjust to. I never paid attention to how long I spent in the shower until I had to limit my time. I usually spend 15+ minutes in the shower. At first, it seemed impossible to get completely clean and enjoy my shower quickly, but after a few attempts, I devised a strategy. I usually shower for 4 minutes, then at the last minute, I turn the water cold to make me want to get out. Overall, this challenge was gratifying and significantly impacted the environment because a lot of my classmates were doing the same challenge. Our combined effort has a significant effect on the environment.

Making these three changes permanent will not be a simple task, mainly because I am a person of habit. Adjusting the thermostat is something I can continue, but during extreme temperatures, I love being cozy in the winter and refreshed in the summer. However, spending more time outside is something I will naturally do because of my lacrosse training, but I will use this time as less practicing and more appreciating the game I chose to play. Finally, the short showers will be the most difficult to maintain. Hot showers have been a habit, and changing them will take effort.

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- Andrew Stuhl 2/06/2025 10:38 AM
  - TEAM CAPTAIN
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  Nice Corbin! It's great to hear you talk about your love of lacrosse and how pursuing that sport and passion brings you lots of time off screen and outside. That's a definite bonus of the major commitment you are making to yourself and athletics. I love your strategy of forcing yourself out of the shower with cold water! As I mentioned in class, cold water immersion is something I've come to enjoy as a mindfulness / wellness practice -- it isn't for everyone, and it definitely isn't cozy, but it has some great benefits re: alertness, mood, and energy levels. The nice thing about challenges like ours is that they are really more of a "scale" or "spectrum" than an "all or nothing" commitment. Take showers. If your default is 15 minute showers, and you can't get to 5 min, you can improve by aiming for 14 min. That's a step in the right direction. Similarly, if you take hot showers for 15 min, improvement could look like taking slightly less hot showers -- saving energy, but not necessarily water. Lastly, in future journals make sure you refer to readings - I saw your reference to class discussion here but not readings.
  
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Corbin Lukanski 1/27/2025 7:44 AM
The EcoChallenge is a way to take steps toward positively impacting the environment, the people around me, and future generations. I’m excited to take on some of the challenges but am nervous about others.
One activity I’m particularly excited about is using a reusable water bottle. It’s such a simple habit, but it makes a big difference. Single-use plastic bottles contribute significantly to pollution and landfills. By switching from single-use to reusable bottles, I can be a part of meaningful change without much effort. It’s also a challenge I can easily do for a long period of time, and I like how it reminds me to be more conscious of my daily habits. The only issue about this challenge is remembering to wash the bottle because I can be a bit lazy with that.

One challenge I’m nervous about is the one-time challenge of starting a recycling program at college. It feels like a more timely and considerable responsibility than other reusable bottles because it involves creating, marketing, finding members, and encouraging participation. For example, I’ll need to figure out a name for the club, meeting times, and what we will do, in addition to where to place recycling bins, communicate the importance of proper recycling practices, and keep the program running over time. There’s also the possibility of resistance or lack of interest from other students, which could make it challenging to create the club. This challenge is very overwhelming, but I know by taking on this challenge, I can have a long-lasting impact on the environment. This can reduce waste in my community and help students, faculty, and administration adopt better recycling habits. The potential benefits outweigh the difficulties, and I’m motivated to see what I can accomplish. Socially, a recycling program is a chance to educate others and encourage action. It’s also a chance to build awareness about waste and how small changes (like reusable water bottles) can make a big difference. By bringing people together to participate in recycling, the program could create a sense of community (SOC) around sustainability. While this challenge might seem hard initially, its potential to address issues makes it impactful.

Of all the challenges, choosing two-sided printing will impact my ecological footprint the most. I use a lot of paper while doing work, and while paper waste might not seem like a huge issue compared to plastic or other materials, any paper saving I can do will save a lot of trees. By switching from one-sided to two-sided printing, I can reduce the paper I use daily, which will save trees, contributing to clean air in the environment.

Overall, the EcoChallenge is a valuable opportunity to explore how individual actions contribute to larger environmental goals. Whether using a reusable water bottle, switching to two-sided printing, or starting a recycling program, these challenges are efforts I can pursue to make meaningful change. Each activity provides a way to reduce waste, conserve resources, and inspire others, showing that everyone can work toward sustainability together.

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- Andrew Stuhl 1/27/2025 11:43 AM
  - TEAM CAPTAIN
  - 28-DAY STREAK
  Great Corbin! I think you are hitting on some of the big reasons why I assign this Eco Challenge. First, some of our individual environmental impact comes from daily choices we make - like printing, recycling (or not), and drinking water. And, related, we typically put these decisions on auto-pilot because it is easier to form a habit and follow that habit than have to think each day what to do about drinking water, recycling, or printing. The good news is that, while changing habits is hard it is not impossible (you already smartly identified laziness -- that's a major barrier, but one we can overcome!) And, since we can replace one habit with another, soon the new habit will become the default / auto-pilot mode and you'll be reducing your impact without much thought. We will get thru the growing pains together!
  
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