Mitchell McDonald
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 227 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO3.0locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO1.0organic mealconsumed
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UP TO3.3pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO15minutesnot spent in front of a screen
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UP TO4.0minutesspent exercising
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UP TO0.0peoplehelped
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UP TO19minutesspent outdoors
Mitchell's actions
Food
Buy From a Farmers Market
I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.
Food
Locally-Sourced Meals
I will source 1 meal(s) each day from local producers.
Food
Choose Organic Ingredients
I will enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.
Community
Host A Watch Party
I will host a watch party to screen a documentary about an issue that matters to me.
Community
Help Others
I will offer to help 2 person(s) who are in need each day.
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.
Energy
Turn it off
I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.
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.
Nature
Go for a Daily Walk
I will take a 10-minute walk outside each day.
Nature
Leave No Trace
I will practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.
Nature
Spend Time Outside
I will replace 60 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.
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?
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Mitchell McDonald 3/03/2025 12:28 AMit wasn't as nice as it was on Saturday but i was able to spend a little time up on the roof of the architecture building just enjoying the fresh air while I was working in the studio for the evening. on Saturday while it was super sunny i spent about 3 hours wondering around the park block during the farmers market and siting in the sun with friends. spring is always my favorite time here since it it also so warm and nice out it really make me happy.-
Pierre Kaptanian 3/09/2025 10:09 AMsame! when the sun finally comes out in Porland... such a buzz, seeing all the people and smelling all the pollen -
Amy Minato 3/08/2025 12:06 PM- TEAM CAPTAIN
Mitchell
Isnt it great that PSU has so many rooftop areas that students can enjoy?
Spring is the best time in Portland I think.
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Mitchell McDonald 2/16/2025 8:09 PMI was unable to complete this challenge today. Normally i am pretty helpful to people around me and a lot of the times ill go out of my way to help someone if i care about them. unfortunately today i spent the whole day doing homework so i actually ignored everyone so that i could work on helping myself! While i think it its important to look out for others, you can only do so if there are other people looking out for you too. A fun (or maybe not fun) analogy I once saw for his is if you spend your time looking out the window to call 911 when your neighbors house is on fire, you wont turn around to see that your house is also on fire. This is a rather colorful way of saying that if you are only looking out for and helping others you cant possible have time for yourself. As a society we have a very self centric world view where we are the number 1 priority and no one else matters. this way of thinking discourages helping others to your own detriment because it is likely that you will not receive the same treatment from other people.-
Amy Minato 2/21/2025 1:45 PM- TEAM CAPTAIN
when my kids were little i had absolutely no time to help anyone else (including myself) so I get it. the time i put into them helped make them independent adults giviing me more time to give back to the community now -
Pierre Kaptanian 2/17/2025 3:57 PMYeah me too; hard to be worried about the community when it's so hard to make it ahead! I bet without a degree it'll be hard to help anyone; so kudos for prioritizing the homework in the short-term. Defer it to when you an opportunity to help someone
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Mitchell McDonald 1/26/2025 11:48 PMthings are going very well considering that most of these are things i do anyways. our apartment is pretty warm anyways so the thermostat stays off and if i get cold i just put on a layer normally. i always turn my laptop off when its not actively being used because it extends the life of the PC. and lights are always off in the apartment when no one is home to use them.-
Pierre Kaptanian 1/28/2025 7:22 PMI've thought a lot about the thermostat thing lately. I know middle class folks that turn the thermostat down to save money and wealthy folks that keep their windows open for fresh air and connection to seasonality. The poor example frames their sustainable choice as a loss and the rich example frames it as a gain.
So much of our choices are driven by yeah habit, marketing, culture that it's interesting sustainability often calls for sacrifice and suffering. I remember growing up with doom and gloom maxims around the 5-minute shower and inevitably took the longest showers of anyone I knew.
Good read about choices and sustainability here: The Elusive Green Consumer -
Amy Minato 1/28/2025 9:35 AM- TEAM CAPTAIN
i think so much of these kind of changes involve getting used to new habits like wearing layers, etc
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Mitchell McDonald 1/19/2025 3:28 PMI do not use plastic water bottles because I have my own water bottle and why would I pay for water like that when tap water is basically free anyways.-
Amy Minato 1/29/2025 5:59 PM- TEAM CAPTAIN
agreed. do you only drink water then? or might there be other drinks you could switch out to reduce waste?
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