Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Madison Pombo

amy minato

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
117 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

10

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

10

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

5.4

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

2.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

16

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

90

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

90

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning

Madison's actions

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products

I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home or dorm room.

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

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 30-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 4 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Host A Watch Party

I will host a watch party to screen a documentary about an issue that matters to me.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Support Native Communities

I will use the resource links provided below and spend 30 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 2
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 2 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

RESEARCH LOCAL WASTE SITES

I will spend 60 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

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 2
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?

Madison Pombo 3/11/2024 3:37 PM

I’ve been taking the streetcar to the climbing gym every morning instead of driving. It is only 3 miles. But I would like to think it makes a different over time.

Read More
Madison Pombo 3/11/2024 3:30 PM

I’ve been trying to make time every evening to take at least a 30 minute walk around outside. I do not put in earbuds or look at my phone, and completely unplug and look around. It has been so good for my mental health!

Read More
Madison Pombo 3/11/2024 3:21 PM

I have always turned all my lights off when leaving my house, but recently I've realized how many of my friends don't! They do not even consider it, there lights just stay on all the time. I even had a friend who was leaving the lights on in her bathroom all the time, even at night, she would just shut her bathroom door. I've become the light police, and I think I have positively influenced at least a dozen friends to be more aware of their light usage and turning off unnecessary lighting when it isn't being used.

Read More
Madison Pombo 3/10/2024 4:38 PM

I spent my time researching different local indigenous tribes that once had their homes along the Columbia river. This includes the Multnomah, Wasco, Molalla, and many others. While learning about how I can best support local indigenous peoples, I came across Portland Indigenous Marketplace that is happening at the end of March (linked below). It supports local indigenous artists and entrepreneurs, as well as supporting cultural resilience and economic sustainability.

https://indigenousmarketplace.org/

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste RESEARCH LOCAL WASTE SITES

In what neighborhoods or areas of your region are landfills or other waste sites located? Which communities are most affected by these locations?

Madison Pombo 3/10/2024 4:24 PM

My research taught me that Portland’s trash goes to the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington, OR. It seems like this community actually benefits from having this landfill in their area, because it creates a lot of jobs in an area where industry is scarce. It also houses one of the biggest gas to energy facilities in the United States. It used methane produced by the garbage to create enough energy to power all the houses in Wasco and Klickitat county and the entire city of Hood river. As I have done more research, it seems like the most important thing is to reduce the waste from being produced to begin with (an upstream approach) rather than focusing on how our landfills can be better managed. People do not like the thought of landfills because they are gross and dirty, but fail to consider that we are the ones creating this trash every day.

Read More
- Ben Wall 3/10/2024 10:02 PM
  
  Hi Madison, I researched where our waste goes, as well. The Columbia Ridge Landfill is super interesting with how many jobs it supports and the efforts it makes to be as eco-friendly as possible. But it's so much waste! I agree that we are detached from where our garbage goes.
  
  Read More