Nicole Shappell

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home or dorm room.

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

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.

I will spend at least 5 minutes using the resources provided to learn about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.

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

I will spend 5 minutes learning about restorative justice and conflict resolution opportunities in my own community or state.

I will spend 5 minutes learning about the experiences of trans, femme, and/or nonbinary people.

I will use the resource links provided below and spend 5 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.

I will spend 5 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

I will spend 5 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home or dorm room.

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

I will spend 5 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

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

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those around the world who produce my food in order to make better choices when I shop.

I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 5 minutes researching which materials are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community and recycle only those items.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus to reduce pollution in the environment and in local communities.

I will spend 5 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.