Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Owen Watkins

Nature, God, and Social Justice Spring 2025

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
424 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

66

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

380

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

1,875

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

615

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

225

minutes

spent learning

Owen's actions

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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Research Restorative Justice

I will spend 30 minutes learning about restorative justice and conflict resolution opportunities in my own community or state.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

5-Minute Showers

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

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 60 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 15-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

I will spend 30 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

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?

Owen Watkins 4/22/2025 8:49 PM
In thinking back on this challenge, I definitely think my approach to my day-to-day life has changed a bit. I now feel like my individual actions have more of an impact because this challenge has calculated how my daily actions have impacted the environment. Seeing this impact in a numeric way has definitely motivated me to be more proactive when it comes to making environmentally conscious decisions.

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Owen Watkins 4/22/2025 8:37 PM
Great job with the EcoChallenge these past 3 weeks guys!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How can Restorative Justice help foster the well-being of both people and planet?
Owen Watkins 4/22/2025 8:37 PM
One thing that surprised me in my research is how involved the Georgetown Law School is with restorative justice initiatives in DC and across the US. Also, the office of the attorney general of DC created the first program of its kind that offered alternative paths for criminals to address their crimes, which goes to show how DC is one of the leaders in the restorative justice field.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

To what extent do environmental factors contribute to your own health or issues with health?
Owen Watkins 4/21/2025 8:16 PM
After doing some brief research on harmful chemicals and toxins in personal care and cleaning products, I used a really helpful database from the Environmental Working Group to check the products I had to see if they were safe. It was a relief to know that all the personal care products I use (brands like Native, Colgate, Neutrogena, La Roche Posay) were all very safe when it came to their ingredients. However, when checking my cleaning supplies, I found that my OxiClean stain remover was graded an F by the organization for having chemicals like propylene glycol and sodium borate in it, which can be major skin irritants. I will look into finding an alternative stain remover that uses safer ingredients in the future.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?
Owen Watkins 4/21/2025 6:40 PM
When I did this research, I found the most surprising thing to be that renewable resources were used to generate 77% of DC's energy last year. Knowing that DC is already committed to renewable energy sources makes me feel like the work I might put into sustainable energy practices is working in tandem with the entire District to improve our energy usage and sources.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

Who is most affected by environmental degration and/or environmental irresponsiblity in your community? How are they affected?
Owen Watkins 4/21/2025 4:20 PM
After doing some research, the most eye-opening thing I learned was that here in DC, 90% of black residents in Wards 7 and 8 are in a high-risk area for flash floods. It really goes to show how intertwined the climate crisis is with other social issues like racism.

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Owen Watkins 4/21/2025 3:43 PM
Hope everyone had a great Easter break. Let's finish the EcoChallenge strong!

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Owen Watkins 4/13/2025 9:13 PM
This was a super interesting documentary. It was really cool to see how indigenous people were able to reclaim the foods unique to their culture. I thought the scientist researching how buffalo could be a healthier alternative to other meat was a cool tidbit to know.

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Owen Watkins 4/09/2025 11:47 AM
It's eye-opening to see how much plastic you can save just by using a water bottle. Makes me enjoy filling it up just a little bit more.

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