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Kobie Arnold's avatar

Kobie Arnold

Community Team

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 313 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    21
    whole food meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    40
    miles
    traveled by bus
  • UP TO
    243
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    35
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    70
    minutes
    spent outdoors

Kobie's actions

Visions of Sustainability

Online Energy Audit

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Consumption and Economy

Buy Only What I Need

I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit

I will use public transit 40 mile(s) each day this week and avoid sending up to 242.83 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Pick Up Litter

I will pick up litter on my street and ask others to join me in taking care of our neighborhood.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 5 disposable plastic bottle(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Whole Foods Diet

I will enjoy 3 meal(s) free of processed foods each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Ecological Principles

Practice Gratitude for Earth

This week, I will spend 10 minute(s) each day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and the nature surrounding me.

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?


  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 3/03/2022 2:26 AM
    I completed the energy audit for my four person household. In doing so, my energy use score was revealed to be 6.3 for the year 2020. This is because 2020 was the most recent year I had available data for the audit. Since that year, we have already implemented multiple steps to conserve energy, such as obvious things like turning off night when not needed. Instead, we utilize windows to take advantage of natural light. One of the most significant energy-saving changes has been the placing of a thick blanket over the entrance of the house so that the heat is trapped and cannot escape to the cooler zones of the house. Since this has been a fairly new addition, I am not yet sure of the impact this has had on saving energy. However, since doing so, I would say that the heater has been on less than 50% of the time. We have learned to dress in layers during the winter months, even inside. In the future I hope to replace all of the lightbulbs in my home with either CFLs or LEDs in order to efficiently save more electricity. 

    • Kaylee Fujita's avatar
      Kaylee Fujita 3/03/2022 8:25 AM
      Wow it's so great to hear how many changes you've been making! The first year I was up here in Portland I didn't use my heater all winter because I didn't know it existed. I was cold basically 24/7 but I figured that's just how it was supposed to be since it was winter? I've since found my heater and friends who have told me I need to use it, so now I do use it and I can enjoy life through the winter and not just freeze to death constantly. I don't like to make it too warm though, so I also wear a couple layers while I'm home through the day. Thanks for sharing!

  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 2/24/2022 3:27 AM
    This challenge was especially difficult for me because though I am ashamed to admit, I tend to indulge in many things. Typically my indulgences are food related but they can range to other things tangible and superficial. I would say I did complete this challenge almost entirely since I did end up buying some foods that I did not hunger for but instead had an appetite for. These situations only ever happen when I am with a friend as it tends to encourage eating out more. I did avoid paying for gas by not driving except for when it comes to buying gasoline for my grandmother as I typically do so for her. All in all, this challenge encouraged me to eat foods that have been sitting in the fridge or freezer, instead of buying new items. I also paid for bus fare so I would be able to reach destinations that I need to reach, such as work.

    • Naomi Bojorquez's avatar
      Naomi Bojorquez 2/24/2022 11:58 AM
      Everyone has their indulgences. It is all about making the small steps to enact change. Life isn't enjoyable if we don't get to indulge sometimes. The way I see it, any change in a sustainable direction is good if it is feasible for your lifestyle. 

  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 2/17/2022 5:28 AM
    I have been actively riding the bus over driving a car recently. In doing so, not only have I saved money on gas but more importantly, I have reduced the amount of carbon and pollutants I have released when compared to driving a car. My appreciation of nature has also improved when walking to the various bus stops or destinations. Doing so has caused me to notice the plants and animals more. My time management has also improved as I have to leave earlier and plan ahead when arriving to a bus stop. Whereas by taking a car, I would typically leave at the very last minute which is not very healthy. Considering how some (most) bus stops lack an area to sit, I would like to entertain the idea of placing chairs at appropriate bus stops.

    • Naomi Bojorquez's avatar
      Naomi Bojorquez 2/17/2022 8:50 AM
      Walking is pretty therapeutic because of the fresh air and nature. I am usually more likely to be late if driving is involved. I agree you have to be better about managing time to get around without driving. Getting more benches at bus stops is a great Idea. Many of the ones I use do not have a place to sit, making the bus less accessible for some. 

  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 2/10/2022 3:54 AM
    Interestingly enough, before I viewed the weekly challenges for the Community section, I had already felt a desire to pick up the garbage I find scattered around my home. This challenge further encouraged me to pick up more trash around the street. However, as I am typically walking by without a bag of any sort, I only picked up litter when a garbage can was close at hand. Nevertheless, I am glad I did this because I am very aware if I were to leave the litter on the ground it would merely spread to other areas and possibly hurt an animal. I think more people should do this because often times trash is left in parking lots or roads for weeks. This gives some people a bad image of the community around them but also hurts the environment in the long run.

  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 2/03/2022 4:01 AM
    I already own a reusable water bottle (which happens to have a water filter) but often times I do forget to travel with it. This week however I made sure to have it placed in a conspicuous location so I would not forget it when leaving the house. Typically if I do not bring my reusable water bottle then I end up purchasing a plastic or aluminum one. However I not only decreased my plastic bottle usage but also my expenses since plastic water bottles add up in price. I will certainly make sure to bring it everywhere I go when I am going out. Especially to the gym since that is where I usually consume the most water throughout the day! Bringing my reusable water bottle around my friends has also encouraged them to do the same, so I really ended up indirectly saving more plastic bottles!

    • Kaylee Fujita's avatar
      Kaylee Fujita 2/03/2022 8:30 AM
      I imagine it will save you lots of money to bring your water bottle instead of buying plastic ones! I just got a really small water bottle from my brother that has been so convenient to bring everywhere. I have a big hydro, but I don't leave my apartment for long stretches of time so I never use it (I just get dehydrated when I'm out I guess). I've found my small one to be so convenient and easy to pack in any bag. And, now I drink more water! 

  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 1/27/2022 2:59 AM
    Though I really do not eat three meals a day since I am usually not at home and typically not hungry, I managed to eat three home cooked meals this week. The first being pozole, a Mexican stew. The second dish was kanom jeeb, which are shumai dumplings with pork and shrimp. Lastly, the third dish I had was a long bean stir fry with pork. All three of these dishes felt full of nutrients and gave me much more energy than eating fast food does. It was very delicious and I hope to continue this trend in the future.

    • Kobie Arnold's avatar
      Kobie Arnold 2/03/2022 4:06 AM
      It is certainly a process, but after doing it a couple times it has become a lot easier. I do believe a tofu or vegan shumai could be made since the dumpling wrappers are made with flour and water, and a tofu filing could be used!

  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 1/20/2022 2:26 AM
    I achieved my goal of spending time outdoors but I did so while taking the bus more. Since the bus stops in my area are not very close together it required me to walk and take new paths. While doing so I got to appreciate the natural landscape more and reflect on the negative impact car pollution causes to this planet. Even though it was raining or drizzling often I still had an enjoyable time as walking around outside clears my mind and allows me personal time of reflection on my life and the future.

    • Caeman Lipsey's avatar
      Caeman Lipsey 1/20/2022 11:13 PM
      I really enjoy how Oregon is so green, and it makes walking around outside much more enjoyable. I remember living in Las Vegas, and only the national park, Red Rock Canyon was any fun to walk through. While the nature around the city was nice, I never liked walking anywhere within the city. Oregon really seems to try to make the state pretty, and this seems to encourage outdoor walks. 

  • Kobie Arnold's avatar
    Kobie Arnold 1/13/2022 4:05 AM
    Yesterday evening I explored a nature path in my neighborhood but left my phone at home. Next time I will definitely bring it along so I can capture the moment. All in all, the path was extremely short and contained mostly poison oak than anything else. It would be nice to see my city revamp the area and put lights along the path to make it more inviting. There's even a large area where a building was originally going to be built but they never got it approved, so there's a bunch of overgrowth now. I think they should definitely incorporate the area into the nature walk and make it longer. It would certainly be more enjoyable this way.