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Gabe Dicenzo's avatar

Gabe Dicenzo

Capstone summer 22

"To improve environmental sustainability through the advocation and implementation of economic incentivizing policy."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 346 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    4.0
    miles
    traveled by foot
  • UP TO
    29
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    14
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill

Gabe's actions

Visions of Sustainability

Support a Sharing Economy

I will create or support a sharing economy with family, friends, and neighbors.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Consumption and Economy

Support Local Businesses

I will buy from local businesses instead of shopping online.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Walk Instead

I will walk 4 mile(s) each day this week instead of driving and avoid sending up to 29.36 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 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Ecological Principles

Recycle Everything I Can

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

A Call to Sustainability

Explore My Area

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

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?


  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 7/14/2022 5:41 AM
    For the final eco challenge I opted to participate in/create a sharing economy with friends and neighbors. I've probably said this eight times now but I'm moving here soon so we have a lot of furniture, cooking supplies, and other household items that we are looking to part with. In return for help moving we've been giving our friend's household items as compensation and I've traded some of my camping and skiing equipment for golfing stuff that will be more useful for me down in Arizona. I really like the idea of the simple barter economy as it gives a greater sense of community. I got a lot of satisfaction seeing my stuff being reused by people I care about and from keeping some waste out of the landfill. The economic benefits were much appreciated too as money seems a little tighter around moving time. If I were to to have more time I would like to set up a selling account on some online platforms to get rid of the stuff, but so far group messages and reaching out to individuals has worked well. If anybody is in the market for some stupid cheap furniture or free decor let me know! EVERYTHING MUST GO 

  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 7/12/2022 9:23 AM
    For today's eco challenge I chose to buy from a brick and mortar store instead of shopping online. While this challenge wasn't difficult, not using UberEats or Amazon for a whole week was definitely noticeable. I'm prone to buying something on Amazon or ordering food from a chain restaurant especially after an adult beverage or two. By shopping at local stores myself, I was able to reduce the environmental impact of my consumption and give back to local businesses. The ecological, economic, and social effects of this easy challenge were all beneficial and motivated me to continue using brick and mortar shops. I encourage everyone to take a second before clicking that purchase button online and thinking if there are any local options. Take care everyone!

    • Misti Randall's avatar
      Misti Randall 7/12/2022 4:24 PM
      Hi Gabe, I love that you were able to go somewhere instead of shopping online. It gets so easy to just sit in my bed and pick out clothes that I like. There are also the possibilities that I won't like the clothes and will have to return it, which is extra packaging and transportation, or that I will not like it and not use it which is a waste of labor and production. Living in downtown I should be getting to the local shops more and you gave me the idea of what I will be doing this weekend. :)

  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 7/07/2022 8:52 AM
    For todays eco challenge I decide to walk instead of driving the car. Because my car only gets 23 mpg- far from the higher efficiency models' averages. I figured I could save 4 miles of driving a day by walking to the store, walking my dog to the dog park instead of driving, and overall minimize my time on the road. On top of reducing my car usage I opted to walk the golf course instead of getting a cart all week. In total the prompt says I saved 26 pounds of CO2 but that seems awfully high, especially because I didn't participate a full 7 days. My guess would be around 15-17 pounds but I wouldn't be surprised if it was even lower. This challenge was the most difficult for me because I live in an area where it's hard to do anything or get anywhere just by walking. I believe by limiting my commute I saved the most amount of gas- opposed to walking 4 miles a day of my commute. Next time I'd take better advantage of public transportation in order to increase my overall environmental sustainability. 

    • Kevanna Doolittle's avatar
      Kevanna Doolittle 7/07/2022 1:48 PM
      Gabe, 

      Nice job on identifying alternatives to use outside of your car. I live right next to a store by I often drive instead of walk. You have inspired me to do the same. 

      Best of luck on your continued journey!

  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 7/05/2022 11:54 PM
    For this weeks eco challenge I partnered up with my girlfriend and pooch to pick up trash at the local grade school where we take our dog to play in the afternoon. I'm glad I was able to talk Anjali into doing this with me because the pup thought I was collecting him snacks and she was able to fend him off while we searched the field. I was hoping to report back with a funny antidote or fun find but we just found lots of plastic and snack wrappers...and a dead mouse. Because the field is part of the playground there was no surprise to the consistency of the trash. There are a lot of surrounding trees filled with birds and presumably small animals that could definitely be harmed if they were to ingest some of our findings. We frequent the school quite a bit so I'm happy to give back and help out a little even if it's just tidying up the playground. I was inspired to select this task because a student in a different class of mine did a similar thing so I'm hoping someone saw us out there and wanted to continue to spread the love. Moving forward I'll bring an extra bag for trash so it doesn't stack up so bad!

  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 6/30/2022 8:02 AM
    For this weeks eco challenge I chose to use a reusable water bottle. Normally I drink a lot of coffee and water so when I'm out and about I'm sure I could do a better job at reducing my environmental footprint. My goals is to not buy any water bottles all week, saving between 7-10 plastic bottles from being used. I also plan on not buying any coffee or if I must at least use a reusable tumbler, saving me at least 5 disposable cups. I think this is a eco challenge that everybody could benefit from implementing in their life if not just for the better of our ecosystems but also by forcing yourself to become aware of how much trash you produce. I don't know why canvas won't let me upload photos of anything but you're not missing out on anything. I just had a picture of a orange Nalgene water bottle and some tumbler with a construction company logo.

    • Lexi Silva's avatar
      Lexi Silva 6/30/2022 9:02 AM
      Hi Gabe! This is a great and really attainable sustainable change that can make a huge difference. I also find myself at times getting bottled water due to time urgency or just accessibility versus committing to my millions of reusable water bottles at home that I should be using. I recently have wanted to increase my water consumption because I was feeling sluggish and so I got a reusable water bottle that's huge and holds 64oz. and on the side says like the time and little motivation 'almost there!' which has helped me continue to utilize that water bottle instead of wasting plastic. Great goal!

  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 6/28/2022 8:16 PM
    For this weeks Eco Challenge I opted to "reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need". I thought this was a very useful challenge not only because of the economic benefits but also the health benefits from cooking healthy meals at home. I found that my overall consumption of containers and wrapping as well as overall food waste was reduced significantly in my first round of meal prepping calculations which I was happy to see after the discussions from last Thursdays class. Because I shouldn't have to run to the store all week or buy any takeout I believe that the practice of meal prepping really improved my overall sustainability. While the advantages of meal prepping are significant to my life it definitely took longer than expected and cost more than I initially anticipated. Because there were many ingredients I bought that will be used weeks down the road I understand that the initial purchase of kitchen essentials skewed the cost of this week's food prep. In retrospect I would of liked to organized my lists and breakdowns on Excel to better organize my meal prep because that felt like the most overwhelming part. I think if i developed a system that I could be much more efficient down the road. One major tip I would add is to invest in good containers. There's no point in prepping if all your food gets all funky. Glass and airtight dishwasher-safe lids are the way to go after doing a some online research!

  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 6/23/2022 7:43 AM
    For todays Eco Challenge I selected the Recycle Everything I Can option. For me this was the obvious choice as my parter and I are moving soon and we are looking for the best homes for all our stuff. Because we're moving out of state we are pretty much just bringing a couple suitcases worth of our clothes so everything must go. Our hope is to be as sustainable as possible by ensuring all of our old furniture, cooking supplies, and decor all get good 2nd hand homes so these items don't end up in a landfill. So far the effects of clearing out clutter and reducing my overall consumption have been very beneficial not only to my environmental impact but also my mental health. The largest hurdle for us has been figuring out what to do with "large-ticket" items such as the couch and bed. Because they're both the most used and also consists of some of the most waste, it's been tricky finding the right home for them. Worst comes to worse I can break down the bed and couch myself and try to recycle the parts as best I can. Our apartment complex does a considerably good job at providing different types of  recycling options on-site which is perfect for small scale recycling of everyday items which we practice regularly. I have a feeling on move-out day that this area will be used quite a bit my me and my parter. 

    • Romi Watson's avatar
      Romi Watson 6/26/2022 2:32 PM
      Hey Gabe!
      I can totally relate to needing to find new homes for some of my stuff as my boyfriend and I just recently moved apartments. Downsizing feels really good once you realize what you don’t need anymore and how much clutter you’re able to get rid of. Keeping the essentials for moving, especially interstate like you are, seems so much simpler. I think your idea of recycling the old parts in your bed and couch is interesting and very sustainable long term; I wonder what one’s creative mind could come up with! Good luck with your move and I hope everything works out where you’re going! 🙂 

  • Gabe Dicenzo's avatar
    Gabe Dicenzo 6/21/2022 7:33 AM
    My eco challenge choice "Explore My Area" was done in order to enjoy some of the first signs of nice weather we had here in Portland and to get some nature induced serotonin in before we commit to Summer term. I like most of you will be very busy this summer and felt like some golf at the East Moreland golf course would  do me good. The course wraps around the boarder of the East Moreland Rhododendron Garden and at 6am there are a remarkable amount of birds about. Going to this course early was very therapeutic. Just taking a long quiet walk through the fields on a crisp morning makes you feel like you started the day productive and prepared me for the rest of my day. Being so close to the city I was surprised by not only a beaver who game to nibble on some blackberry shrubs but also a coyote who seemed very interested in me- trailing me for two holes. This dude must of been like 45 pounds too which was another surprise considering the location. It's possible the coyote lives in the Reed College canyon and makes his way down to the golf course for a delicious avian feast but my 35 lb Goldendoodle made this guy look like an absolute unit. 

    • Kevanna Doolittle's avatar
      Kevanna Doolittle 6/21/2022 8:21 AM
      Thanks for sharing, Gabe. 

      It sounds like you hard a relaxing morning. I went out and enjoyed a little nature myself. I took my American Akita on a neighborhood walk this morning. I enjoy my morning walks because I live right next to the Waterhouse Trail in Beaverton. There are two ponds near by and many ducks and geese. At this time of year I see loads of ducklings and goslings. Once I thought I saw an otter but I found out later it was a nutria or some other water dwelling mammal. 

      I agree with you, it is therapeutic to be outdoors in the morning. It definitely makes me feel like I started the day off right and will be more productive. 

      I hope you get more time outdoors this summer despite your busy schedule!