Choices for Sustainable Living Discussion Course

Evelyn (lyn) Swett

"I am a photographer striving to live within the planet's means. I share my images and experiences in order to promote climate action and personal transformation."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
819 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

14

whole food meals

consumed
UP TO

21

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

3.0

miles

traveled by foot
UP TO

16

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

person

helped
UP TO

2.0

neighbors

met
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

70

minutes

spent outdoors

Evelyn (lyn)'s actions

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

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

Community

Meet My Neighbors

I will meet 2 new neighbor(s) this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Join my Neighborhood Association

I will join my neighborhood association or another local group.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

A Call to Sustainability

Start a Sustainability Journal

I will start a sustainability journal, capturing my thoughts, concerns and learning about sustainability issues.

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

A Call to Sustainability

Learn About Local Issues

I will find out what local sustainability issues are most urgent in my region, including both social and environmental justice concerns.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

A Call to Sustainability

Talk To Others

I will tell 2 people why sustainability is important to me and what my vision for a sustainable world is.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Whole Foods Diet

I will enjoy 2 meal(s) free of processed foods each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Choose Organic Ingredients

I will enjoy 2 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

I will source 1 meal(s) from local producers each day this week. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Help Others

I will offer to help 1 person(s) who are in need 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

Water

Watch The Story of Bottled Water

I will watch The Story of Bottled Water to learn more about bottled water's impacts on the environment.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Host a House Party

I will host a house party to watch a movie or present a guest speaker on an environmental issue that matters to me.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Connect with a Nonprofit

I will connect with a local nonprofit, environmental or otherwise, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Locally-Sourced Meals

I will source 2 meal(s) from local producers each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go by Bike

I will commute by bike 8 mile(s) each day this week and avoid sending up to 38.28 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Consumption and Economy

Watch a Documentary

I will watch one of the films suggested in the additional resources and discuss it with friends or family.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Consumption and Economy

Support Local Businesses

I will buy from local businesses instead of shopping online.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Consumption and Economy

Support a Sharing Economy

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Consumption and Economy

Track my Purchases

I will maintain a record of all my purchases.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Consumption and Economy

Buy Only What I Need

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Walk Instead

I will walk 3 mile(s) each day this week instead of driving and avoid sending up to 15.83 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

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?

Evelyn (lyn) Swett 6/13/2018 9:48 AM

I find it ironic that our topic for today was transportation, and I have flown thousands of miles and driven hundreds of miles to land myself in Moscow, ID this week. My sister lives in town, just a few blocks from Main Street and a few more blocks from the city's parks and amazing neighborhoods. Even though I live 'in town' at home, just 1.2 miles from main street, it's totally different just being a few blocks away. I'm motivated to invite neighbors to inhabit our drive-through street more fully, maybe even have a pop-up gorilla on-street party...In spring, summer or fall.

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- Evelyn (lyn) Swett 6/20/2018 10:25 AM
  
  Thanks, Emily. It always takes me a while to get back into the groove after being out of town, but I am really motivated to experiment this next year and see what works. Loved today's discussion about markets.
  
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Evelyn (lyn) Swett 6/06/2018 10:03 AM

I am out of town for the next 10 days, so can't actually build my home community this week. That said, I am inspired by this group and am encouraged to take more regular action once I get back home. Although it is hard to feel personal when communicating with voices online, I love how I am starting to recognize different people's voices, experiences and visions. It's subtle, but meaningful. Community is about feeling as if you belong somewhere. It is great to belong to this larger network of people who are working toward a sustainable future around the world. Thank you. Here is an image from Powell's Books in downtown Portland - - I'm visiting from New Hampshire and love love love this huge block full of books and people of all sorts exploring together. What an amazing place! And then there are those coffee shops and places to sit out on the streets. So welcoming.

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Evelyn (lyn) Swett 5/30/2018 4:52 PM

Thank you everyone for your thoughts today. I appreciate being part of a group of people all trying to figure out this crazy puzzle - - balancing water, energy and our habits. I watched the Story of Water - - While it was nothing new in terms of content, I appreciated the directness of its message: We are being manipulated to think we need and want something that we can have without spending money and using excessive energy. It makes me so upset when people put profit before all else. I believe in entrepreneurship and creating products and services that truly meet a need and serve a purpose. But knowingly polluting the planet to increase "shareholder value" does not make sense to me. It is, of course, complicated by the fact that my husband and I have been carefully saving for retirement and taking advantage of our employer's programs. In the process, though, I am sure that one of those mutual funds is invested in the very companies I'm frustrated with. We are working on that side of the equation, but it takes a lot of time to make it all work together.

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Evelyn (lyn) Swett 5/22/2018 5:53 PM

This was an incredible week for local food. My parents have some land in Sharon, VT and they have a guy who helps them take care of it. He occasionally helps manage deer and wild turkey populations by hunting on the land. This past week we ate some of the venison he gave us last winter and then, on Sunday, he brought us a freshly harvested Turkey Breast from a bird he shot on Saturday. Between the local greens from our farmer's market and the rhubarb and asparagus from our garden, we have been eating wonderfully locally and fresh and organic this week. It's been a great week.

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- Nicole Abrams 5/30/2018 9:01 AM
  
  What a bounty! Local food tastes better too!
  
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Evelyn (lyn) Swett 5/16/2018 10:09 AM

Today's discussion reminded me of how valuable it is to hear different voices from different geographical and life circumstances. Thank you for so many people participating in this conversation. I appreciated the comment about gardens. I have been reaching out to my neighbors through the NextDoor app - - facebook-like program specifically for neighborhoods. I'm excited to help one person lay mulch and to introduce that same person to some pollinator-friendly deer-resistant plants that thrive in our region. For me, gardening will be an easy way to connect with new people in my community. I will also share some rhubarb and spare raspberry plants with anyone in the neighborhood interested.

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Evelyn (lyn) Swett 5/09/2018 10:18 AM

I am really inspired by the idea of Balance as another word for Equity. I have spent 15 years operating with the mental model that sustainability was all about energy and resources. At its heart, though, sustainability is all about people. When I track my habits, I see that even though we have solar panels and eat low on the food chain and care deeply, our family of four still flies to visit family and friends, we still drive everywhere, and we still spend a lot of money. It is economic - - We come from families with inherited wealth who feel entitled to own their own view, live on a lovely 'property,' and go to expensive schools. The more I learn and understand about what sustainability really means, however, I see that it is about me and my people getting out of our nice houses and getting to know our neighbors, not just on our street, but in our communities - - who are the people who live on the other side of the RR tracks that I have never met?

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Evelyn (lyn) Swett 4/24/2018 6:04 PM

Actually, I not only met new neighbors, but I actually started a neighborhood group and invited neighbors over through NextDoor. I am working on creating a list of topics that interest people and hosting 1 event each month at my house, which is centrally located and is an easy place to gather. Over time, I'd love to have gatherings at other people's houses too, but for now, I think consistency is helpful. Even though not that many people came, It was really fun to meet some neighbors.

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- Beth Beek Blackford 5/04/2018 6:55 AM
  
  That's fantastic, Lyn! What a great idea, and so much more friendly than a homeowners association. So many possibilities to share different priorities.
  
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Evelyn (lyn) Swett 4/09/2018 8:09 AM

I am also doing the Drawdown Ecochallenge right now and am experimenting with this format. I'd like to start a neighborhood discussion group and invite others to participate with me, but want to try it out for a while myself first. We are a Sierra Club Ready for 100 community and I am a Neighborhood leader, though I have not done much as of now. I'm hoping to do more in the coming months.

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- Lacy Cagle 4/12/2018 10:45 AM
  
  This is awesome, Lyn! Let us know if you have any questions!
  
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