Sarah Duffer

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

I will contact 2 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

I will contact 3 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

I will support women-owned businesses when I shop this month.

I will replace 20 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and subscriptions.

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day.

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 50 friends, family and/or colleagues.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

I will share stats on gender inequity in education with my social media feed to raise awareness.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will write or call 5 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.