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October 1 - October 31, 2023
Patrick Shamel's avatar

Patrick Shamel

NW Natural

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 501 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    sustainable seafood meal
    consumed
  • UP TO
    6.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    82
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    885
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    70
    minutes
    spent learning

Patrick's actions

Electricity

NW Natural’s Energy System

Learn about the importance of our system, how we balance the electric system, and how we are evolving to serve our customers an increasingly decarbonized product. Review the “Facts and Analysis About Our Energy System” pamphlet to learn about what we provide customers and debunk some of the misconceptions about our energy system in Oregon and Washington.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

NW Natural Be the Change Challenge

Check out the Indigenous People Be The Change Challenge on Virgin Pulse. Using the link below, find out what tribal land your home is located on.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Annual Preventive Care

Did you know your insurance covers preventive care 100%? The My Care Checklist tool in Virgin Pulse provides a personalized breakdown of recommended preventive care. It also allows you to keep track of your health care history to stay up to date with your preventive care.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

NW Natural Energy Team and Strategic Energy Management

Did you know that NW Natural has our own Energy Team? Check out the Strategic Energy Management (SEM) page on the Hub and provide one energy saving suggestion in the reflection question section of this action. Sustainability and Equity Engagement Committee (SEEC) (nwnatural.com)

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Clean Hydrogen

Hydrogen is getting a lot of attention lately at the state and federal level as a decarbonization tool. Learn how clean hydrogen plays a role in NW Natural’s long-term plans for decarbonization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn about your Electricity System

Do you know where your electricity comes from? Electricity comes from a variety of sources: coal, natural gas, hydro, wind, solar, etc. Look at your state’s department of energy website to see where your energy comes from.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Energy Efficiency Tips for Home

Simple energy efficiency upgrades and actions can reduce energy consumption, reduce emissions, and save on your utility bills. Explore easy ways to save energy around your home and receive incentives for energy efficiency upgrades to your residential equipment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)

RNG projects capture methane from existing food waste, animal manure, wastewater sludge and garbage, and redirect it away from the environment, repurposing it as a clean, green energy source. Learn about RNG and how it can contribute to a low-carbon energy future.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

NW Natural’s Energy System

Learn about the importance of our system, how we balance the electric system, and how we are evolving to serve our customers an increasingly decarbonized product. Review the “Facts and Analysis About Our Energy System” pamphlet to learn about what we provide customers and debunk some of the misconceptions about our energy system in Oregon and Washington.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

NW Natural Be the Change Challenge

Check out the Indigenous People Be The Change Challenge on Virgin Pulse. Using the link below, find out what tribal land your home is located on.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

NW Natural Energy Team and Strategic Energy Management

Did you know that NW Natural has our own Energy Team? Check out the Strategic Energy Management (SEM) page on the Hub and provide one energy saving suggestion in the reflection question section of this action. Sustainability and Equity Engagement Committee (SEEC) (nwnatural.com)

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Renewable Natural Gas (RNG)

RNG projects capture methane from existing food waste, animal manure, wastewater sludge and garbage, and redirect it away from the environment, repurposing it as a clean, green energy source. Learn about RNG and how it can contribute to a low-carbon energy future.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Clean Hydrogen

Hydrogen is getting a lot of attention lately at the state and federal level as a decarbonization tool. Learn how clean hydrogen plays a role in NW Natural’s long-term plans for decarbonization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Energy Efficiency Tips for Home

Simple energy efficiency upgrades and actions can reduce energy consumption, reduce emissions, and save on your utility bills. Explore easy ways to save energy around your home and receive incentives for energy efficiency upgrades to your residential equipment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn about your Electricity System

Do you know where your electricity comes from? Electricity comes from a variety of sources: coal, natural gas, hydro, wind, solar, etc. Look at your state’s department of energy website to see where your energy comes from.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Annual Preventive Care

Did you know your insurance covers preventive care 100%? The My Care Checklist tool in Virgin Pulse provides a personalized breakdown of recommended preventive care. It also allows you to keep track of your health care history to stay up to date with your preventive care.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Food Waste

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation, and commit to reducing my food waste throughout the challenge.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Go Paperless

Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions, and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Recycle Everything I Can

Recycling; Recycled Metals; Recycled Plastics

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, including electronics and metals.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Plastics Audit

Reduced Plastics

I will complete a plastics audit to see where plastics show up in my life and determine how I can reduce the use of single-use plastics.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Visit the Coast

Macroalgae Protection and Restoration

I will visit a coastal or ocean site to experience the ecosystem and look for the presence of macroalgae/seaweed.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bioplastics; Reduced Plastics

I will avoid buying and using 2 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Cook With Sustainable Seafood

Improved Fisheries

Using the Seafood Watch guide, I will feature a sustainable seafood ingredient in a new recipe.

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
    Which tribal land do you live on?

    Patrick Shamel's avatar
    Patrick Shamel 10/31/2023 3:08 PM
    Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
    An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?

    Patrick Shamel's avatar
    Patrick Shamel 10/30/2023 2:40 PM
    I'd rather it go into a savings account and then at the end of each year use that for something I wouldn't normally spend it on. Fresh herbs are a big, expensive problem, can never use all of it (e.g. a recipe calls for such a small amount) before they go bad. Need to start freezing them in ice cube trays for future use.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity
    What is one way to save energy around your home?

    Patrick Shamel's avatar
    Patrick Shamel 10/30/2023 2:23 PM
    Avoiding using the furnace or AC (when applicable) whenever possible is a monumental way to save energy. Keeping blinds drawn/windows closed during the day in summer, wearing warm clothes in winter.