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October 1 - October 31, 2023
Coleman Young's avatar

Coleman Young

KEEN US

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,280 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    69
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    1
    carbon footprint
    calculated
  • UP TO
    1
    energy audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    270
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1,405
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    4
    public officials or leaders
    contacted
  • UP TO
    4
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    120
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    270
    minutes
    spent learning

Coleman's actions

Buildings

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

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

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Fix Leaky Faucets

Low-Flow Fixtures

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Watch Drawdown's Climate Solutions 101 Series

Family Planning and Education

I will watch Drawdown’s Climate Solutions 101 and share what I learned with others.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org and download the app to commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Farm Irrigation Efficiency

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

Indigenous Peoples' Forest Tenure

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by participating in a training, workshop, or presentation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaics, Distributed Solar Photovoltaics

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in creating or purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Calculate My Household Carbon Footprint

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 30 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Contact your Elected Officials

Abandoned Farmland Restoration

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure

Bicycle Infrastructure

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 45 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Choose Recycled Paper

Recycled Paper

I will plan ahead to use paper products only made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

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

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 120 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Muscle Power

Multiple Transportation Solutions

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

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 40 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Express My Support For Walkable Cities

Walkable Cities

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Cook With Seaweed

Seaweed Farming

I will use seaweed in a new recipe.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Practice the 5 Rs

Recycling

I will practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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
    Transportation Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure
    What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?

    Coleman Young's avatar
    Coleman Young 10/30/2023 11:48 AM
    I like being more connected to the outside when I bike. More protected and well-lit bike lanes would go a long way in making biking safer for Portlanders.

    • Jeanne Poirier's avatar
      Jeanne Poirier 10/30/2023 8:05 PM
      Portland OR is awesome leader in biking and so much more. Good luck in making it even more safe. It's a great city! Love the whole Climate Dads bike for getting kids safely to school & back!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings Fix Leaky Faucets
    What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?

    Coleman Young's avatar
    Coleman Young 10/30/2023 11:42 AM
    One neat trick I learned that saves water is to place your plants in a bowl of water till the top of the soil is damp. That way you don't waste a lot of water by letting it pour out the bottom when watering.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products
    Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?

    Coleman Young's avatar
    Coleman Young 10/13/2023 11:04 AM
    I believe meat is viewed as more of a delicacy in other countries. I've actually started taking that approach as well and only eating meat occasionally. Not only has it made me feel better but it's made groceries cheaper as well.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Go for a Daily Walk
    What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

    Coleman Young's avatar
    Coleman Young 10/13/2023 9:28 AM
    I've noticed on my walks that some lights across major streets don't start the crosswalk light before the street light. It would be safer if they let pedestrians and bikes get a headstart for visibility.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transportation Use Muscle Power
    How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

    Coleman Young's avatar
    Coleman Young 10/13/2023 9:23 AM
    I enjoy my commute a lot more when I'm biking or walking. I feel more connected to my environment and city when doing so.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Smaller Portions
    While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?

    Coleman Young's avatar
    Coleman Young 10/13/2023 9:17 AM
    I've found that I eat slower with smaller portions which helps with digestion
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Cook With Seaweed
    What recipe did you make and how did it turn out? Will you cook with seaweed again?

    Coleman Young's avatar
    Coleman Young 10/09/2023 12:34 PM
    I made some crunchy seaweed wraps using salmon, avocado, scallion and seaweed. I will absolutely be incorporating seaweed into more meals.