Kelci Atkins

Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

I will host a viewing party with 1 friends and/or colleagues to watch a movie or present a guest speaker on an environmental issue that matters to me.

I will raise money to support Ecochallenge.org or another nonprofit.

I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

I will have a group garage sale with friends, family, and/or neighbors.

I will join an outdoor restoration project in my community.

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 120 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.

I will use the resource below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.

I will work from home 21 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

I will sign up for a car-sharing service or organize car sharing with my neighbors or classmates to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.

I will commute by bike 5 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to 4.47 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

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

I will keep track and reduce my consumption of refined sugars, including sweetened beverages, candy, and processed foods.

I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.

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

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

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

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, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate.

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.