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Sean Flanigan's avatar

Sean Flanigan

Washington College

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 850 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    360
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    100
    miles
    not traveled by car
  • UP TO
    270
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    12
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    169
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    810
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    24
    more servings
    of fruits and vegetables
  • UP TO
    1,260
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    810
    minutes
    spent exercising

Sean's actions

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits and Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 45 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

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.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

I will enjoy the sunrise and/or sunset each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 30-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Work from Home

I will work from home 5 day(s) to avoid my commute's carbon output.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Drive Less

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

I will save up to 15 gal (56 L) of water a day or 450 gal (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Have a Garage Sale

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Collect Rain Water

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Forage for My Food

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those who produce my food in other regions of the world to make better choices when I shop.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

I will spend 60 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Take Control

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

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

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
    Water Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater
    How do you think climate change will affect your region’s water supply? Think about the effects of weather, storms, salinity, and sea level rise, among other changes. How can you find out more about climate change’s impact to your region's water?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:33 PM
    We have seen some pretty strong storms recently 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Collect Rain Water
    Trace the water that flows down the drain from your house to the largest body of water nearby. What is the route it takes?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:32 PM
    Ours goes into our septic systems first 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
    How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:31 PM
    Implementing living shorelines will help decrease pollution and mitigate flooding
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants
    Where are your nearest natural bodies of water? How might they be affected by runoff?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:31 PM
    We live right next to the Chester River, which is very affected by runoff and excess nutrients 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Eco-friendly Gardening
    What are the most prominent water concerns in your area? Examples include drought, flooding, pollution, access, security, and privatization.

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:30 PM
    Water pollution from runoff 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Fix Leaky Faucets
    Fixing leaky faucets is one of the tasks that we can easily put off until later. Good job on completing this action! How will you use the momentum from completing this action to increase your water efficiency in other ways?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:30 PM
    Moving into a new home that is fairly old, we had plenty of things like this to upgrade to be more efficient
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Personal Waste Audit
    Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:29 PM
    I will definitely work to consume less
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Recycle Everything I Can
    What have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:29 PM
    Coming to a new area, we have had to work to find these answers 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Use a Reusable Water Bottle
    While water bottles are needed for health and safety in certain places, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. What are the barriers to you using reusable bottles and tap water instead of bottled water? How could you make this a permanent habit?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:28 PM
    I sometimes forget my reusable water bottle
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Use Reusable Bags
    What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?

    Sean Flanigan's avatar
    Sean Flanigan 4/26/2020 6:28 PM
    Luckily, in MD, stores have paper bags instead of plastic