Skip to main content
Dani Kalar's avatar

Dani Kalar

Comerica Michigan Green Team

"Stay positive and love your life. Live by PLUR - peace, love, unity, and respect. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 851 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    160
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    640
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    33
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    145
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    5.6
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    12
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    160
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen

Dani's actions

Climate & Ecosystems

Calculate Your Carbon Impact

SDG #13 Climate

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how lifestyle changes could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Take 5-Minute Or Less Showers

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will save up to 6 gallons (23 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers. Tip: Use a timer to practice or count to 60 a few times.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Economy & Communities

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

SDG #12 Consumption & Production

Each day, I will spend 20 minutes learning about sustainable fashion so that I can engage in this practice.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Basic Needs & Security

Calculate Your Water Footprint

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Mend Clothing

SDG #9 Industry & Infrastructure

I will mend a piece of clothing for myself, family or friends.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Make Zero-Waste Meals

SDG #2 Zero Hunger

I will cook 3 meal(s) with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Education & Livelihood

Research Impact Investing

SDG #8 Work & Economy

Using the links provided below, I will research impact investing or my current investment portfolio to determine if they align with my values.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Online Energy Audit

SDG #7 Energy

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Create A Readiness Plan

SDG #9 Industry & Infrastructure

I will develop a readiness plan for my household in the event of an emergency.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Participate in Comerica's Master of Sustainability Awareness Program

I will sign up for Comerica's Master of Sustainability Awareness Program and will work on my MSA Seedling level certification (or higher certifications for existing MSA participants).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Reduce Single-Use Plastics

SDG #14 & 15

Throughout the day, I will note the single-use plastics I use and consider the reusable options available to me.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Basic Needs & Security

Get Involved in the Water Justice Movement

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will spend 20 minutes learning about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Get To Know Your Watershed

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will spend 20 minutes learning about my watershed and the particular water issues my region faces.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Safe Disposal of Medications and Household Chemicals

SDG #3 Health & Well-Being

I will spend 15 minutes learning about how and where to dispose of medications and chemicals properly.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Support A Renters Bills of Rights

SDG #1 No Poverty

Of nearly 44 million U.S. renter households in 2019, more than 45% paid rent equal to 30% or more of their gross household income. I will spend 30 minutes learning about a renters bill of rights and affordable housing.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Spend Time Outside

SDG #3 Health & Well-Being

I will replace 20 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside exercising, enjoying the sunrise/sunset, gardening, journaling, or practicing gratitude for nature.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Basic Needs & Security
    What watershed do you live in presently? What is something interesting or unique about your watershed?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/28/2022 2:49 PM
    My watershed is the Galloway Creek-Clinton River watershed. More exactly, I live in the area of the Clinton Main watershed. Sadly, all three rivers/streams in this watershed are impaired. My watershed is approximately 70 square miles and is 10% of the land area. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health & Equity
    What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time inside and on screens?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/28/2022 2:34 PM
    It's so unhealthy and something I am very guilty of. It's unhealthy because you're not using enough calories so you'll increase in weight, your muscles will not be strong, screens ruin your eyes, sun is good for us, and breathing fresh air is good for us. I am very dedicated to spending more time outside and being more physically active.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Economy & Communities
    What was it like to create a readiness plan? Did you find other resources you could share?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/27/2022 3:32 PM
    A readiness plan was a bit complicated in my case. I live in a mobile home community and we do not have quick access to any type of sturdy shelter. The best I have are two small closets that are in the middle of the house. It won't provide much protection, but if a tornado comes quickly it is the best we can do. We organized the closets so that there is space to shelter. The biggest hurdle was convincing my husband that if he doesn't have ample time to get his cat into the closet with him that he'll have to shelter without his cat. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health & Equity
    Do you have any tips for others on finding locations that accept products for safe disposal?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/27/2022 3:12 PM
    It is really easy to find a drug take back location just by Googling. I found out that the Meijer on Brown road is a drug take back site. I remember one day when I got in the back seat of my parents' car that there was a gallon size Zip-Loc bag filled with loose pills. My mom's friend who died after a long time illness had just passed and her widower asked my parents to dispose of her pills. They dropped them off at the local Sherriff's department, so I guess that must be okay to do as well. I never thought to ask why my parents didn't just leave them in the bottles, but after learning about safe drug disposal today, I now understand why it's a good idea to take all of the pills out of the bottles.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Basic Needs & Security
    What is one way you will reduce your water use? What is a practice you already have that helps you reduce your water use?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/21/2022 2:51 PM
    I calculated my water footprint and we did great! Energy efficient appliances, don't really wash our cars or drive much, short showers, etc. But the eating meat thing? Wow, killed us. I eat meat maybe 2-3 times a week, but my spouse eats it daily, sometimes twice. So eating meat twice a day equals 768 gallons of water. A. Day. That's insane. I clearly have to get my spouse on board with less meat consumption! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Education & Livelihood
    After learning more about investing, how can you increase positive impacts and decrease negative impacts?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/19/2022 2:42 PM
    I first learned of impact investing on the MDA Discussion Board. Today I logged onto Fidelity to find out if I can get involved in impact investing through my 401k. I read everything I could find, and it looks like I probably cannot. However, I will give them a call in a couple of days after I've done more research. They do have a lot of information about impact investing on their website, so I'm still not giving up hope!

    • Jeanne Poirier's avatar
      Jeanne Poirier 4/19/2022 8:38 PM
      Check out Stop the Money Pipeline.  They've done incredible education/actions on investment and more.  I'm doing the same - but didn't pick this one time challenge as I've been aware - but with money there is so much power and things to learn!  Good on you!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Economy & Communities
    What was it like to mend your clothing? If you are skilled at mending, what tips do you have for others?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/17/2022 5:45 AM
    I am definitely not skilled at mending, but I do it all the time. My mom used to make my clothes when I was growing up, but somehow that crafty gene skipped me. I've also noticed that it is no longer less expensive to sew your own clothes, which I suppose is due to the "fast fashion" that I learned about this month. Some of the clothes I have, I've had for more than 20 years. Those clothes have needed mending - buttons, seams, underarm holes, etc. - but are still actively worn. Today, I mended my son's work pants. They are inexpensive dress pants that he bought from Amazon and they are not very good quality. They had holes in the thigh area that I patched up and the hem stitching gave out so I had to sew those up. Hopefully, they'll hold up for a while! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate & Ecosystems
    What is one way you will reduce your carbon foorprint? What is a practice you already have that helps you reduce your carbon footprint?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/16/2022 7:23 AM
    I currently keep my carbon footprint lower by reusing/repurposing things instead of just tossing them out. Single-use items are awful for the environment and I try very hard to avoid them. The one thing I definitely need to stop doing is relying on Amazon for products I buy. I always recycle/reuse the packaging, but it would be infinitely better to avoid the packaging all together.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Economy & Communities
    How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/15/2022 1:20 PM
    What an interesting question! And one that I don't really have an answer for. I'm not really into fashion. I very rarely buy new clothing. Almost all of my clothing is from thrifting or hand-me-downs.  I do buy new shoes and I do use those to express my values and personality so I guess I'm going to have to determine how sustainable those are. Fingers crossed that Converse and Sketchers are sustainable! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate & Ecosystems
    What plastic or single-use items do you regularly use? What did you substitute or could be substituted?

    Dani Kalar's avatar
    Dani Kalar 4/12/2022 3:07 PM
    I think I'm really good at reducing my use of single-use items. I reuse nearly every piece of plastic that comes into my house. I haven't had water in a plastic bottle in over 10 years. I do like to eat grapefruit that comes in little plastic cups that I do not reuse. So I have decided to stop buying the convenient plastic cups and just buying regular grapefruit. Next up, I have to figure out shampoo and things of that nature.