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Aaron Rydecki's avatar

Aaron Rydecki

WSP USA Central Region

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 610 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    540
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    39
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed

Aaron's actions

Climate & Ecosystems

Save water by planting indigenous plants to your region.

Indigenous plants or native plants are those that originated in a given geographic area without human involvement or that arrived there without intentional or unintentional intervention of humans from an area in which they originally originated. Native/Indigenous plants and grasses have adapted to the soil in which they grow and usually use less water compared to non-native plants. When your entire garden is native plants, large water savings can be achieved annually.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate & Ecosystems

[WSP Custom Action] Learn How to Take Action on the SDGs

I will watch this 30 minute free course through the UN Global Compact Academy to learn more about the SDGs and how to take action.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

[WSP Custom Action] Learn about Water Conservation and Equity

I will read the article "Improving Water Conservation Through an Equity Lens" on WSP Insights.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Know Your Produce

SDG #2 Zero Hunger

I will visit ewg.org to learn about and use their Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen produce lists.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

[WSP Custom Action] Create an Electrification and Clean Energy Plan

I will sign up with YellowTin to develop a personal electrification and clean energy roadmap.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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 27
DAILY 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

Reduce Animal Product Consumption

SDG #2 Zero Hunger

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

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate & Ecosystems

[WSP custom action] Embodied Carbon Action Plan

WSP has signed the Structural Engineering Institute 2050 Commitment (SE 2050) to reduce embodied carbon in structural systems. Read WSP's newly published embodied carbon action plan (ECAP).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Learn About The Economy & Communities SDGs

SDG #7, 9 & 12

I will spend 15 minutes learning about these SDGs.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

[WSP Custom Action] Take Five And Find Out What it Takes to Reach Net-Zero!

Do you know what it will take to reach net-zero? Do you know which technologies and innovations are needed to keep warming below 2°C or 1.5°C? Take five minutes to see if your ideas on investments can get us to net zero!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Economy & Communities
    How can you incorporate electricity-based solutions in your daily life?

    Aaron Rydecki's avatar
    Aaron Rydecki 4/29/2022 6:24 AM
    This is another great resource to get folks on the path to focus more on energy/electricity conservation, increasing efficiencies at home and for transit, and to explore going solar.  Definitely a helpful tool!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate & Ecosystems
    Can you make it to Net Zero?

    Aaron Rydecki's avatar
    Aaron Rydecki 4/25/2022 11:05 AM
    This was a very fun and thoughtful exercise!  I was a little too conservative on my action and should have reconsidered addressing the methane issue simultaneously while continuing to combat carbon emissions.  I will definitely take this again in the future to reassess my reductions to get to Net Zero.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Basic Needs & Security
    What surprised you about the two produce lists? How will you use these lists for your grocery shopping? Have you used these lists before?

    Aaron Rydecki's avatar
    Aaron Rydecki 4/25/2022 10:25 AM
    I am familiar with a lot of the dirty dozen, have been tracking these for a bit.  Ultimately, for many years now, I have sought to just go organic as much as possible to avoid things like this.  A couple of negatives for a handful of the clean 15 items is that they are more pricy, organic or not, and tropical in nature (i.e., avocados, mango, papaya, pineapple) so going with these items may hurt your food budget and you may be counteracting buying local/regional unless you in fact live in one of the sunny climate states that can produce these fruits. 
  • 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?

    Aaron Rydecki's avatar
    Aaron Rydecki 4/21/2022 7:11 AM
    Wow!  I thought I was doing a lot of good, and am a bit surprised and now a bit more motivated to look for opportunities to improve here.
    I don't think we'll be finding another 1
    1/2 earths to support my carbon footprint in the near term!

    • Aaron Rydecki's avatar
      Aaron Rydecki 4/25/2022 10:34 AM
      Hi Meghan, full disclosure on my post...the footprint report said I would need 2 1/2 earths, my post put the image between my note, and my note actually is that I would need another 1 1/2 earths to subsist with my current lifestyle.

    • Meghan Jones's avatar
      Meghan Jones 4/22/2022 1:02 PM
      I've actually never heard of someone getting less than one earth on that evaluation. Kudos! Let us know of any new opportunities you find!

  • Aaron Rydecki's avatar
    Aaron Rydecki 4/15/2022 7:22 AM
    Making good progress with my water conservation practices at home, but still have lots of room for improvement!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Basic Needs & Security
    With 5-minute or less showers reducing your water footprint, what do you plan to add next to your water conservation habits?

    Aaron Rydecki's avatar
    Aaron Rydecki 4/13/2022 6:17 AM
    Working remotely has a number of benefits.  For me personally, one benefit includes not feeling the need to have to shower/bath every single day since I'm not heading into an actual office.  If you happen to be in this boat, real water conservation can be realized with significant water usage reduction by simply adjusting your shower/bath cycle to match how often you really need to. : )