Earth Month Ecochallenge 2022: Sustainable Development Goals

April 1 - April 30, 2022

Gina Sebastian

Denver Market

"I'm on a journey to actively love on the planet - my actions, no matter how small, make an IMPACT!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,162 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

100

minutes

spent learning

Gina's actions

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 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Education & Livelihood

Plan A Staycation in Your Community

SDG #11 Communities

For an upcoming vacation, I will plan a staycation in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Safe Disposal of Medications and Household Chemicals

SDG #3 Health & Well-Being

I will spend 10 minutes learning about how and where to dispose of medications and chemicals properly.

COMPLETED
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

Learn About The Economy & Communities SDGs

SDG #7, 9 & 12

I will spend 10 minutes learning about these SDGs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Get To Know Your Watershed

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will spend 10 minutes learning about my watershed and the particular water issues my region faces.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Learn About Equitable Food Access

SDG #10 Reduced Inequalities

I will spend 10 minutes learning about equitable food access and how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Education & Livelihood

Learn About The Education & Livelihood SDGs

SDG #4, 8, 11 & 17

I will spend 10 minutes learning about these SDGs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Learn About The Health & Equity SDGs

SDG #3, 5, 10 & 16

I will spend 10 minutes learning about these SDGs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Support Indigenous & First Nations Communities

SDG #10 Reduced Inequalities

I will spend 10 learning about the past and present indigenous communities in my regions and what I can do to be supportive.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Find out where your energy comes from

SDG #7 Energy

I will spend 10 minutes learning about where my energy comes from.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Economy & Communities

Where does the energy in your region come from? Which energy is a renewable source?
Gina Sebastian 4/30/2022 9:41 AM
I wanted to highlight 2 interesting things I discovered when zooming in on my region (Colorado Springs) that I want to dig deeper into: 1) There are 6 solar energy resources here, and 2) There are miles and miles of abandoned railroad (20+ miles!)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Equity

Why is it important to honor native and indigenous peoples and cultures? What have you learned that is important to you? If you identify with or are a member of an indigenous group, how does your community practice sustainability?
Gina Sebastian 4/27/2022 7:15 AM
I really liked the article on cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation. I found the example the author gave insightful: If you want to buy your baby a pair of little moccasins, buy them from a legitimate organization that has been federally or state recognized as a certified tribal artisan.

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Gina Sebastian 4/24/2022 11:44 AM
My son has to bring a snack to school everyday. Rather than opting for prepackaged single-use snacks (disclaimer: definitely tempting to do and definitely guilty of doing it sometimes!), we just got home from the bulk foods store, where we bought popcorn and pretzels in bulk. We put them in his little reusable glass lunchbox, along with chopped fruits and/or carrots and dip.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Equity

What was a linking factor across this group of SDGs?
Gina Sebastian 4/23/2022 3:13 PM
The pandemic has unveiled preexistent problems across the globe. Perhaps the silver lining here is that by shedding light on these issues on the world stage, it increases the urgency of action.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security

What watershed do you live in presently? What is something interesting or unique about your watershed?
Gina Sebastian 4/21/2022 3:49 PM
10/30 contaminants in my local tap water. This was eye opening and bit disheartening. Curious how you all have worked to make your water tap water safer at home (boiling, filtering, etc.) vs. buying bottled water?

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- Sarah Braden 4/22/2022 10:08 AM
  We filter some of our water, but honestly I do not know if it helps much with heavy metals.
  
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Gina Sebastian 4/19/2022 9:38 AM
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- Gina Sebastian 4/19/2022 9:40 AM
  Using my trust reusable water bottle vs. a single-use plastic one. Made it more fun with a character and a splash of water enhancer. Happy Tuesday!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Equity

How is food equity and access linked to a sustainable future?
Gina Sebastian 4/14/2022 1:07 PM
I wanted to share some highlights from the Food Apartheid article, which emphasizes why the term "food desert" should be replaced by "food apartheid."

"Despite its common usage, “food desert” is an inaccurate and misleading term that pulls focus from the underlying root causes of the lack of access to healthy food in communities... Despite its prevalence, the term “food desert” has come under scrutiny for two reasons:

It obscures the vibrant life and food systems in these communities

It implies that these areas are naturally occurring

"Food desert” is an outsider term, used by people who do not actually live in these areas... Deserts are classified by amount of precipitation an area receives, so they are dictated by weather patterns—forces beyond human control.

Food security is more than proximity to a grocery store; it should be about food sovereignty—the right of all people to have a say in how their food is grown and the right to fresh, affordable, and culturally appropriate food.
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- Sarah Meade 4/19/2022 1:07 PM
  Thank you for sharing that Gina, I used to use that term and this is a good reminder of why I am glad I stopped! So much harm can be done just by the way we frame issues, which can perpetuate stereotypes or false narratives.
  
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Gina Sebastian 4/12/2022 7:55 AM
Quick tip to reduce your plastic consumption: Buy in bulk vs. smaller and individually packaged products.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Education & Livelihood

What was a linking factor across this group of SDGs?
Gina Sebastian 4/07/2022 10:08 AM
The huge numbers across these SDGs were baffling. One example: Nearly half of the global population - 3.7 BILLION PEOPLE -
are still not online.

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- Sarah Meade 4/13/2022 3:46 PM
  Its so easy to find myself in a bubble and not realize how drastically different people live around the world and that so many people still don't have the amenities I rely on every day. Even on the Navajo Nation, there are families that don't have running water, internet or consistent electricity.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Economy & Communities

What was a linking factor across this group of SDGs?
Gina Sebastian 4/06/2022 1:27 PM
All the Sustainable Development Goals have something in common - they all require ACTION! Good news is that we can take these actions today, as individuals! A small (but mighty) action I've just been educated on and plan to take is properly disposing of my old television through my county's free Household Hazardous Waste program.

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