Michele Barbin
""To live more thoughtfully in the present and the future -- and share the experience with others" (Photo by Alden Henrie: Sunset on the Danube, July 2017)"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 748 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO154gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO12lightbulbsreplaced
Michele's actions
Create Your Own Action
Health: Record diet on myfitnesspal
Get back in the habit of recording everything I eat on myfitnesspal.com to track nutrition and calorie intake!!!
Food
Plant an Herb Garden
I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.
Energy
Choose LED Bulbs
I will replace 12 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.
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 per faucet every day.
Simplicity
Work-Life Balance
I will not work more than 8 hour days each day to practice work-life balance.
Water
Install a Toilet Tank Bank
I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water per day by installing a toilet tank bank.
Energy
Use an Energy Meter
I will use an energy meter to monitor my energy use and identify opportunities to save power.
Energy
Online Energy Audit
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Energy
Upgrade My Windows
I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.
Simplicity
De-Clutter My Home
I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.
Energy
Switch to Cold Water
I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of C02 over the course of the next year.
Food
Buy From a Farmers Market
I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.
Participant Feed
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Michele Barbin 10/25/2017 1:04 PMThe simplifying will continue at a rate of 30 minutes a day until my home is a peaceful, uncluttered sanctuary. So much accumulation, so little time -- once I get it where I want it, I will not allow anything to pass through the threshold without an idea of what shall depart first... shirt for a shirt, gadget for a gadget. Wish this was longer than a two-week process! -
Michele Barbin 10/25/2017 8:59 AMWell, yes. I did miss a check-in. Bummer. My herb garden was actually a transplant... invasive oregano and mint moved to foundation planting. -
Michele Barbin 10/18/2017 6:23 AMResisting turning on the heat at night. We're due for a warmup this weekend. Hoping to avoid turning on heat until November by leaving drapes open during the day for passive solar and closing them when I get home at dusk. Doing well so far considering the last two nights were in the 30s. Needed a couple extra blankets. Might make it to November at this rate... -
Michele Barbin 10/16/2017 1:35 PMGot away from the tech on a camping weekend. Feel a bit penalized for not being able to record daily challenge completion as a result -- no wifi. Is there a way to record the previous day or two that I'm not seeing? -
Michele Barbin 10/13/2017 5:53 PMHard to meet daily challenges with travel schedule, but I managed! Camping this weekend. May be unplugged a few days.... which is good, but not a goal! -
Michele Barbin 10/11/2017 7:52 PMOPPORTUNITY -- FREE TO GOOD ECOCHALLENGE TEAMMATE HOME: One Waterpik Low-Flow Showerhead (I already had one when my power company sent me this one) -- Rated 2.0 gal/m MAX; 1.5 gal/m min. I work at Pattee. Will be back in the office Mon 10/16. Save some coin, Help me Simplify, Check off your low-flow showerhead challenge! Reply to arrange hand-off! [email protected] -
Michele Barbin 10/11/2017 7:52 PMOPPORTUNITY -- FREE TO GOOD ECOCHALLENGE TEAMMATE HOME: One Furnace Filter Whistle. Whistles when your furnace filter is 50% clogged/dirty to tell you when it's time to replace the filter and save $ by keeping your furnace from working too hard to push air through your forced-air heating/cooling system! I, unfortunately, have electric baseboard zone heating, so this handy device needs to be re-homed. Sent to me by my power company in an energy-efficiency kit. Will be back in the office Mon 10/16. Save some coin, Help me Simplify, Check off your heating efficiency challenge! Reply to arrange hand-off! [email protected] -
Michele Barbin 10/11/2017 7:47 PMSwitching to a cold water with laundry is a no-brainer -- I see little difference in the quality of the wash cycle. -
Michele Barbin 10/11/2017 6:46 AMSimplifying... stay tuned for a list of helpful items in the next couple days. I know I have an excess low-flow showerhead (or two) that the power company sent to my house.... -
Michele Barbin 9/28/2017 6:11 AMCool way to track conscientious actions and develop better habits for both the environment and the wallet. Many of the listed challenge items are habitual to me; others have fallen victim to procrastination (e.g., energy audit) or budgeting (e.g., leaky faucet). Hit the first, save enough for the other? Kick those up the list!