Veronica Mullins

Throughout this course, I was able to gain a much better understanding of how I can make an impact in my own life in regards to sustainability.
Here are some the ways I have implemented change in my home: I no longer leave lights on for aesthetic purposes, I reduce the amount of washer/dryer loads I do a week, I reduce my shower time, I turn the water off when brushing my teeth, I collect rainwater to water my garden, I now have a garden!, I take less trips and plan my deliveries weekly, I unplug anything not actively in use. I am also looking into other sustainable things such as eco-bricks, Ridwell recycling, and installing rainwater collectors from my gutters.
I cannot say I knew much or was very aware prior to this course, and I am incredibly grateful for the information provided during the 4 weeks. My eyes have been opened to so much and I look forward to sharing this information with those around me so that my impact, hopefully, has a rippling effect.

For my eighth and final eco-challenge, I tackled consumerism.
I, like many others, have acquired credit card debt over the course of my life. This past year especially, I have taken a look around my home and noticed so many things that I simply do not use, or worse, just have stored in a closet or garage taking up space. Not only are these items holding onto vital real estate in my <900sqft home, but also taking up a huge amount of space in my mind. I realize that many of these things I simply did not need to purchase and thereby spend money on. So now, I am taking active measures to ensure that I am purchasing more-so on a needs vs. wants basis. I am also intertwining other eco-challenges and sustainability measures in these purchases, such as transportation (limiting my trips and deliveries), waste (using refilleries and other waste-less resources), looking into what is in the products I purchase to ensure our earth stays healthy, and also no longer purchasing meat and limiting animal products in the home.
In order to declutter my home and simplify my life, I was trying to remove 10 things a day from my home. I am either selling things on Facebook marketplace or giving them away on "no buy" groups. The money made from any sales goes directly back to my credit card as a payment, even if it's only $10. During the 4 weeks of this course I was able to get rid of about 400 items from my home, which has been stressful, fun, and relieving all at once.

For my last two week's eco-challenge, I wanted to share with the team the progress of my garden. I took two tomato plants from the Learning Garden on our second week of class, however I was not sure if they were going to survive because of the extremely hot weather we have been experiencing in addition with my limited knowledge about plants. But to my surprise they are not only living, but thriving. I watched some YouTube videos to get some basic care information and they have been chugging along nicely. It is exciting to see how much growth they have made in just a little over two weeks and I look forward to getting to taste the first fruits of my labor! I also included a photo of my rosemary that I have been tending too lately, as well.

For my sixth eco-challenge, I undertook it as a two-parter.
a) I made the decision to drive less by only taking necessary trips in my car. Typically I would drive around town in the morning as a sort of entertainment, however I understand this is wasteful and unnecessary. I decided to instead spend 30 minutes (or more) outside each day either in nature or taking a walk.
b) Since it is summer and the weather is warmer, I want to spend more time in nature. Most days I spent extra time outdoors with my dog either walking around the neighborhood. On Monday, Taz and I went to the riverfront in Sellwood, and on Friday I went paddle boarding on Sauvie Island.
I can't deny that spending more time outdoors is beneficial for me. I am getting exercise and spending time outdoors and connecting with nature which is good for my mental health.
I know this is an opportunity for me to disconnect from screens, but I had to snap this photo of Taz watching a boat on the river.

For my eco-challenge this week, I decided to do a few things that I have been meaning to do, but had never taken the time to do it and they could be done online.

a) I registered to vote at my current address. I was registered to vote in the previous state I had lived in, but never did so after moving here because I wasn't sure where I was to land. However, at this point I feel I have been here long enough and I no longer will allow myself to make excuses. By registering to vote. I am doing my part as a member of my community to be able to enact change for the future.

b) I enrolled in PGE's 3 sustainability options - Green Source, Habitat Support, and Clean Wind. I had been making the excuse that it would add to my electricity bill, however I would spend the expected addition to be about as much as my daily coffee would be. Also, since I am doing my part to turn off any lights and unplug any electronics when not in use, this should decrease my electricity bill initially, so it should even out. I can also spare a few dollars to make my energy useage more sustainable!

For my second eco-challenge this week, I chose a mildly unconventional one - I chose to reduce my toilet flushing. This works for my lifestyle because I live alone and face no fear of judgement from other household members, however I wouldn't do this if I lived with others, or at least not without a conversation first. I have two toilets in my house and have been saving water by reducing the amount of daily flushes. I wish I was able to see the amount of water that this saves me, however I do not have my own water bill because I share a meter with my front-neighbor.
I have also taken other small eco-actions, like placing a plant below my water faucet outside my home to make use of the leak, turning off the water when I brush my teeth, and making use of the sun to dry my clothes (as opposed to my electric dryer).

One of my choices for this week's eco-challenge basically fell into my lap. On Monday, I opened my kitchen cabinet and found a reusable water bottle. I have no recollection of purchasing this item or really any idea how it got into my house, however it's existence felt almost serendipitous. I filled it with ice water from my fridge dispenser and put it in my car on Monday morning. When I went to take a sip late Monday afternoon, I was shocked to discover there was still ice in the bottle. I knew at this moment I was hooked. I really only like water when it's very cold, so this happenstance occurrence not only benefits the earth and reduces single use water bottles, but also promotes a healthier lifestyle for me because now I am drinking more water.

For my second ecochallenge, I chose to cover a topic under "energy." "Turn it off" refers to unplugging/turning off any lights and electronics when not in use. I have a few colorful lights that I keep on for ambiance at night, but I keep on during the day out of pure laziness, meaning these lights are on 24 hours a day. I have began turning these lights off during any daylight hours, which is over 12 hours a day in these long summer days. These are small changes, but they are an important part of my contribution to a more sustainable household. In hindsight, having lights at all is a privilege and I need to be mindful not be superfluous in my use of them.

For my first ecochallenge, I chose to tackle "Waste". "Go Paperless" is a simple, one-time challenge, however it has a compounding effect. According to the Ecochallenge website, this simple action, by me, has saved up to 3 pounds of paper, and I didn't even have to leave my couch. I did this for the 3 remaining bills I had not yet converted to paperless statements, equaling up to nearly 10 pounds of paper saved. I am on a personal journey to have a more sustainable household, so this helps me come one step closer to my goal.