Cara MacKenzie

Halifax Mussels

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
310 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

15

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

16

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

16

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

120

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

9.7

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Cara's actions

The Great Outdoors

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 120 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 2 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Adjust the Thermostat

Do at Home

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn It Off

Do at Home

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Power Saving Settings

Do at Home

I will learn about and update the power saving settings on my computer to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emission

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Try Carpooling to Sporting Events

I will commute by carpool 8 kilometer(s) per day.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Online Energy Audit

Do at Home

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Research Electric Zamboni

I will research what it would take to replace my arena's fossil fuel powered zamboni with an electric or renewable energy zamboni.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Adjust the Thermostat

Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your ZIP code, region, and/or state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?

Cara MacKenzie 11/09/2021 11:07 AM

My utility already does this on bi-monthly bills. As a renter I am limited in what I can do (ie. no thermostat changes, and my home is heated by gas), however getting outside my home for an evening walk limits my light usage since the time change.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Power Saving Settings

What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?

Cara MacKenzie 11/04/2021 1:38 PM

I never thought about decreasing the brightness of my screens before. That definitely saved me some eyestrain today. Today I convinced my roommate (who always uses the Normal cycle on the dishwasher) to use the Energy Smart setting and turn off the drying feature - big win!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?

Cara MacKenzie 11/04/2021 1:35 PM

Colonialism and imperialism is the simple answer as to how it happened. Capitalism and the agricultural industrial complex is how we continue to sustain it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Try Carpooling to Sporting Events

List some of the places you frequent often (work, grocery store, natural areas). Could you choose one or two days a week to schedule driving with a friend, neighbor or co-worker to these places?

Cara MacKenzie 11/04/2021 1:33 PM

I have began carpooling with a neighbour to our hockey games! I also set up a carpool sharing resource for my teammates last night to encourage them to meet up with their neighbours to get to our games.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Turn It Off

How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?

Cara MacKenzie 11/03/2021 4:14 PM

Nova Scotia has one main power utility - Nova Scotia Power. In 2009 our grid was only at 9% renewables and 80% coal! Today, 30% of our power comes from renewable sources and by the end of 2022 60% of our power will come from renewables

Read More