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Welcome to University of Richmond East Asia Ecochallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an EcoChallenge expert in no time!

University of Richmond
University of Richmond East Asia Ecochallenge
November 11 - November 15, 2019

Jean Creamer

UR Registrar/Fin Aid/Student Accounts

Points Total

  • 0 Today
  • 0 This Week
  • 472 Total

Participant Impact

  • up to
    3
    community events
    hosted or attended
  • up to
    40
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • up to
    2
    documentaries
    watched
  • up to
    1
    enery audits
    conducted
  • up to
    195
    minutes
    spent learning
  • up to
    15
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • up to
    220
    minutes
    being mindful
  • up to
    3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • up to
    30
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • up to
    320
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • up to
    84
    gallons of water
    have been saved

Challenges

Food - Day 1

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a documentary about food with family and friends and talk about what we learned.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Waste - Day 5

LEARN ABOUT WASTE REDUCTION EFFORTS IN EAST ASIA

I will learn about waste reduction efforts in East Asia.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Water - Day 4

LEARN ABOUT SEA LEVEL RISE IN EAST ASIA

I will learn about sea level rise in East Asia by reading an article or watching a video.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Energy - Day 3

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

I will attend the Festival of Lights from 4:30-6:00pm in Tyler Haynes Commons.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Waste - Day 5

BUY NOTHING

I will reduce waste by buying nothing (meal plans excluded) the whole day today.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Waste - Day 5

Avoid Disposables

I will not use any disposable plates, cups, or cutlery.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Waste - Day 5

Recycle Everything I Can

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Waste - Day 5

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Waste - Day 5

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 10 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Waste - Day 5

Print Double Sided

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper each day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Waste - Day 5

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 10 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Waste - Day 5

LEARN ABOUT THE RECYCLING INDUSTRY IN AMERICA

I will learn about recent changes to the recycling industry in America and their connections to Asia.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Waste - Day 5

TAKE THE BE A GREEN SPIDER RECYCLING QUIZ

I will learn about how to reduce waste by taking the Office for Sustainability's Be A Green Spider Recycling Quiz.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Water - Day 4

WASH ONLY FULL LOADS OF LAUNDRY

I will conserve water by only doing full loads of laundry.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Water - Day 4

BRUSH MY TEETH WITHOUT RUNNING WATER

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Water - Day 4

LESS THAN 5-MINUTE SHOWERS

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by keeping my showers under 5 minutes.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Water - Day 4

TAKE THE BE A GREEN SPIDER WATER QUIZ

I will test my knowledge of water by taking the Be A Green Spider Water Quiz on the Office for Sustainability's website.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Energy - Day 3

LEARN ABOUT RENEWABLE ENERGY

I will learn about renewable energy in Asia and Virginia.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Energy - Day 3

LEARN ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF FOSSIL FUELS

I will watch a documentary about climate change to learn about the effects that fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions have on our planet.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Food - Day 1

LEARN ABOUT FOOD IN CHINA

I will learn about the changing demand for food and agricultural landscape in China.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Simplicity - Day 2

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

I will write down three things that I am grateful for OR reach out to thank someone who's doing something positive for our world's health and well-being.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Simplicity - Day 2

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

I will spend 10 minute(s) per day thinking quietly, practicing meditation, yoga, working out, or doing another mindful activity.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Simplicity - Day 2

De-Clutter

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home. If I live on campus, I will donate unwanted items to the Fall Clothing Swap using a bin in my residence hall.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Simplicity - Day 2

Track my Purchases

I will maintain a record of all my purchases.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Simplicity - Day 2

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Simplicity - Day 2

Limit Social Media

I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 20 minute(s).

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Simplicity - Day 2

LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF MINDFULNESS

I will learn about the historical roots of mindfulness in Buddhist meditation.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Food - Day 1

PANEL: EATING WELL FOR YOURSELF & THE ENVIRONMENT

I will attend the panel discussion on environmentally-friendly eating at 3:30pm in the Wilton Center Multifaith Room.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Food - Day 1

Eat Meatless Meals

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) per day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Food - Day 1

Reduce Dining Hall Waste

I will not use a tray and I will carefully fill my plate in the dining hall so that I do not take more food than I can eat.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Food - Day 1

LEARN ABOUT DINING IN THE SUSTAINABILITY PLAN

I will learn about plans to improve sustainability in campus dining.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Simplicity - Day 2

Less Screen Time

I will replace 60 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Simplicity - Day 2

TIDYING UP - THE BEAUTY OF ORDER IN JAPAN

I will attend "Tidying Up - The Beauty of Order in Japan" from 12:00-1:00pm in the International Center Commons.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Food - Day 1

Smart Seafood

I will make informed choices when eating seafood

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Food - Day 1

Learn About Dining's Sustainability Efforts

I will learn about steps that Dining Services is taking to make food on campus more sustainable.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Energy - Day 3

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Energy - Day 3

TAKE THE BE A GREEN SPIDER ENERGY QUIZ

I will test my knowledge of energy at UR with the Be A Green Spider Energy Quiz.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Energy - Day 3

Online Energy Audit

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

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Energy - Day 3

Adjust the Thermostat

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 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Energy - Day 3

INTERNATIONAL DINNER

I will attend the International Dinner in Heilman Dining Center from 6:00-8:00pm.

Completed
One-Time Challenge

Food - Day 1

Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, and only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY CHALLENGES

Feed

  • Jean Creamer 11/15/2019 6:28 AM
    Tonight's Family Movie Night will be food and fossil fuel documentaries; we should have watched these long before they generated points for our teams ... they generate points for our planet and our lives.  Feeling a bit sheepish.
    Read More
  • Jean Creamer 11/15/2019 6:18 AM
    Read about plastics and other waste vs recycling in Asia.  When we could send out trash/recycling to Asia, we were making our trash go "away" ... but it wasn't really away.  It's like taking our trashcans from home and setting them in our neighbor's home.  Our kitchen looks great now, but but our neighbor's doesn't.   I can't believe the US hasn't made new recycling plants in many years; we need to deal with our own trash at home.
    Read More
  • Jean Creamer 11/14/2019 4:01 AM
    Today’s breakfast conversation was about sustainability and what we have been learning.   and also a race to check off our daily challenge buttons.  : )
    Read More
  • Jean Creamer 11/13/2019 7:04 PM
    with the last two days being really hectic, I am still grateful for the mindfulness of yesterday.  i just wish I had more ENERGY today. : )
    Read More
  • Reflection Question
    Simplicity - Day 2 Track my Purchases
    What have you noticed about your purchases? Where are you inclined to make shifts, if any?
    Jean Creamer 11/12/2019 2:22 PM
    I refrained from buying a diet coke and instead drank the water I had with me.  So in addition to saving $1.50, I am a bit healthier without all of those chemicals!
    Read More
    • Caitie Hoeckele 11/13/2019 5:34 AM
      I find it hard to resist the sugar of a cherry coke, especially when the machine is just upstairs. Thanks for the inspiration--I will stick with my tea and water today!
      Read More
  • Jean Creamer 11/11/2019 5:05 PM
    Great panel about food sourcing and how the economy plays in environmentally sustainable food.  So much to think about.  I enjoyed the vegan "cheese," and I cooked my own dinner tonight specifically because of this.
    Read More
  • Reflection Question
    Waste - Day 5 Use a Reusable Water Bottle
    While water bottles serve an important role in places for health and safety, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. Can you identify the barriers in making this a new habit? How can you set yourself up for success in making this a permanent change?
    Jean Creamer 11/11/2019 4:46 PM
    Because I usually have a backpack or purse, it's very easy for me to always have one of my water bottles with me.  However, for people who don't have a backpack, purse or other bag, a disposable water bottle frees them up from the burden of having to carry the bottle in their hand for extended periods of time.  I'm actually testing reusable silicone  cups or bottles that fold down to a small circle to see if those might be an easier solution.
    Read More
  • Jean Creamer 11/11/2019 6:40 AM
    WHEW - the seafood article supports NOT eating SHARKS.  YAY!
    Read More
  • Jean Creamer 11/07/2019 8:21 AM
    There are so many easy things we can do to help make our planet a better and healthier place, and those changes benefit us too.
    Read More