Lydia Essig

Asheville High School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
544 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

64

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

5,220

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

88

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

232

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

5.0

documentaries

watched
UP TO

566

minutes

spent learning

Lydia's actions

Energy

Turn it off

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

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

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 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Disconnect from Email

I will disconnect from my email when not at work or school, using my personal time for endeavors that help me live out my values.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

RESEARCH LOCAL WASTE SITES

I will spend 45 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn More about Food Apartheid

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 5 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does food sovereignty address the complex transition from localized food systems to modern global food systems?
Lydia Essig 11/21/2023 6:47 AM
The more modern global food systems are industrialized and very large scale, and because they are controlled by big corporations they often don’t reach areas in need. For example, in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, the people there didn’t have access to big industrialized food sources. Instead, a lot of people got food from more local food sources that relied on indigenous systems to produce food. Food sovereignty would help reconnect people both to healthy, affordable food, and to their culture.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?
Lydia Essig 11/15/2023 6:34 AM
Lack of fresh, nutrient-rich foods can affect the health of a person. It can decrease energy and immunity, and affect mood. As a community, it can mean that all people in the community are affected by poor nutrition and therefore makes it hard for the community to grow. Access to good nutrition can make people healthier and happier, and cause cognitive development. When people are happier and have healthier brains they are more resilient and able to bounce back from problems. In addition, nutritious food can also reduce stress, which makes it easier for people to be resilient and move on from adversities. When you have lots of healthy, resilient people in a community it means the community can also grow and become resilient.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

What is the main water source in your region? If you don't know, how could you find out?
Lydia Essig 11/15/2023 5:30 AM
I think the main water source in my region is springs from the mountains. The water is pumped over and used in our pipes.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

Notice how much time you were spending checking email away from work and make note of that. Now that you have stepped away from it and have not been checking, what changes are you noticing in your thoughts, use of time, stress and energy levels?
Lydia Essig 11/14/2023 6:05 AM
I think disconnecting from email has definitely reduced my stress levels because I get a lot of updates on school from my email. When I'm not checking my email or getting notifications about school all the time I stress out less about it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

In what neighborhoods or areas of your region are landfills or other waste sites located? Which communities are most affected by these locations?
Lydia Essig 11/13/2023 12:11 PM
The closest landfill is about 12 miles away from the high school. It’s several miles away from the city proper, so the communities it affects are going to be the more rural ones. These areas might be poorer than ones near the city.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

Our ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors, including market demand for recyclables. Luckily there are places that accept uncommon things to recycle or dispose of in a less harmful way. What did you find when looking for places to recycle items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin?
Lydia Essig 11/13/2023 5:38 AM
Things like cell phones, batteries, and tires can't be recycled using your normal bin. Harder to recycle items have to be taken to special recycling facilities.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

What are some of the needs that water meets or benefits that water provides for you?
Lydia Essig 11/13/2023 5:28 AM
Every living thing needs water to survive. Water keeps me alive, hydrated, and healthy. Water also provides me with basic hygiene and sanitation.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Lydia Essig 11/09/2023 5:35 AM
People in richer countries eat more meat because it is pretty expensive and people in poorer countries might not be able to afford them. Eating a lot of meat not only produces a large carbon footprint, it also wastes a lot of the grain and crops that we can eat, as livestock eat a huge portion of the corn produced in America.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?
Lydia Essig 11/08/2023 6:47 AM
We use partial solar energy in my house, but we're also connected to the Duke power grid that uses fossil fuels to generate electricity. The fossil fuels affect our environment by polluting it, but solar helps our environment because it's clean and renewable.

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