avra cohen

New York Aquarium

"Saving the only planet to which I currently have access, for myself and future generations. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
163 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

6.0

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

2.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

plastic straw

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

2.0

zero-waste meals

consumed

avra's actions

Community

Raise Money For a Nonprofit

I will raise money to support a nonprofit dedicated to plastic pollution reduction.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Pets

Rubber Glove Pet Hair Removal

I will use a rubber glove to remove pet hair from clothes, carpets and furniture.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden in my home, workplace, or community garden

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Utensils

I will keep 3 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

I will prepare 1 meal(s) at home each day without using any items packaged in single-use plastic.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Create Your Own Action

Zero Impact Wilderness Exploration

Traveling to the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area in northern Minnesota, portaging across a section of small lakes. 'Leave no footprint' is the minimum expectation for anyone visiting this area. I intend to bump that up a notch by mindful selection of gear and supplies that likewise have minimal carbon footprint and environmental impact.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Community Raise Money For a Nonprofit

What are organizations in your region doing to address plastic pollution or other related issues? How can you support them?

avra cohen 7/21/2019 8:36 AM

New York Aquarium has been promoting the discontinuation of single use plastic due to its impact on the marine environment. Support the NYA by visiting, by volunteering, or by donating to their parent organization the Wildlife Conservation Society.

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avra cohen 7/16/2019 12:22 AM

Gonna retire my trusty MSR dual-fuel camp stove and try a more carbon friendly system. Ordered a Bio-Lite rocket stove that burns twigs and leaves instead of white gas and propane. As a bonus, it produces electricity to charge your gadgets: lights, radio, etc. Next step is to carve my own canoe paddle!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Skip the Straw

Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.

avra cohen 7/16/2019 12:11 AM

Yes, and I applaud the recognition of this terrible habit. I don't have much use for straws myself, but I've been looking for individually wrapped paper straws and found them hard to source in less than restaurant quantities of 1000.
I have written and signed petitions asking various fast-food purveyors to discontinue their distribution of these turtle killers, always sending along that gruesome picture of an afflicted marine turtle. Though these pleas seem to fall on deaf corporate ears, I am ever hopeful that a rising tide of protest will eventually see results.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use Reusable Utensils

How can you be an advocate for using resusables instead of disposables for the rest of your community? Where are they currently dependent on disposable cutlery, and how can you convince them of the need for change?

avra cohen 7/15/2019 11:57 PM

I always carry chopsticks and relish the opportunity to whip them out. I used to carry a bamboo spork in my wallet, but that did not fare so well. I have a titanium one now, but frankly I prefer the chopsticks.

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avra cohen 7/15/2019 11:51 PM

As an older adult, I like to think of my life-span as having encompassed the great liberation movements of my generation. But I also recognize that the introduction of plastics really took off in the 50's and now we find ourselves drowning in our own non-biodegradable waste. I have fond memories of all the plastic toys I enjoyed as a child, but I'm dismayed to reflect that they are now likely in a landfill somewhere and will probably be around in one form or another for many decades to come.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Cook a Zero-Plastic Waste Meal

Do an inventory of your kitchen to see how many single-use plastics you've used in the past. What are some resuable alternatives to these commonly used products? What would your impact be if you switched all the single-use products from your inventory to reusable?

avra cohen 7/15/2019 11:31 PM

I don't have a lot of single use plastics. But when I get take-out food I use the containers for as long as I can keep together the matching lids. I mostly use them for freezing stock, sauces and soups.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Use Reusable Containers

How can you think outside the box (or bag!) when it comes to disposables?

avra cohen 7/15/2019 11:27 PM

Alternative to plastic wrap: https://www.shopetee.com/pages/how-it-works
No, you can't see through it, but the different colors are a useful code.
Most times, simply putting a plate over the bowl is sufficient. A damp kitchen towel is also a useful alternative.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Plant a Garden

Besides having access to fresh herbs and vegetables, what benefits will you see from growing your own garden?

avra cohen 7/14/2019 7:12 AM

Tending a garden is a meditative experience. Cultivating edibles is doubly rewarding: you are nurturing life that will in turn nurture you, a suitable metaphor for the interdependence of all living things and Mother Earth.

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avra cohen 7/14/2019 6:45 AM

I am both late and early to this effort. Just caught wind of this particular challenge, but I've been railing against single-use plastic for the past decade. As an avid diver I am especially dismayed by the plasticization of our oceans and the implications of this on the bottom of the food chain that supports all life. Alarmingly micro-plastics are now found in everything from drinking water, to table salt, to mother's milk: https://www.earthdecks.net/plastic-water-salt-milk/

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avra cohen 7/14/2019 6:13 AM

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