Mickey Barcus

The Circle School

"Just working to make a better place for my kids to grow up in."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
381 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

135

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people

Mickey's actions

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 5 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Launch a Recycling Program

#56 Industrial Recycling

I will set up a recycling center at my workplace or school.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

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
Materials

How can you take your commitment to sustainable living beyond yourself? How can you, personally, work toward broader change?
Mickey Barcus 4/25/2018 7:32 PM
Both at home and now at school, we are trying to minimize materials that head to a landfill or even the recycling center. I have set up containers in the art room at school (and in my studio at home) to collect paper scraps (that can be turned into pulp for new projects) and “interesting” trash items that are able to be cleaned and used in mixed media pieces.
In addition to lowering the environmental impact of their disposal and the creation of something new, this practice has changed the way I see materials and approach works and some of the students are already expressing the same sentiments.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Now that you know the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates, how will you view expiration dates differently?
Mickey Barcus 4/19/2018 7:18 PM
I will definitely pay more attention to which type of date is posted on the products we purchase and I went on to research signs of various “trickier” foods spoilage to feel more secure in discerning whether or not a product is really ready to meet its end in the organic’s bin.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? Were you surprised by the information you found?
Mickey Barcus 4/19/2018 7:15 PM
I’m intrigued by the concept of wave and tidal energy. I am glad that research is seeming to focus on finding locations where the structures will have little to no environmental impact on existing ecosystems. I am hopeful that enough funding will make this sustainable energy source a reality in responsible areas.

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Mickey Barcus 4/10/2018 8:09 PM
The past week, I have been more conscious of our food waste at home. Today, we only “threw away” some bad grapes and two uneaten bites of quiche. I used quotes because I have also been more diligent about using our organic materials bin, so at least this waste can go towards future growth.

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