March 2017 Ignatian Carbon Challenge

This month’s challenge theme is: Resources on Action


Community Power Priority Challenge!!!

People to People: Lobby for no idling signs, bike racks, and a water bottle filling station

This is a concrete, actionable step that will educate your larger community.

First, start with the Idle Free School Toolkit aimed at creating an efficient campaign. Then, since you cannot take your city to Portland, take Portland to your city with the Bicycle friendly motivation from GreenBiz! Finally, once the cars are no longer idling and bicyclists fill the streets, join the OnAir campaign with other students who are taking action to improve air quality.


Buy Me: Collect a shopping bag worth of your own possessions to give away to a particular person.

“One person’s trash is another’s treasure.” Create a pro-social and environmentally positive repurposing loop. Experience one of the joys of simplifying!


Energy/Emissions: Use this EPA map to calculate the biggest emissions producers in your county.

Become familiar with your local emissions’ context and the scope of the problem.


Going Places: Create a dream vacation that is also low emission.

Can we create carbon neutral leisure?

Understand the effects of travel on emissions, and gain inspiration from the Jesuits of Asia Pacific who have initiated a carbon offset strategy to reduce the impact of air travel on the environment. Then, check out the NYT article about air travel, and Ten Ways to Be a Greener Traveler.


Food: Take a photo of (and then reuse!) the leftovers from each meal for three days. Post it using #iggycarbon and #loveyourleftovers.

A picture is worth 1000 words. Food waste is out, but infographics are totally in! Take a look at the food waste in the US, and food and carbon footprint emissions for insight on how society performs as a whole with our day to day activities.


Learn: Find out if your school sells bottled water, and learn about the Ban the Bottle movement.

If the amount of plastic bottles used at your school keeps you up at night, get your school to become a part of the Ban the Bottle Campaign. They have endless bottled water facts, and even a map of Ban the Bottle Campaigns that are going on around the United States right now!


Eco-Biography:Start a nature journal.

Creative nature journals are a great way to foster mindfulness and appreciation while deepening our bond with the natural world. The Sierra Club Nature Journal and more nature journal ideas is a great way to understand the purpose and ways to observe nature.


Prayer/Mission: Forgive someone, forgive yourself. Shed collective guilt to act with freedom for good.

Feeling ashamed/guilty is not effective, but collective action is. Forgiveness is a gift to ourselves and the forgiven! Take a look at, Down With Guilt (LA Times) for a unique look on how to affect change in society.


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