Kim Smith

PCC Sociology Ecopanthers

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
954 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

6.0

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

265

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

3.0

water collection systems

installed
UP TO

566

minutes

spent learning

Kim's actions

Community

Learn About Constructive Communication

I will spend 120 minutes learning about constructive communication.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Research Voter Suppression

I will spend at least 60 minutes finding out what local laws, policies, and practices keep people from voting in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Collect Rain Water

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Use Resources for Climate Anxiety

I will spend 5 minutes each day trying out climate anxiety resources that support mental and psychological well being.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will shop at a farmers market or food co-op to support local farmers and businesses. By doing so, I may be able to learn more about who produces the food I eat and goods I buy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

Flying emits a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere which affects air quality and the health of our planet, animals, and people. If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What are the ways in which voters are prohibited from or discouraged from voting in your region and/or state? What could be done to get rid of these barriers?
Kim Smith 10/31/2024 1:37 PM
Thankfully, Oregon does not have as egregious of voter suppression as many other states, but it was quite shocking to learn that someone has burned several of our ballot boxes in Portland and Vancouver, WA. Praying that we will not face more losses over the weekend.

I am grateful that so many people and organizations help lobby to reenfranchise people who have lost their votes after completing time for committing a crime.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

A round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2—per person. That’s a lot of carbon! What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
Kim Smith 10/28/2024 8:52 PM
This is an important and challenging question for me, as my work has often called for some travel. Stepping back from some responsibilities has allowed me to do more work from home and to focus on some local issues.

While we did take a flight this month to meet our new grandson this past week, it was a shorter West Coast flight vs. continental or international. It also felt really good to get public transport passes, so we could just do light rail, busses, and even cable cars in San Francisco (the last manually-operated in the world!).

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- Kim Smith 10/31/2024 12:42 PM
  Thank you so much for your responses! That is really cool that you were able to do that in LA, Martin. So glad to know that they have built such an efficient transportation system.
  
  When we got home, it was at the height of rush hour in Portland, so we chose to take the Max and #44 bus home. It was so fun to zip along the Max line for $2.50 and enjoy some extra time and views of downtown.
  
  Congratulations on your new grandson! How fun for us all to be experiencing that blessing together!
  
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- Martin Monto 10/29/2024 12:25 PM
  I went to LA for fall break to see my new grandson for the first time. That's a big carbon emission! However, we ONLY rode the bus for transport the entire time. It was only 23 minutes from LAX to my airbnb, quicker and easier than an Uber. The city of Santa Monica has an incredible, fast, clean, safe, low emission bus fleet. And, for people 55 and over, it is only $0.50! Regular price $1.25, still incredibly reasonable. I did think it ironic that I got a senior discount at a point in my life when I need the discount the least. We need to rethink senior discounts, as people over 55 and even over 65 have much higher incomes and wealth on average than the rest of the population. Maybe let it kick in at 70?
  
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- Heidi Rolfe 10/29/2024 1:24 AM
  We should have incentives to avoid air travel. I know corporations say F2F is important but having clean air is more important.
  
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Kim Smith 10/20/2024 4:21 PM
We had so much fun at the Hillsdale Farmer's Market today! It was a beautiful Autumn day, with brightly-colored fall leaves, plenty of healthy food options, and lots of happy people.

I was particularly pleased to learn about the value of microgreens. I didn't realize that they have 4 to 40 times more powerful cancer-fighting anti-oxidants than full plants and vegetables. Brassicas, such as broccoli. cabbage, and arugula, are particularly valuable. Big thanks to Gee Creek Farm for teaching us these healthy lessons. There is lots of great information at this website: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-microgreens

I sure wish that we had started going to the Hillsdale Farmer's Market sooner. Having it on Sundays, from 9 to 1, makes it a lot easier to attend, too.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?
Kim Smith 10/20/2024 4:03 PM
I was a vegetarian for many years and was happy with that lifestyle. Then, I started dating omnivores and married a Midwestern omnivore, who likes meat and hot meals. We talk about ways to decrease meat consumption for environmental and health reasons, but I haven't made much headway.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How can you, your loved ones, the community, and environment all benefit from constructive communication?
Kim Smith 10/05/2024 10:57 PM
I have learned a great deal from listening to the book "Hold Me Tight." I wasn't familiar with attachment theories and how childhood and adult wounds can show up in unhealthy conversation patterns that can undermine relationships. The lessons related to Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT) will contribute in meaningful ways to help me understand the deeper needs and goals in my personal and professional relationships. https://holdmetightonline.com/the-program/

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- Kerry Keck 10/06/2024 8:14 AM
  Thanks for the recommendation.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

Is climate anxiety a new concept for you or something you have been following for some time?
Kim Smith 10/03/2024 5:28 PM
Climate anxiety has been a core part of my professional work and personal journey for many years. PCC students generously gave multiple eco-social justice grants to help a team I was part of to develop workshops on eco-anxiety, climate grief, and environmental justice. I have offered these workshops (partially based on Joanna Macy's "Active Hope" model) many times since 2016 and am grateful to have the opportunity to help people through these difficult emotions.

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Kim Smith 10/01/2024 7:06 PM
It is such a joy to be a part of the 2024 People's Ecochallenge. I have been participating in Ecochallenges since 2008 and they have changed my habits, home, and life! I am so glad that I can incorporate these opportunities into my PCC Sociology classes.

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