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Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar

Prabhakar Devavaram

Boston Children's Hospital

"Celebrate Earth day!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 190 THIS WEEK
  • 927 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    200
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    4.0
    single-use bags
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    5.0
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    4.1
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    3.0
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    2.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    76
    additional oz of water
    consumed
  • UP TO
    110
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    45
    minutes spent
    learning

Prabhakar's actions

In Our Communities

Volunteer in My Community

I will volunteer 4 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

In Our Communities

Buy From a Farmers Market

I will purchase produce and/or meat from a local farmers market or food co-op to make 2 locally-sourced meals.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Adjust the Thermostat

I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat, and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

One Healthcare

Environmental Footprint of Healthcare

I will spend 45 minutes learning about the environmental footprint of the healthcare industry, how it impacts health, and ways I can help reduce it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Shorter Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Needs Vs. Wants

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

At Work

Biking or Public transportation to work for Earth month!

I aim to continue biking to work year-round, as it’s the fastest and most efficient option for my 2-mile commute, and I successfully maintained this habit through most of last winter. My aim is to cont this for 2025 including the winter.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

At Work

Turn It Off

I will turn my computer monitor(s) off at my work station when not in use to save energy (I will follow my organization's IT instructions for keeping on, turning off, or restarting computers).

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

One Healthcare

Use A Reusable Mug/Bottle

I will keep 10 disposable cup(s) and/or bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle, cup, or mug.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

At Home

Compost Food Waste

I will avoid sending food waste to the landfill by composting my food scraps.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

At Work

Greenwashing

I will spend 45 minutes learning about greenwashing and how to avoid it.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Well-being

Healthy Hydration

I will improve hydration by drinking an additional 32oz of water each day. I will do this by drinking additional servings of water or by drinking water in place of other less healthy beverage options.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

In Our Communities

Use Reusable Bags

I will refuse 1 of single-use paper or plastic bags each day by bringing my own reusable bags or carrying purchased goods another way.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Health & Well-being

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 20 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Health & Well-being

Celebrate a Personal Win

No one person can do everything, but we can all do something. Making one person's worth of difference matters! Share an impact you made related to an Ecochallenge action that you are proud of in the feed.

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?


  • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/24/2025 6:05 PM
    BCH has improved its standing in the EcoChallenge organizational rankings, moving up to 7th place—small victories worth celebrating!

  • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/22/2025 4:47 PM
    After ranking at 9th among participating organizations in Eco challenge 2025 for sometime, BCH moved into 8th on Earth day!

  • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/22/2025 3:55 AM
    How do we celebrate Earth Day?
    I've been sharing this with OR colleagues who have signed on to Ecochallenge. Please consider completing 1–2 Ecochallenge actions—every effort counts. I'm happy to help if you need assistance getting started or navigating the site.

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health & Well-being
    Why is celebrating important? What are some ways that you like to celebrate?

    Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/20/2025 4:41 PM
    Celebrating lifts my spirits. I enjoy sharing with my family the things I consider meaningful and worth being happy about
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    In Our Communities
    What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items, but don't have a reusable one with you or aren't allowed to use the one you brought? What tips do you have for others who are trying to form a habit of using reusable bags?

    Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/14/2025 6:54 AM
    Having a few reusable bags in the car helps. When I am biking my bike bag comes in handy for unexpected purchases.

  • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/11/2025 6:02 AM
    Took the 39 to work today, they even have new payment options, other than the charlie card!

    • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
      Prabhakar Devavaram 4/13/2025 7:31 AM
      Thanks Arielle,
      The CharlieCard is a contactless card introduced by the MBTA to replace the outdated token system. More recently, the MBTA expanded fare payment options to include contactless credit/debit cards and mobile wallets. Your question prompted me to check the origin of the Charlie card.
      The card’s name references a folk song about a man named Charlie who, due to an unexpected fare increase, is unable to exit the subway. In the song, his wife hands him a sandwich through the train window each day as he endlessly circles the city. Thanks!

    • Arielle Hoisington's avatar
      Arielle Hoisington 4/12/2025 12:29 PM
      • DIY Enthusiast 🔨
      That is awesome. If i am being honest, I have no idea what a charlie card even is!

  • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/09/2025 5:28 AM
    There are several good quotes in the learn more icon on composting - 'Food is going to rot, no matter what. All you have to do is help'
    And - “Meat scraps and bones will attract cats or skunks from a long distance, as will oils like olive oil,”

  • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/07/2025 8:50 AM
    We share office space among 3 to 5 attendings. While lights are on motion sensors, the room heat is often set high. It's acceptable, but easily turned down when leaving—so a "Turn It Down" category would have greater impact in our setting. Thanks!

  • Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/06/2025 5:08 AM
    Biking to work is one of life’s pleasures for me. I'm fortunate to live close enough to make it feasible, and with the expansion of separated bike paths in Boston, neighborhood cycling has become even more enjoyable.

    • Wendy Long's avatar
      Wendy Long 4/06/2025 6:31 AM
      • Tech Enthusiast 💻
      That sounds like a perfect way to enjoy going to work and then decompressing after a hard day.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    One Healthcare
    What surprised you most about the healthcare industry's impact on climate and health? What is one action you can take to make a positive impact?

    Prabhakar Devavaram's avatar
    Prabhakar Devavaram 4/05/2025 9:10 AM
    In England, the NHS accounts for an estimated 39% of public sector greenhouse gas emissions. In the U.S., healthcare contributes about 9% of total emissions—highlighting a significant environmental impact.

    Even a 1–2°C rise in global temperatures has serious implications. For example, a Boston Globe article last year outlined scenarios where local transmission of diseases like dengue, Zika, and chikungunya could become possible in the region with increasing temperatures .
    https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/06/29/metro/dengue-fever-massachusetts-cdc-health-alert/