Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Maria Daniels

UNO/UNMC/NebMed Sustainability

"To turn these sustainable actions into habits."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
444 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

5.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

18

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning

Maria's actions

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

If I have to buy paper products, I will only purchase products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and subscriptions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Recycle Everything I Can

#55 Household Recycling

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Nutrient Management

#65 Nutrient Management

I will buy from organic and local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will support women-owned businesses when I shop this month.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 9
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
Food Reduce Animal Products

What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than other countries, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?

Maria Daniels 4/18/2018 8:25 AM

We are creatures of habit. I used to eat meat at most or all of my meals because it's what I was used to. It was the way I ate growing up. I think sometimes we do things to excess in our country. Now I don't consider meat a necessary component of each meal. You can get as many, if not more, of the same nutrients from plant-based foods. I eat meat occasionally but I buy higher quality when I do. Plant-based foods are more readily available and culturally acceptable than before. I think that helps with shifting mindsets about the way we eat.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Choose LED Bulbs

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next?

Maria Daniels 4/11/2018 8:32 AM

We are looking into better insulation for our house and adding insulation or weather-stripping to those areas of our home that seem to need it. At some point in the near future, the windows in our home will need to be replaced and we will choose energy-efficient windows.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Replace Manual Thermostats

How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for smart ones will positively impact your life?

Maria Daniels 4/11/2018 8:28 AM

It will save me money, be more efficient and make my home environment more comfortable.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Support Women-Owned Businesses

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. How can you better support communities by supporting women?

Maria Daniels 4/10/2018 12:16 PM

I can support more women-owned businesses in my community with my spending power.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Now that you know the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates, how will you view expiration dates differently?

Maria Daniels 4/10/2018 12:15 PM

I will view the dates more as a suggestion or guideline instead of a rule.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Support Nutrient Management

How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?

Maria Daniels 4/10/2018 12:13 PM

Doing my part to help the environment makes it seems as if we're all in this together and that one person's efforts can make a difference.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Smaller Portions

Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of this?

Maria Daniels 4/10/2018 8:32 AM

Other benefits of using smaller plates ... I could lose weight and I could save money by not having to prepare as much food.

Read More