Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

David Gibson

Drawdown CDC Colorado

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
844 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

2.0

donations

made
UP TO

170

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

8.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

David's actions

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will donate to The Nature Conservancy, which works with Indigenous Peoples to secure land tenure and resource rights, support improved governance and local institutions, assist in natural resource mapping, planning and management; and strengthen livelihoods and sustainable economic development.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

#30 Methane Digesters (large), #64 Methane Digesters (small)

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Connect With A Nonprofit

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on womens' or girls' issues in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Support Microgeneration in Low Income Countries

#48 In-Stream Hydro, #76 Micro Wind, #78 Microgrids

I will make a donation to a nonprofit that installs microgeneration in low income countries.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 5 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

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

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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
Buildings and Cities Express My Support

What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?

David Gibson 4/15/2018 7:34 AM

I learned more about Bicycle Colorado and expressed my support for their mission. I work from home - so I am not a bicycle commuter - my biking is mountain biking on the trails around Denver.

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- Lisa Pettitt 4/16/2018 8:19 AM
  
  Can you tell us a little bit about what you learned, David? Is this related to the Denver bicycle program at all? We used the bicycle program in Chicago once while on vacation there, and loved how if afforded us the ability to get to places faster without having to worry about parking. We took light rail down to the Rockies game the other day and thought about how the bicycles might come in handy if we go that way downtown again.
  
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David Gibson 4/15/2018 7:21 AM

Hey CDC teammates -

We are 60th out of about 700 teams (top 10%) in the overall competition and were are ahead of both teams we are in challenges with - lets keep up the friendly competition !!!

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- Test Test 4/19/2018 2:42 PM
  
  Woot! Woot! You are rocking this eco-challenge, David!
  
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- Lisa Pettitt 4/16/2018 8:17 AM
  
  Thanks for the encouragement, David!
  
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David Gibson 4/13/2018 5:10 AM

At it's heart - this Eco Challenge has expanded my awareness and knowledge on a number of issues that I was unfamiliar with - such as silvoculture and regenerative agriculture - and has illustrated the power of collective action

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- Test Test 4/19/2018 2:43 PM
  
  I agree 100% with you, David. I would love to learn more about Regenerative agriculture...thanks to your post here!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

David Gibson 4/12/2018 8:31 AM

I had not heard of silvopasture prior to joining the Eco-challenge - what strikes me is the opportunity for connection between livestock, pasture, and forest - as opposed to viewing these separately - eager to learn more about how this can be translated to address deforestation in the parts of Africa I am working in doing rural electrification work

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- Lisa Pettitt 4/16/2018 8:24 AM
  
  I am so grateful, David, that you have the opportunity to bring your knowledge and spirit to the African continent!
  
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David Gibson 4/12/2018 8:15 AM

It's great to see the combined efforts and results of everyone involved in the Eco Challenge !!!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

Indigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?

David Gibson 4/11/2018 4:31 PM

I took a different route on this activity and made a $50 donation to Ripple Africa (www.rippleafrica.org) - which is an organization doing forest conservation in the Kandoli Hills of Northern Malawi - where the forest cover has been disappearing at a rate of ~1% per year over the last 30 years. Check out the impact that this organization is making in addressing deforestation in this achingly beautiful place

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- Test Test 4/19/2018 2:56 PM
  
  This is WONDERFUL, David. I have also chosen a unique route and am researching best ways to help and donate to the locals around Lake Victoria regarding: fish, water and erosion issues, as well as women owned businesses in Kenya. I stayed with a family on Rusinga Island a long time ago and experienced some crazy ecological and cultural results from a well meaning haplochromis ecology survey team.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Connect With A Nonprofit

What are the most pressing womens' and girls' issues in your community?

David Gibson 4/11/2018 10:28 AM

I have connected with Girls Inc here in the Denver, CO area through my daughter - who is an Early Childhood Education student at University of Colorado, Denver and is a volunteer there as part of her student teaching requirements

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?

David Gibson 4/09/2018 1:55 PM

In reflecting on this use of methane digesters on the Michigan State University Campus - one way to look at a sustainable community is one that uses waste products as feedstocks for new processes - adopting an "industrial ecology" model. In my work in rural Africa - there is a gap in the availability of electricity to power refrigeration equipment for small dairy farmers - which results in significant food waste. In this context, manure from the livestock is being used as a feedstock to fuel methane digesters - which then generate electricity for refrigeration equipment for the milk.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

David Gibson 4/08/2018 2:05 PM

I spend much of my time in Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda doing rural electrification work - so I will reflect on this question from that perspective. In the rural areas in these countries - women seem to have very traditional roles - raising the children, looking after the home, etc. What is unique in this setting is that without access to electricity and with primitive homes and subsistence agricultural lifestyles - women end up being marginalized largely due to "time poverty" since much of their time is spent fetching wood, fetching water, taking their crops to the local grain mill, going to the market - which leaves little time and energy to participate in community affairs

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- Test Test 4/19/2018 3:01 PM
  
  Wow...I experienced the same thing in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, etc. many years ago and wonder how much improvement, if any, these women have experienced over the years. I find your insights about lack of access to electricity very interesting. Another hurdle for these amazing women...
  
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- Emily Ndungu 4/08/2018 6:11 PM
  
  Thanks David for helping the above countries; what you have shared is a reality to most African women. I come from Kenya so, I have experienced what you say. I wonder if you can add us in your list.
  
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David Gibson 4/08/2018 7:00 AM

Day 8 already - having so much fun learning new things enjoying this process with my team members

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