Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Kristen Lynne

ABC's Sustainability Committee

"Recycling so that my son's children don't suffer from our mistakes. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,073 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

32

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

200

minutes

spent learning

Kristen's 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

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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 20 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

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

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 20 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 22
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 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 5 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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

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
Electricity Generation Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. What kind of investment seems most feasible for you?

Kristen Lynne 4/25/2018 6:37 PM

Meaningful financial investment may not be feasible for me, but I can contribute through time and advocacy.

Read More
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?

Kristen Lynne 4/20/2018 10:04 AM

Culture plays a large role in our meat eating habits. As a child, I did not like meat so I did not consume meeting. I was often criticized by my family, peers, teachers, etc. They thought it was behavioral. When I got to college, I started eating meat because I had limited options for food and it was more inexpensive to eat what was available. Now that I have a more adequate income, I am able to eat healthy vegetarian meals that I enjoy (and I don't care who gives me a hard time).

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?

Kristen Lynne 4/20/2018 10:01 AM

We replaced our thermostat with a smart thermostat and we are very happy. The temperature in our home is much more consistent and I suspect that energy costs will decrease.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Go Paperless

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?

Kristen Lynne 4/20/2018 10:00 AM

I have never been a fan of material "stuff". Nate and I have a rule that we make memories versus purchasing items for each other for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. We are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year and are going to a concert together rather than buying jewelry or other items.

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?

Kristen Lynne 4/20/2018 9:56 AM

The Yellow Monkey has a spring open house on Saturday, May 5th! Please attend or shop at the Yellow Monkey to support a female run business that promotes individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

https://www.facebook.com/events/234306863976741/

Read More
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?

Kristen Lynne 4/20/2018 9:50 AM

Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes will fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Learn about the Need for Family Planning

What did you learn about the need for family planning? Share some of the learning with your friends!

Kristen Lynne 4/13/2018 10:32 AM

Below are some statics from the article that I read. There are a great tool at the bottom of the article that allowed you to look at statics from different countries. Although the United States has decent access to contraceptive, this is still a lack of comprehensive sex education in the United States.

If all women in developing regions with an unmet need for contraceptives were able to use modern methods, an additional 35 million abortions and 76,000 maternal deaths would be prevented every year.

Complications from pregnancy and childbirth is the leading killer of adolescent girls (15-19) around the world.

In terms of socioeconomic benefits, achieving universal access to quality sexual and reproductive health services is estimated to yield returns of $120 for every dollar invested.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Kristen Lynne 4/11/2018 10:27 AM

My results stated "Your home in Rochester, MN uses more energy than your most efficient single-family home neighbors". I've noticed that my electricity and gas bills have been very high this year. My husband and I are going to sit down to talk about our energy usage and figure out what is contributing to this. One area that I know I can get better in is taking shorter showers. This will be a struggle for me, but I know it is something that I can work on.

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?

Kristen Lynne 4/11/2018 10:17 AM

Small plates= smaller waists :)

Read More
- Mary Eickemeyer 4/14/2018 6:40 PM
  
  Yes. My aunt has used this method for years to keep her weight in check.
  
  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?

Kristen Lynne 4/08/2018 7:39 AM

I’ve always been fearful about items being expired. I will do my best to be more mindful about checking if the item is fresh before disposing of it. I plan to clean my refrigerator and cupboards today so I will do my best to not instinctively throw things away.

Read More