Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Steve Rothboeck

Citizens Climate Lobby

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
378 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

230

minutes

spent learning

Steve's actions

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

#5 Tropical Forests

I will replace or remove products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Advocate For Greener Vehicles

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on electric and fuel-efficient vehicles.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 5
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
Transport Explore Other Transport Solutions

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

Steve Rothboeck 4/11/2018 5:30 AM

The modernized transportation sector -- efficient trains, and boats, and planes -- make the future one we can be excited about

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

Steve Rothboeck 4/06/2018 8:01 AM

Several thoughts: first, those of us who are concerned about climate change, should "walk the walk". So driving a more fuel-efficient vehicle helps set a good example.

Second, for me there is a strong appeal to drive an all-electric vehicle and be totally independent and free from the need to put gas in my car.

Third, in the long run, a fuel efficient vehicle saves money!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Explore Other Food Solutions

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

Steve Rothboeck 4/03/2018 1:41 PM

Drawdown lists 80 solutions to reduce CO2e emissions. 17 of the 80 solutions relate to food. The number 4 (of the 80 total solutions) most effective solution is to switch from a meat centric to a plant rich diet. The excellent summary statement includes a comment that plant rich diets are more conducive to good health, then a diet that concentrates more on animal products. I might note as an aside, that a plant rich diet also decreases the number of animals subject to the cruel regimen of the modern factory farm.

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?

Steve Rothboeck 4/03/2018 11:19 AM

This useful (and funny) article is one I read with a guilty conscience. I can do better, much better, at controlling portion sizes. Here's an excerpt: "What pass for dinner plates at some American restaurants would feel like serving platters in Europe."

Read More
Steve Rothboeck 4/03/2018 11:05 AM

I retired a few years ago as a Planner with the Department of Defense. I've been involved in recent years with the Climate Reality Project and CCL. I was attracted to this Drawdown challenge largely as a way for me to better understand how we can curb greenhouse gas emissions.

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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?

Steve Rothboeck 4/03/2018 10:59 AM

My "significant other" and I often discuss the sell by/use by dates on products in our home. Some terms have an obvious meaning, but a couple are not at all...at least to me, intuitively obvious. Clearly understanding what these terms mean will mean less food is wasted in our household.

Here's an excerpt:

Expiration Date” means that. It’s the last day the food item should be eaten or used.

“Best if Used By (or Before)” date suggests eating the product before the date for the best possible quality.

“Sell-By” date suggest you buy the product before the printed date, but it doesn’t mean that product has spoiled…yet.

“Use-By” is self explanatory. Basically the last date to use the product at the peak of quality.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. In what ways can you support your closest regenerative agriculture farm?

Steve Rothboeck 3/30/2018 10:11 AM

A practical way to support regenerative agricultural farms in my area may be in the purchase of fruits and vegetables which such farms sell at local farmers' markets. It's less clear how to determine which farms are actually "regenerative farms" and perhaps our local Extension Service or Soil Conservation Service could provide guidance on this question.

Read More
- James Martin 3/30/2018 10:22 AM
  
  Great idea, Steve! I’m sure they can use all the support they can get.
  
  Read More
Steve Rothboeck 3/30/2018 7:48 AM

This is a structured learning process which each of us can tailor to our own interests. I'm looking forward to this!

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