Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Ben Scott

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
520 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

4.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

255

minutes

spent learning

Ben's actions

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 2 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 2 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 2 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 30 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 15 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 25 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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
Land Use Advocate for Forest Protection

Higher standards of living are very often dependent on moving our environmental costs elsewhere. What are some specific ways in which the environmental impacts of your own lifestyle might be shifted elsewhere?

Ben Scott 4/26/2018 9:05 AM

We can eat better and not use fossil fuels

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Communicate With My Elected Officials

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?

Ben Scott 4/25/2018 7:53 PM

What inspires me to work on sustainable energy is thinking about the future generations. These future kids turned adults don’t need the problems that we can fix before they turn into problems. We can fix this all and put the earth and civilization down a good path if we all work together and start right now.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Ben Scott 4/24/2018 1:13 PM

Locally I feel like Asheville is becoming to polluted. We are starting to get sort of a big city feel. Kind of like a dirty smoky city vibe like Chicago. I think it would be very cool if we could fix this. Globally I feel like everything is going wrong. we are using way to many resources and destroying land without putting back. Our carbon emissions are insane and we are eating way to much meat. To me I personally think if we keep this up to much longer we will seriously regret it.

Read More
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?

Ben Scott 4/24/2018 1:07 PM

To me a sustainability reality is people being happy. We do need a huge cut off of fossil fuels and the government helping is very important. If the government was to cut funding on the military and use it to implement solar energy our economy and environment would flourish as a result and people would be happy. Also cutting-back on meat while not forcing people to do it would help a lot to.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 1

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?

Ben Scott 4/24/2018 1:00 PM

My diet is currently affecting deforestation in a couple of different ways. The meat i eat is causing land for forests to be destroyed to keep up my carnivorous diet. If I was to cut back down on my meat consumption the whole world would benefit.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?

Ben Scott 4/24/2018 12:02 PM

I really do not do anything. No matter how terrible that sounds I just do not feel my little actions will take an affect on this big world. Also some people are to ignorant to even acknowledge the existence of global warming.

Read More
- Linn Stanley 4/24/2018 12:14 PM
  
  I used to feel the same. But then I realized that if everyone did just a little bit to make a difference, say reducing or eliminating food waste, that WOULD make a huge difference. Also, I realize that my kids are watching and following my example. We bought a composter last summer and just acquired another larger one. They see me using it and help carry the countertop compost bin out to the backyard. I'm hoping that this will become routine to them and NOT doing it would seem weird to them when they are older.
  
  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?

Ben Scott 4/24/2018 11:46 AM

I will view sell by dates as the the best time for the grocery store to sell there foods. I look at best by dates as the time when the food is at its best and will taste the best

Read More
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?

Ben Scott 4/24/2018 11:29 AM

I honestly would love to start investing into geothermal energy. I currently am not at a point in my life where I personally have the financial ability to invest into geothermal energy. Despite this though I would like to inform people with the financial capibility the world saving of powers of geothermal energy. If everyone transitions to this form of energy our earth would be very happy.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food composting

Producing uneaten food squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these motivates you the most to change your behavior regarding food waste?

Ben Scott 4/24/2018 11:21 AM

To me food squanders really are the reason that pushes me to improve on my behavior to waste. Just today at lunch I saw countless amounts of calories macros and water being wasted. If that stuff was used to feed the poor starvation would drop a lot and change many things. And it all starts with our community.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Learn about Temperate Forests

As you learn more about the scope and seriousness of the environmental challenges we face, what impact does that have on your thinking and actions? What are the parts that feel overwhelming? What parts help you feel hopeful?

Ben Scott 4/23/2018 12:21 PM

It makes me worried because I don't want our forests to be destroyed. It makes me want to waste less food and be loud about respecting the forest. Temperature forests being safe will make the worlds carbon go down by 22.6 gigatons of carbon

Read More