Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Jessie Wells

Climate KISS Australia

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
706 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

32

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

378

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Jessie's actions

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

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Fund Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will donate to supply a community with reproductive health supplies.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Solar Water Consultation

#41 Solar Water

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

UNCOMPLETED
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 18
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Start a Social Media Campaign

#6 Educating Girls

I will share stats on gender inequity in education with my social media feed to raise awareness.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Purchase a Carbon Offset

#43 Airplanes

If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

COMPLETED 18
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

#6 Educating Girls

I will donate one or more Femme Kits to help girls overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

#8 Solar Farms

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 2 meal(s) from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

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 18
DAILY 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 12
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 120 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

UNCOMPLETED
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?

Jessie Wells 4/08/2018 8:57 PM

Do you ever feel a sense of grief over the impacts of climate change and ecological damage? This article helps to understand those feelings, and how they can lead to a clearer perspective, and action rather than despair:

"We do not see ecological grief as submitting to despair, and neither does it justify ‘switching off’ from the many environmental problems that confront humanity.
Instead, we find great hope in the responses ecological grief is likely to invoke.
Just as grief over the loss of a loved person puts into perspective what matters in our lives, collective experiences of ecological grief may coalesce into a strengthened sense of love and commitment to the places, ecosystems and species that inspire, nurture and sustain us."

- from a new article by Neville Ellis and Ashlee Cunsolo https://theconversation.com/hope-and-mourning-in-the-anthropocene-understanding-ecological-grief-88630

Photo: My PhD study sites in North Queensland, before Cyclone Larry in 2006

Read More
- Jessie Wells 4/12/2018 6:02 PM
  
  Yes! It is vital to prevent ourselves from being overwhelmed, especially if it leads to feeling debilitated/frozen. This article encouraged me to acknowledge the grief and work towards the "strengthened sense of love and commitment" that is so beautifully visible in environmental leaders such as Bill McKibben and Jane Goodall, and similar to those I have seen in some of my family who have suffered other forms of grief.
  
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- Jessie Wells 4/12/2018 5:56 PM
  
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- Jessie Wells 4/12/2018 5:55 PM
  
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- Jessie Wells 4/12/2018 5:53 PM
  
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- Heidi Edmonds 4/12/2018 5:45 AM
  
  I don't think the photos of your PhD sites uploaded Jessie -would be lovely to see your site pre-cyclone.
  
  I generally just try not to think about ecological grief or any chance of us not succeeding in reversing global warming (though reducing emissions and drawing down carbon) or at least finding ways to do some scary but possibly essential geoengineering. I kind of focus on my kids and selfishly think about how they might be affected and how to protect them. That keeps it all personal for me. But every now and then a piece of news about our changing climate, or a picture of an amazing animal somewhere on this earth comes my way and I get upset at the thought of such special creatures being at risk. The other day I saw a picture of a very cute elephant sliding down a mudslide in a jungle and I wondered what his/her ecosystem might look like in a couple of decades. And knew I had to try to protect that too.
  
  Thanks for sharing. I like the idea of "a strengthened sense of love and commitment to the places, ecosystems and species that inspire, nurture and sustain us" - maybe that's how I feel about the elephant. Certainly about my kids' futures.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Every dollar you put into solar or wind is a dollar not put into traditional financial institutions. You'll also be bolstering the fossil fuel divestment movement, too. What are some companies you know of that invest in green energy, and how can you support them?
Jessie Wells 4/04/2018 7:15 PM
DC Power Co. is Australia’s first solar-focused energy company, and is supported by the community organisation 'Solar Citizens' (solarcitizens.org.au).

They represent a new model for energy companies, where DC Power charges a monthly fee for services, in contrast with traditional energy companies whose profit-incentive is just to sell more energy.

Customers will be charged a reasonable monthly fee to provide the following solar-focused services;

Connection to the grid

Wholesale energy prices for grid energy top up

A fair feed-in tariff for any excess solar generated

Advice on optimising their solar system and usage

Regular maintenance tips

Insights into when it will make sense to purchase a battery or other home energy devices.

DC Power Co. have just launched their crowdfunding to raise equity, so any solar owners or supporters can become part-owners of the company by contributing $50. The crowdfunding is open until 15 April. www.onmarket.com.au/offers/dc-power-co

(We are not affiliated with the company in any way, we just have solar panels and support the new model that they represent for energy companies to focus on services rather than maximising energy sales.)
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- Jessie Wells 4/12/2018 6:08 PM
  
  Yes, anyone in Queensland can participate in funding the company, and the company will operate nationally! https://www.onmarket.com.au/offers/dc-power-co/
  
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- Heidi Edmonds 4/04/2018 10:32 PM
  
  Sounds great Jessie. Is this available in Queensland? I know Powershop offer wind power from the grid in QLD but its great to hear of this expanding solar presence.
  
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