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Welcome to Drawdown EcoChallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Drawdown EcoChallenge expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown
Drawdown EcoChallenge
April 4 - April 25, 2018
Katie Zabrocki's avatar

Katie Zabrocki

PAE - Portland

"Do no harm."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 762 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    1.0
    donation
    made
  • UP TO
    21
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    45
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1.0
    person
    helped
  • UP TO
    2.0
    public officials or leaders
    contacted

Katie'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.

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 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Local Perennial Biomass

#51 Perennial Biomass

I will spend at least 20 minutes finding out if anyone is working on perennial biomass projects in my region and how I can get involved.

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

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

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?

  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/25/2018 12:17 PM
    Today is the final day of the Drawdown Challenge so it will be my final daily post (for now) on Women & Educations. I'm wanting to close out my learning process by recapping a couple of key take-aways:


    1. Educating girls and women is good for their local communities & the global economy.
    2. Educating girls and women & family planning are the best ways to combat climate change although investment in these areas lags drastically behind other more technology based climate change initiatives.
    3. Overall, the educational access trend is improving but there are still areas that have wide disparities.
    4. Cultural expectations of women can have negative impacts on educational outcomes.
    5. Improving sanitation and and providing access to menstruation materials lead to better educational outcomes.
    6. Educating women leads to better health outcomes.

    Most of all, I feel it's worth saying that women are not simply reproduction vehicles and educational benefits are not only about lowering fertility rates. Equal educational access for women means we are opening up the potential for more intellectual capital around the world. More problem solvers, more inventors, more entrepreneurs, more scientists.

    Read More
  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/23/2018 8:23 AM
    Inspiring case studies about the impact of educational access to girls & women around the world.


    An example from Tara in Nepal:


    “I heard that staff, from a project called STEM, were in our village to collect information about out-of school girls to help them with their education. I put my name down and was selected to join the Step Programme. I participated in a financial literacy training of trainers’ course and learnt about household budget management and the importance of saving in life which had a very profound impact on me. I had never realised what saving could do, but after receiving the training I expanded my tailoring business and in the last three months alone I have saved around 40,000 Rs. After the financial literacy training, I delivered two trainings on financial literacy to more than 50 girls at clubs in two different schools; it really
    increased my confidence. I never thought I could face people like that or speak in public, but the training prepared me well and I was able to deliver both successfully. I received some money for delivering the training and I used it for our household expenses. Everyone sees the changes in me, from a depressed person to a motivated individual who now ‘glows’ and believes in doing something in life. I have realised
    that if you have the determination and the will, then nothing and no one can stop you.”


    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/415518/GEC-Case-Studies-March2015.pdf
    Read More
  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/20/2018 8:02 AM
    https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2016/02/16/climate-change-fertility-and-girls-education/
    Read More
  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/18/2018 2:10 PM
    https://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol18/iss1/art16/


    Read More
  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/17/2018 8:29 AM
    https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/whatworksingirlseducation1.pdf

    Read More
  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/17/2018 8:29 AM
    kids leftover scrambled eggs... breakfast?
    Read More
  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/13/2018 9:24 AM
    WASH (Water Access, Sanitation & Hygiene) play a critical role in keeping girls in school. Women and children collect 75% of the water for family and community needs in sub-Saharan Africa which is labor and time intensive. Additionally, lack of access to latrines or private sanitation exposes poor women and girls to health issues, risk of physical attack, and sexual harassment.

    Read More
  • Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/13/2018 9:23 AM
    egg & avocado w/ lemon - better than a lara bar!
    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?
    Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/12/2018 1:25 PM
    We try to be careful to distinguish between geothermal and ground source heat pump systems.  For us locally in Portland, ground source systems are certainly feasible, but throughout the state of Oregon, there is good opportunity for true geothermal systems. Continuing the 1.5% GET program a policy direction and offering incentives are important to normalize the technology & offset costs (especially related to drilling).
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
    Katie Zabrocki's avatar
    Katie Zabrocki 4/12/2018 1:20 PM
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

    Concentrated solar power is really interesting as an alternate energy generation and energy storage method.

    Concentrating Solar Power. Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the energy from the sun to drive traditional steam turbines or engines that create electricity. The thermal energy concentrated in a CSP plant can be stored and used to produce electricity when it is needed, day or night.
    Read More