Birch Ball

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
636 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

80

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

Birch's 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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Plan to Insulate

#31 Insulation

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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
Food

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?
Birch Ball 4/25/2018 10:28 AM
Its mostly just based on our economy and how easy it is to aquire fast food which mostly consists of meat products is the primary contributer. In order to shift our meat focused culture, a better alternative will have to be made. The reason people eat so much meat is its cheap, fast, and taste good. So until something else that isnt meat comes in and takes its place as a full meal mainstay, we are kind of stuck.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

How can you make your home more energy efficient?
Birch Ball 4/25/2018 10:10 AM
Currently in my home, we have a shattered window, and a wobbly window downstairs. A major step that my family and I can take is replacing those current windows and making our home as insulated as possible, to save us money, and to save energy.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?
Birch Ball 4/25/2018 10:09 AM
Well my family and I already try our best to repurpose or reuse anything possible in the household before then composting, recycling or finally throwing it out.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Birch Ball 4/23/2018 10:22 AM
Whenever the random thoughts of impending environmental collapse kick in, I always try and remember what my family and I already to do preserve our environment and atmosphere. It is a pretty big deal, but as long as im doing my part and can keep myself from really worrying about it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

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?
Birch Ball 4/23/2018 9:39 AM
From all the information I have seen, the most efficient method of geothermal use would be installation in large public buildings that have access to things like parking lots so they can make the most out of the system. It is still a great thing to be used in homes and smaller establishments, but its just not as big of a bang for your buck thing when it could be saving much more energy when used in other places.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

Had you ever heard of biomass techonology before this? What did you learn that surprised you? Share this with your friends!
Birch Ball 4/17/2018 9:28 AM
Yes I have heard of biomass before this, and thought I was quite familiar with it. What actually surprised me though is how truly renewable and efficient it can be if managed properly. It can be especially effective if implemented near farmland.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Had you heard of the term silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?
Birch Ball 4/13/2018 9:33 AM
I had never heard of Silvopasture before, and now it does seem definitely beneficial for farmers to at least have as an option, but it wont work for everyone, especially larger scale productions. I feel like the most beneficial part of silvopasture is how resilient the process can be to weather and climate changes.

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