Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Katherine Blankenship

Asheville High School!

"An AHS Cougar alum excited to learn how to make our world more green!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,028 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

225

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

3.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Katherine 's actions

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

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Connect With A Nonprofit

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on womens' or girls' issues in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
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.

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#54 Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Use Muscle Power

#49 Cars

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

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

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?

Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 1:57 PM
Check out this fun list I found of things you can compost!
kceh

Read More
Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 1:53 PM
I can't believe tomorrow is the last day! I've been keeping a running list of things that I'd like to continue learning about after the challenge is over. These include transportation options that are muscle powered (other than walking and biking), and seeking out a green roof to tour here in Asheville.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 1:51 PM
I never was a big bike rider, and a number of the transportation options outlined include using bikes around town. Instead, I've been trying to focus on ride shares, being efficient with my travel decisions, and trying to walk more instead of driving. My job is within walking distance of my house, and I'd like to get into more of a habit of using the greenways and sidewalks as my main way of getting to a from work and the grocery store.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 1:49 PM
I'm getting more and more interested in green roofs and how they work. A lot of my research and learning through this challenge has been centered around tiny houses, but I haven't been able to find an abundance of information on folks who have opted to utilize a green roof with their tiny home. I did find a couple of links to folks who have opted for a green roof on their chicken coops, and in their gardens, ideas I'd think my family could easily adapt!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What did you learn about the need for family planning? Share some of the learning with your friends!
Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 1:42 PM
The New York Times had an excellent article on the wage gap and children,https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/upshot/the-10-year-baby-window-that-is-the-key-to-the-womens-pay-gap.html read more here:

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

How could better walking infrastructure make your city both more enjoyable and more equitable?
Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 1:02 PM
Chad Bandy is our Asheville contact person for sidewalks! I know there are a number of sidewalks in my neighborhood, but I want to be more aware of areas in my town that are difficult to walk in and could benefit from some walking spaces! [email protected]

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? Were you surprised by the information you found?
Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 10:52 AM
The article provided appears to be from 2013, so I worked on finding some updated information on how wave and tidal energy is being used in the US. It turns out in 2013 the energy department invested in this energy source! Check out this article: https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-invests-16-million-harness-wave-and-tidal-energy

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

How can you make your home more energy efficient?
Katherine Blankenship 4/24/2018 10:44 AM
My sister already does a great job with this with our house, so I focused instead on my office! Inspecting windows for drafts, being aware of when the air conditioning or heat is on, and the temperature it's set to have all been helpful in becoming more energy efficient.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What are the most pressing womens' and girls' issues in your community?
Katherine Blankenship 4/23/2018 11:46 AM
I checked out OurVoice here in Asheville and learned about several of their programs geared to women and young girls. I was especially interested in learning about Kelly's Line, which is a resource number for sex workers in Asheville to report dangerous customers, seek support, and advocate for their rights to be treated with dignity and respect. You can learn more about this program and OurVoice by clicking here.

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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?
Katherine Blankenship 4/23/2018 11:31 AM
I remember learning about geothermal energy in my college geology class, but didn't realize there are a handful of plants in the US. I'd like to learn more about the cost benefit analysis, since it seems one of the issues that is regularly brought up in opposition to geothermal drilling is related to it's cost.

Read More