

John Douglas
"Beat Eco Challenge Team"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,321 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1,450minutesspent learning
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UP TO40milestraveled by carpool
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UP TO8.0locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO40milestraveled by bus
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UP TO6.0public officials or leaderscontacted
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UP TO24meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO1,507pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO1.0donationmade
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UP TO30milestraveled by bike
John's actions
Electricity Generation
Communicate With My Elected Officials
#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)
I will write or call 1 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.
Transport
Try Carpooling
#75 Ridesharing
I will commute by carpool 10 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 1.36 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
Transport
Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail
#66 High-Speed Rail
I will spend at least 90 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.
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.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
#4 Plant-Rich Diet
I will enjoy 6 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.
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.
Transport
Use Public Transit
#37 Mass Transit
I will use public transit 10 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 3.25 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
Food
Learn More about Silvopasture
#9 Silvopasture
I will spend at least 20 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.
Electricity Generation
Learn More about Biomass
#34 Biomass
I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.
Buildings and Cities
Tour a Green Roof
#73 Green Roofs
I will set up a visit to tour a green roof in my city, and ask about the codes and process for installing a green roof.
Buildings and Cities
Go by Bike
#59 Bike Infrastructure
I will commute by bike 15 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 17.99 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
Buildings and Cities
Upgrade My Windows
#31 Insulation
I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.
Buildings and Cities
Replace Manual Thermostats
#57 Smart Thermostats
I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.
Buildings and Cities
Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions
All Buildings and Cities Solutions
I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.
Buildings and Cities
Research Retrofitting Incentives
#80 Retrofitting
I will spend at least 720 minutes finding out if my city, region, or state offers incentives for retrofitting existing buildings.
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.
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).
Electricity Generation
Advocate for Solar Installation
#10 Rooftop Solar
I will create a plan to and advocate for solar installation at my business, apartment building, or campus.
Transport
Purchase a Carbon Offset
#43 Airplanes
If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.
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.
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.
Electricity Generation
Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits
#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore), #8 Solar Farms
I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.
Food
Contact your Elected Officials
#23 Farmland Restoration
I will contact 5 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.
Food
Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates
#3 Reduced Food Waste
I will spend at least 120 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.
Transport
Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle
#26 Electric Vehicles
I will spend at least 300 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.
Transport
Conduct Virtual Meetings
#63 Telepresence
I will not travel for meetings and will instead conduct them virtually.
Electricity Generation
Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions
All Electricity Generation Solutions
I will spend at least 120 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.
Transport
Test Drive an Electric Bike
#69 Electric Bikes
I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportHow can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:42 AMVirtual meetings are harder to facilitate, but as long as you maintain good communication it can be benificial. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportReducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportHalf of all trips made in the US are three miles or less; 72% of them are driven. Private vehicles account for 60% of trips of a mile or less. Do you feel that these facts apply to you? If so, how might you incorporate an electric bike into your lifestyle?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:41 AMElectric bikes are useful because you don't have many drawbacks (speed etc.) and you can use them for short distance travel. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportA round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1 ton of CO2. Imagine a giant balloon with a diameter of 10 yards. If this balloon were filled with CO2, it would weigh about 1 ton. This flight would fill just about one of these balloons. What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:40 AMDo long distance travel by car. I know it isn't the best solution, but it is much better than planes. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFoodNow that you know the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates, how will you view expiration dates differently?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:39 AMI will start using food more efficiently and not passing use by dates -
REFLECTION QUESTIONElectricity GenerationDiversifying our energy supply and improving public health are just two benefits of renewable energy. What other motivators inspire you to consider installing a solar water heater in your home?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:39 AMI think that increasing our awareness of other problems with the environment can be benifited by our research -
REFLECTION QUESTIONElectricity GenerationWhat does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:37 AMWe need to focus more on reusing and promoting local economy to reduce carbon emissions -
REFLECTION QUESTIONElectricity GenerationWhat did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONElectricity GenerationYour utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your zipcode, and in your state. What steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:27 AMOur energy usage is lower than the average, but we can still work on it. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONElectricity GenerationWhat are other ways in which developing countries without the same infrastructure as developed nations can bypass old ways of doing things for cleaner and more environmentally friendly technologies?
John Douglas 4/25/2018 7:26 AMLeapfrogging! If solar energy is cheaper than coal energy (the next step after primary biomass), we can get countries to skip this phase of development. India is experimenting a lot with new solar energy.