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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
Zachary Franks's avatar

Zachary Franks

Comerica Bank

"To adjust daily activities in order to reduce waste and to explore ways of becoming more environmentally efficient."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,146 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    275
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    16
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    15
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched

Zachary's actions

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
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

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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
    Transport
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/25/2018 12:06 PM
    The most interesting fact I learned when completely 15 minutes of research on other transportation solutions is that transportation takes up about 23 percent of all emissions.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport
    Reducing (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?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/25/2018 12:03 PM
    Additional motivators for myself to switch towards a more fuel-efficient vehicle would be the cost of gas. I drive a lot so being able to go longer on a gallon of gas would have a large impact on me, financially.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of this?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/24/2018 11:13 AM

    By using smaller plates and consuming smaller portions, you actually have health benefits. This helps to avoid over eating, which can lead to obesity.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/24/2018 11:10 AM
    The most interesting fact I learned while researching other electricity generation solutions is that the power sector currently accounts for 40 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities
    How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for smart ones will positively impact your life?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/23/2018 10:18 AM
    Living in MI, we have a variety of weather from day to day. Having a smart thermostat at my cottage helps me make sure that the home is always at a good temperature while we aren't there. In the summer time, we turn off the air conditioning until we are about an hour away from arriving to the cottage. In the winter time, we keep the temp high enough so that nothing freezes, and we are also able to turn the heat up when we are on our way to the cottage.
    Read More
  • 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?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/19/2018 12:03 PM
    A Geothermal energy heating system is a feasible option for many people. the previous owners of my home installed a geothermal heating system which is also attached to my pond. The geothermal energy is used to heat my home and my pond even stays warmer throughout the year.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. In what ways can you support your closest regenerative agriculture farm?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/19/2018 11:43 AM
    When it comes to supporting your closest regenerative agriculture farm, you can shop at your local farmer's market (if that farm sells their products there).
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities
    Why do you care about taking action on climate change?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/12/2018 1:13 PM
    A huge reason why I care about climate change is because I want my kids, grandkids, and so on to enjoy this planet as much as I do. The climate change is a major threat to agriculture (the conditions our food is grown in is changing), the air we breath (which affects our health), natural habitats (artic animals struggle to survive), weather (More heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, storms), and many other things.

    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation
    Micro turbines can be placed on large structures to take advantage of stronger, steadier breezes. The Eiffel Tower now sports vertical axis turbines that produce electricity for use on site. Where could micro turbines potentially be installed in your city?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/12/2018 10:32 AM
    There is a multi-million dollar project going on throughout Detroit, which focuses on lighting up the city, mainly by street lights. Numerous street lights are being put up and current standing ones are being fixed. If Detroit was to place Micro turbines on some of the skyscrapers, they could help power the street lights. Businesses within skyscrapers can also benefit from setting up micro turbines to save on electricity costs.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation
    What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?
    Zachary Franks's avatar
    Zachary Franks 4/12/2018 10:26 AM
    Throughout my community, there are many things that contradict a sustainable community. It is hard for me to vision my community being a sustainable community. I think if a few large steps were made, my community could be far more sustainable than it currently is. A couple of these steps would include:

    1. Stop companies from dumping into our waterways and bodies of water (mainly Lake St Clair).
    2. Give each household a recycle bin for weekly pick up.
    3. Initiate more community gardens.

    Read More