Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Oliver Gaines

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
447 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

125

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

locally sourced meal

consumed
UP TO

8.0

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

-1.3

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Oliver's 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

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 1 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.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Use Public Transit

#37 Mass Transit

I will use public transit 2 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to -0.33 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY 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.

UNCOMPLETED
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 5
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.

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

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 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

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 15 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

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

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 5 friends, family and/or colleagues.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

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?

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?
Oliver Gaines 4/24/2018 10:19 AM
At this point, the only communities that can become truly sustainable are small ones made of like-minded people who all emphasize sustainability as a goal. People's lives largely depend on unsustainable practices (especially in more developed countries), and a pretty massive and widespread change in mindset would be required in order to achieve sustainability. To me, that change in mindset is the most important and vital step towards creating larger sustainable communities. People just need to realize that we don't have an infinite amount of anything here on Earth, and that the only way to secure a healthy and prosperous world for future generations is to get our act together and treat the Earth like what it is: our home.

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?
Oliver Gaines 4/24/2018 9:46 AM
It isn't incredibly windy here in Asheville due to all the mountains and such, but some areas downtown can get real gusty. I could definitely see some micro turbines being set up near Pack Square, especially on College St. going past the courthouse. I go down there every day and almost always get hit in the face with some relatively strong wind.

Read More
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!
Oliver Gaines 4/24/2018 9:23 AM
Initially I would've attributed the term "biomass energy" to ordinary wood stoves and boilers, which aren't exactly environmentally sound. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much cleaner biomass actually is, and how it can save communities laods of money. Getting to know the difference between different types of fuel sources like hog fuel, cord wood, and wood pellets was also enlightening.

Read More
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?
Oliver Gaines 4/16/2018 9:33 AM
The concept of raising livestock in areas with trees wasn't exactly a foreign concept to me, but I didn't know there was a word for it until now. I also had no idea that it could have such a positive environmental impact. If i had to choose the biggest advantage of silvopastures, it would probably be the fact that it sequesters emissions while at the same time making farmers' jobs both easier and more productive. Even if they're initially costly to implement, it seems like silvopastures pay for themselves real quick, both financially and environmentally.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

How has your access to various kinds of transporation throughout your life influenced your current attitudes about transportation and your transportation behavior?
Oliver Gaines 4/12/2018 9:44 AM
I don't particularly enjoy riding public transport, but I've ridden pretty much every form of it, from buses and subway trains to cable cars and boat ferries. I don't have a car, so I'm pretty used to having to find other ways to get around.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Oliver Gaines 4/12/2018 9:21 AM
Honestly, I'm sometimes reassured by the fact that i'll most likely be dead by the time climate change turns the globe into an uninhabitable wasteland. It's not exactly the healthiest attitude to have, but at least it lets me actually sleep at night.

Read More
- Randy Zhang 4/12/2018 9:29 AM
  That may help you sleep at night, but it doesn't help someone in India sleep at night. You seem disillusioned with locality bias when these issues impact so many people in ways many of us can't even imagine.
  
  Read More