Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Bethany Gangestad-Birk

ABC's Sustainability Committee

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,016 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

170

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

18

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

44

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people

Bethany's actions

Materials

Launch a Recycling Program

#56 Industrial Recycling

I will set up a recycling center at my workplace or school.

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

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 5 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 22
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

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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

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 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 Biomass

#34 Biomass

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/25/2018 6:32 PM
Refuse: not using plastic bags when eating produce at the store.
Repurpose: use old materials for art projects (which is super fun and makes for some interesting pieces!)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/25/2018 6:30 PM
The only vegetable that I don’t use everything for is peppers (don’t use the steam). Which I have yet to find a use for. If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them!

Otherwise, I cut up and use all of the veggies.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/19/2018 2:27 PM
I personally feel much more a part of the community when I walk or bike to commute. You get physically closer to people so that you can wave or have a quick chat as you pass one another. You also pay more attention to your surroundings (nature, buildings, etc.) that you do not necessarily get to see or experience driving.
The other day, while biking, I saw a sign for a church rummage sale that I would never have seen while I was driving - guess who is going to a rummage sale this weekend?

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How can you take your commitment to sustainable living beyond yourself? How can you, personally, work toward broader change?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/19/2018 2:22 PM
Education! Having conversations with anyone who is willing to listen about living a sustainable life. I've had numerous conversations with co-workers and family members since this challenge began about what recyclables will actually be recycled in our area and small steps we can all take everyday that will make large changes in the long run.

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!
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/19/2018 2:19 PM
I had not heard about biomass technology before this challenge. What I learned that surprised me are he basics of the technology: that biomass makes around the same amount of carbon dioxide that fossil fuels do, but when new plants grow it will take that carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere - so it is carbon neutral.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? Were you surprised by the information you found?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/19/2018 2:13 PM
I learned that this type of energy is best between 30 - 60 degree latitude. For both wave and tidal energy, there are multiple types of devices to generate electricity. Some have concerns about animal life based on what type of devices are used to generate electricity, but overall these types of energy are natural and feasible.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Now that you know the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates, how will you view expiration dates differently?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/17/2018 8:13 PM
I can now be more aware Of what actually needs to be thrown away for the safety of my health compared to what I can hold onto a little bit longer.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What are your next steps for saving energy?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/12/2018 7:47 PM
My apartment complex is one of the least energy efficient in Rochester/my neighborhood. It is an older complex that has many old, less efficient appliances.
To save energy we can unplug electronics from the outlets when they are not in use. We can also look into more efficient light bulbs as these seem to be our problem areas.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/12/2018 7:32 PM
I’ve been vegetarian for four years now. This diet does not contribute to deforestation nearly as much as a meat-rich diet does.
Not consuming a lot of soy products and even going vegan would help make a more positive impact.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?
Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/04/2018 10:46 AM
Prioritizing experiences over material objects is something I've been trying to do more in the recent years. It can be difficult because I have a collection of stuff from my childhood that has been rough to part with. Although, lately I have been buying less and instead going to local events, concerts, exploring the outdoors, etc.
I've noticed an increase in my happiness since I've shifted from prioritizing experiences over objects!

Read More
- Kristen Lynne 4/09/2018 5:54 PM
  I totally agree. Nate and I have always had an agreement that we would try to gift experiences to our children versus material items. We’ve always done that for each other instead of buying each other gifts.
  
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- Bethany Gangestad-Birk 4/04/2018 10:46 AM
  Reflection Question: What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?
  
  Read More