Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Gabriel Gregory

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
651 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

175

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

18

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched

Gabriel's actions

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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

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

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

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 2 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 2 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

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
Land Use

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?
Gabriel Gregory 4/25/2018 12:04 PM
My current diet doesn't hurt the enviroment so much, except for one major thing. That major thing is that I still eat large amounts of meat. This is bad because large amounts of land are being destroyed for cattle, and tons of food is wasted for these animals. I would need to go vegetarian or vegan to completely stop my impact on this.

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?
Gabriel Gregory 4/25/2018 12:00 PM
My vision is one that relies on eachother to support eachother, to each according to his need, to each according to his ability. You work to the best of your ability to help others, not for pay or for the love of a government in return, but rather because you know others will help you in return. This means there wouldn't be a need to capitalize on resources, so companies aren't going to be running around snatching up pieces of land for money. My only problem would be if the society works for their luxury too much and ends up creating an overly industrialized society.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Gabriel Gregory 4/25/2018 11:53 AM
I am personally scared of how much we will be able to reverse these effects and if we even can. Our society is entirely based around lifestyles using objects that are awful for the environment. This makes most people more reluctant to give up on these for a better future, and businesses will cash in on this and lobby for anti enviromental laws. This makes me fearful we won't have a strong enough majority to reverse these effects.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Gabriel Gregory 4/25/2018 11:46 AM
Plastic is an extremely common material made from fossil fuels, it is used for almost we use and is a key part of our society. But it is awful for the enviroment due to it's slow biodegradability and it being made from fossil fuels. This is why plant based Bioplastics could be extremely useful and help out the enviroment.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?
Gabriel Gregory 4/24/2018 12:16 PM
I don't think it would be too hard for the diet, but changing things such as toothpaste and shampoo would be hard.

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?
Gabriel Gregory 4/23/2018 12:04 PM
Food waste is one of the most major problems on earth, as both an enviromental issue and a survival issue. The world we live in is a positive sum game, yet due to capitalism and the consumer opinion, we make it a zero sum game. While some eat feasts, others eat crumbs. And most food we waste is simply due to the quality of it, from bruises to bumps. These create carbon emissions and is an extreme waste.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

As you learn more about the scope and seriousness of the environmental challenges we face, what impact does that have on your thinking and actions? What are the parts that feel overwhelming? What parts help you feel hopeful?
Gabriel Gregory 4/23/2018 11:50 AM
forests are forests that are mainly in the northern hemisphere, they have less flora and fauna than a rainforest and are split into two categories, deciduous and evergreen. Temperate forests are usually much more resiliant than rainforests, but they still face problems from carbon emissions.

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?
Gabriel Gregory 4/23/2018 11:31 AM
I think Geothermal would be a great idea. Like most other renewable energies, it does have strong startup costs, but this investment almost always pays off. Countries with the ability to use Geothermal Energy most definetly should.

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!
Gabriel Gregory 4/16/2018 11:22 AM
I had not heard much of Biomass before this. I learned that biomass isn't the best solution, but is more of a way to help the world transition from fossil fuels. I do agree that we should only use what is not or will not be used and not new materials.

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?
Gabriel Gregory 4/13/2018 12:17 PM
I had not heard of silvopasture before the video. I would say the biggest advantages are better food and foraging all around, and better financially for farmers and ranchers.

Read More