Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Joseph Hanlon

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
676 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

185

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

14

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

Joseph's actions

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will support women-owned businesses when I shop this month.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Connect With A Nonprofit

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on womens' or girls' issues in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

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

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

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 7
DAILY 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

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

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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 7
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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 60 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 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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
Electricity Generation

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? Were you surprised by the information you found?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 7:04 PM
There are 3 basic forms, basin, stream, and dam. Tidal energy is super cool and harnesses usable energy otherwise wasted. There are some environmental setbacks, including the disruption of habitat and river flow. It is not as feasible in North America as other places, but several large scale plants have been constructed in China and France. It could act as a small energy supplement in America, but other countries could gain from investing in it.

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?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 7:02 PM
I think it would be hard to invest in Geothermal at my home in Asheville. I am looking at trying to incorporate solar energy though! Geothermal works well in Asheville and we visited a LEED certified house utilizing it.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 6:58 PM
Make sure you keep your yard and house appropriately fitted for rain and runoff! This includes mulching, and the strategic and appropriate planting of plants.

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?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 8:39 AM
Order smaller dishes and enjoy them more than being focused on the amount of food eaten.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than other countries, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 8:39 AM
Wealth, cultural norms, and moss production of livestock. I think this happens because people want quick, and appetizing food and meat often falls into that option. We need to promote meat alternatives as enjoyable, and help make them cheaper.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 8:37 AM
To go to nice family dinners, buy cool clothes, and take trips!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. How can you better support communities by supporting women?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 8:31 AM
Buy from female owned businesses and enterprises, remain educated on issues impacting women and their development.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?
Joseph Hanlon 4/25/2018 8:31 AM
Try and buy items that substitute disposable alternatives (metal cup vs new plastic on each time. Reuse older items for new use, and buy used things. Try to fix anything broken.

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?
Joseph Hanlon 4/24/2018 9:28 AM
I drink iced coffee most mornings and coffee is a major contributor to deforestation, because each coffee plant has to replace a native plant in a forest. I also drink a lot of dairy. The cost of producing milk is really high and consumes a ton of resources and land. If I reduce my coffee and dairy consumption along with other people, I can help to quell some of the ill effects of this industry. I have started to get tea instead of coffee sometimes which helps. I can stop drinking milk as well.

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?
Joseph Hanlon 4/24/2018 9:18 AM
The overuse of forests is a real threat to the worlds eco-health. Over logging, mining, dam and road building a major contributors to tree loss and in turn loss for carbon sequestering. By learning about issues like the reduction of temperate forests it can help make other people aware and in turn reduce the impacts.

Read More