Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Ada Holt

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
552 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

110

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

5.0

public officials or leaders

contacted
UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people

Ada's actions

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Women and Girls

Start a Social Media Campaign

#6 Educating Girls

I will share stats on gender inequity in education with my social media feed to raise awareness.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY 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

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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 3 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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
Materials

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Ada Holt 4/25/2018 10:21 AM
I am concerned most that humans are using up the natural resources and in the process of production and disposal we generate toxic chemicals that hurt human, animals, and plant health, and we produce emissions that increase climate change. We need to stop being a throw away society that prioritizes profit and externalizing costs over the well being of the Earth. We need to buy products that are made sustainably and then employ the 5 Rs refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

Higher standards of living are very often dependent on moving our environmental costs elsewhere. What are some specific ways in which the environmental impacts of your own lifestyle might be shifted elsewhere?
Ada Holt 4/25/2018 9:58 AM
When I buy a product like a toaster I am not paying for the damage done to the Earth in mineral extraction, I am not paying for the harm done to workers by being exposed to chemicals in factories, and I am not paying for the chemical leaked into the environment once it has been in a landfill after I discard it. Externalized cost from food, daily products I use, and appliances add up to harm people, animals, and the environment as a result. This is especially prominent because much of U.S waste and production is overseas.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?
Ada Holt 4/23/2018 10:33 AM
I am inspired by my teacher who works so tirelessly to make us better educated students and conscientious participants so we can impact our environment in a positive way. Also I am seeing the world around me change for the better and worse and I want to make sure that I become active in changing it for the better and holding the people who represent me accountable as well.

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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?
Ada Holt 4/23/2018 9:46 AM
It seems most feasible to have a community supporting micro-loans that way individuals can donate even small amount of money to help finance actions and products that they will be able to see to completion. Passive and active Geothermal can have an out-sized impact in the quality of life for those people as well as the people around the world.This way we can reach a sustainable future.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

How are people responding to the statistics you're sharing on social media?
Ada Holt 4/19/2018 11:14 AM
I sent the stats and a message out on a tweet and it has been liked more than it has been retweeted and no one has commented. I think it's important to get information of women's inequality especially in education out into the world. The only problem is that often people like or retweet but don't have an actual conversation about solutions and may not take action in their everyday lives. The #NowMoreThanEver campaign is an easy way for someone to donate even small amounts of money to make an larger difference. It is easy and fast and hopefully the more are away the more likely people will donate to support women's education.

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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?
Ada Holt 4/17/2018 9:44 AM
Currently I eat peanut butter and processed foods with palm oil, I eat many products with cocoa, I drink an occasional coffee, I eat a lot of bananas, I don't eat meat, and eat a little dairy. To decrease my negative impact I can eat less foods with palm oil, I have already switched my peanut butter. I can eat less thing with cocoa or find cocoa that is rain forest friendly harvested. I can not drink coffee or find fair trade shade grown coffee. I can eat organic bananas and decrease the amount. I can switch my dairy products out with things like coconut yogurt.

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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?
Ada Holt 4/17/2018 9:33 AM
I learned that sell by dates are just when grocery store are advised to sell them to customers so they know how many of the product to put out. Best by dates are a indicator for when the product is still the freshest, but past that date does not mean that is bad or spoil. Most products are good for awhile after that and you can tell more though look and smell. Thing like dairy and meat products spoil faster. An expiration date is more accurate. I will not trust those dates as blindly as I have before.

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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!
Ada Holt 4/17/2018 9:28 AM
No I haven't learned about biomass before. I was surprised that you can get federal funding and funding from organization in order to pay for the construction of biomass converter. I didn't realize a separate facility would need to be built. I was surprised how important it is to choose the right type of biomass, stuff that would otherwise go to waste and not native forests or crops. Also I learned that it is not a long term sustainable option.

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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?
Ada Holt 4/13/2018 9:30 AM
No I have not heard of silvopastures before. I think the biggest advantage of silvopasture is the duality of the economic and environmental benefit. That is that farmers have healthier livestock that produce more meat and milk, trees can produce products, and the trees sequester carbon to offset methane emissions and keeps the environment healthy.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Ada Holt 4/11/2018 10:01 AM
By researching ways I as an individual contribute to climate change, looking for practical solutions in my own life, look at news stories or articles on innovative ways people have found solutions, and encouraging others to do the same. I believe it is important to remember that while we as a species have caused such rapid climate change we also have the power to make small choices that together will slow, stop, and even reverse the damage.

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- Ada Holt 4/11/2018 10:04 AM
  Also I agree with eme that we cannot wait for the government to lead or become active in ways that are desperately needed.
  
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