Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Laurel Kruke

Illinois Green Alliance

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
590 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

245

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

26

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched

Laurel's 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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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

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 1
DAILY ACTION

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

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

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

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

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?

Laurel Kruke 4/26/2018 9:27 AM
This was a great challenge! I learned a lot of new things, and think some of these habits (being conscious of palm oil in my diet and products, and eating less meat) will stick. I am still trying to start using a compost/food waste collection service, but approval from my HOA is slow-going... hopefully I can start this soon!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Laurel Kruke 4/24/2018 12:01 PM
There were many agriculture strategies that I had heard of, but wasn't very familiar with - silvopasture and multistrata agroforestry to name 2. The idea behind multistrata agroforestry makes a lot of sense, and seems like a productive way to use land in complementary ways. The EcoChallenge also pushed me to research more about plant-based diets, which I have been interested in for a while, and now feel much more prepared and knowledgeable to make lasting change in my own diet.

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!
Laurel Kruke 4/20/2018 11:17 AM
I have heard about biomass before, but I didn't realize the breadth of the categorization; there's so much opportunity for bioenergy! One thing that stuck out to me is that it needs to be produced and captured in the correct way. Just burning wood isn't necessarily a more sustainable method of producing energy; having technology that captures the outputs to reuse into heat makes it a more effective solution. It's also an effective way to dispose of organic waste (again, as long as the byproducts are captured and re-purposed into something useful, like heat).

Read More
Laurel Kruke 4/20/2018 7:08 AM
Did you know that one of the themes for Earth Day 2018 is to reduce our plastic pollution? Check out the Earth Day Network site for more information about how to reduce the amount of plastic we use and how to keep if from going into the landfills. https://www.earthday.org/

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Laurel Kruke 4/19/2018 11:40 AM
I had heard of methane digesters, but wasn't very familiar with how they worked, so after watching the video yesterday, I dug into it a little more. I also spent some time looking into waste-to-energy systems, and am particularly interested in how these two solutions can work on a larger scale. How can they be cost-effective, and provide power to neighborhoods, campuses, or entire cities? What barriers need to be overcome (other than cost)? Some food for thought and continued research on my end.

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?
Laurel Kruke 4/18/2018 10:38 AM
I didn't realize how much of my diet was contributing to deforestation! I am trying hard to eliminate palm oil from my diet (and other products in my life), and have been pretty good about that. I am also almost done with my bag of coffee at home (which is Starbucks brand) and will be looking for the Rainforest Alliance Certification next time I buy. I have been cutting down on the amount of meat I eat, but I love cheese, so it has been (and will be) challenging for me to eliminate dairy completely... I am also telling my friends and family about palm oil, so am trying to spread the message!

Read More
- Deborah McNamara (EcoChallenge Staff) 4/18/2018 11:17 AM
  Laurel - yes, I'm working on the same challenge. Thanks for sharing these reflections!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Laurel Kruke 4/17/2018 11:12 AM
I did some reading today about district energy heating and cooling systems. They sound like an excellent way to provide energy to buildings and campuses efficiently. I found it interesting how other countries (especially in Europe) tend to utilize these systems more frequently than the US, and I'd like to continue to learn more about these systems and their applications in different contexts (cities, campuses, US/internationally).

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What are your next steps for saving energy?
Laurel Kruke 4/13/2018 10:54 AM
I took the online energy assessment today which was quite interesting. I was waiting to replace the lightbulbs in my new condo with LED bulbs when they burnt out, but it may be better for me to replace them now. I have scheduled a free ComEd energy assessment for my condo, so they will be coming in June to share more ideas and options from my electric and gas providers!

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Laurel Kruke 4/12/2018 2:56 PM
Check out your local recycling website (for the City of Chicago: https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/streets/supp_info/recycling1/recycling.html/) to see what's recyclable in your area, and remember to make sure items are EMPTY, CLEAN, and DRY! For items that aren't typically recyclable in your mainstream recycling, check out resources like TerraCycle for alternative recycling options.

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Laurel Kruke 4/11/2018 11:27 AM
If you're working on the challenge to eat more meals without meat, here's a good podcast about different brands that focus on plant-based proteins: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/episode-nineteen-hot-new-food-trends.

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