Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Virginia Leary

Built Ecology & Friends

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,011 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

210

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

person

helped
UP TO

44

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

30

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

48

miles

traveled by bike

Virginia's actions

Women and Girls

Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

#6 Educating Girls

I will donate one or more Femme Kits to help girls overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go by Bike

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will commute by bike 12 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 7.43 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and subscriptions.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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 22
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

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Nutrient Management

#65 Nutrient Management

I will buy from organic and local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

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

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

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

Climate & Ecosystems

Calculate Your Carbon Impact

SDG 13

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how lifestyle changes could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Calculate Your Water Footprint

SDG 6

I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste.

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
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?
Virginia Leary 4/25/2018 11:52 AM
My vision for a sustainable community is a one that everyone thinks of others and does there part. There are abundant plant rich foods available, no litter, clean air and fresh water. In order to make this a reality we need to work hard to protect our air and water, encourage businesses to develop zero waste plans and be held responsible for the waste their items create. We need to subsidize plant foods so that people can have the option to choose a healthy diet rather than being forced into one full of meat and dairy due to economic reasons .

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

Why do you care about taking action on climate change?
Virginia Leary 4/25/2018 11:41 AM
I care because I am in the position to do so. There are so many people feeling the affects of climate change and unfortunately do not have the time or resources to do anything. I am taking action because I can fight for those people.

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?
Virginia Leary 4/24/2018 12:40 PM
I will make sure that I do an accurate test before throwing anything away or in the compost bin. I will inform my co-workers and friends of the differences to help reduce waste.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?
Virginia Leary 4/24/2018 12:11 PM
I get a CSA from a local organic farm in the summer, I enjoy eating with the seasons and connecting with others who participate this this as well. The farmers market is a great place to connect with people and focus on eating healthy local vegetables

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Virginia Leary 4/24/2018 7:38 AM
What concerns me the most is that there is so much information, and yet a lot of people just don't seem to care. Or they say things are "so sad", but aren't willing to make changes in their life to help change what is "so sad". I feel like people are so removed and too involved with their own lives to see the bigger picture and that is really upsetting. In America people think that their actions have no affect on people in other parts of the planet so they go about their days without regret. In reality we are all connected and we all play a role. On a small scale people can use their voice ( talk to representatives) or take small actions (avoid single use plastics, consume consciously). Just talking and educating people can cause a ripple effect of change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Virginia Leary 4/24/2018 6:50 AM
I try to do the best I can in all aspects of my life regarding my personal impact on the world. To combat concern, I try to focus on the good things that are happening and educate people around me why they should make a certain change or what perhaps they could be doing differently or better. With each new person educated, the knowledge and spread and that's how things change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What did you learn about the need for family planning? Share some of the learning with your friends!
Virginia Leary 4/23/2018 1:16 PM
A woman with access to proper family planning, contraceptives, and education will have a better chance at life beyond poverty and marginalization. We can reduce the amount of unplanned pregnancies in the world by educating women and showing them that there is more to out there then just taking care of children and tending to a farm. This is important to help reduce the rapidly growing population. Also to make sure children are being raised and safe environments.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

How does using human-powered transportation make you feel?
Virginia Leary 4/23/2018 6:12 AM
I love riding my bike to work and I'm so grateful to have the access that I do, even if it is not perfect and the infrastructure needs work. The weather has been awful this spring so I was not able to bike as much as I would have liked this month, but I was excited to be able to bike today. I feel more awake and energized when I bike to work.

Read More
Virginia Leary 4/17/2018 5:50 AM
On 4/12 I made Lentils and Rice and added in the leftover sauce from the shakshuka. I had that meal for dinner Friday and sunday as well. Sunday I added an egg for extra protein, so that was like leftovers into leftovers. I have been buying Broccolini and using the whole vegetable, the stems are thinner and easier to eat that larger broccoli stems. I stuck to a really strict budget when shopping Sunday and only bought what I needed to complete meals for the week. Last night I marinated tempeh and then just added in some arrowroot starch to the marinade to use it as a sauce for the tempeh.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. In what ways can you support your closest regenerative agriculture farm?
Virginia Leary 4/10/2018 7:38 AM
I first heard about Rodale and Regenerative Agriculture after watching a documentary called "Sustainable" and I was really intrigued by it. I have been learning about the detrimental affects of our food production system since college and it has been a big passion of mine ever since. I'd love to visit a farm nearby that is practicing regenerative agriculture and see if it is possible to volunteer there. I'd also love to see about investing in RA.

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