Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Erik Lueders

USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

"Continually learning and improving is the driving force to make a better world"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
634 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

4.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

80

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

872

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

3.0

public officials or leaders

contacted
UP TO

2.0

zero-waste meals

consumed

Erik's actions

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 45 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

UNCOMPLETED
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 2
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will spend at least 25 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity Generation

Rooftop Solar Consultation

#10 Rooftop Solar

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 3 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Advocate For Greener Vehicles

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on electric and fuel-efficient vehicles.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Purchase a Carbon Offset

#43 Airplanes

If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.

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 Eliminate Toxic Plastics

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:56 AM

At my work we switched all Styrofoam trays to compostable trays. This is a major step. We're still trying to get an affordable compostable cutlery option though. At home we now use stainless steel straws instead of plastic.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 2

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:55 AM

We actively look at ingredient labels to make sure we're not buying thing that has Palm Oil or any associated oils, as to ensure we're not contributing to the deforestation in Indonesia.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Zero-waste Cooking

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:54 AM

We almost never have any food waste. When we make mostly vegetarian dishes, there isn't any concerning scrap that requires to be landfilled. Veggie scrap is either frozen to make vegetable stock, or composted.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

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?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:53 AM

I think the perception that meat is required for protein consumption is a major contributing factor to meat intake. Also, I don't think people are aware of recipes or meals they can make without meat. We never buy meat for the home anymore, and only rarely use eggs. We no longer use animal milks either.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Rooftop Solar Consultation

Identify some ways in which modern human societies have become unsustainable. What kind of roles do individuals have in creating and changing practices in society?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:46 AM

I am working with Bay4 and Generate Capital along with their subcontractor Straight Up Solar to investigate expansion opportunities to existing rooftop 25 kw PV arrays that are on top of all of the buildings of the organization that I work for.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Communicate With My Elected Officials

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:44 AM

I use the app Countable to communicate to elected officials on topics that matter to me. I have written several times to support the Clean Power Plan and abandon support for fossil fuel companies. I have also met with the offices of both senators with my colleagues to support the Energy Star program in any appropriations bill.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:38 AM

We decided to purchase a hybrid Rav4 for my wife recently. In the future I hope to replace my existing vehicle with a long range all electric vehicle.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Advocate For Greener Vehicles

How does advocating for green vehicles in your community connect to your values? How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to fuel-efficient vehicles?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:37 AM

We are finding ways to use more fuel efficient vehicles where I work, while also converting our diesel school bus fleet to CNG.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Purchase a Carbon Offset

A round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1 ton of CO2. Imagine a giant balloon with a diameter of 10 yards. If this balloon were filled with CO2, it would weigh about 1 ton. This flight would fill just about one of these balloons. What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?

Erik Lueders 4/21/2018 6:37 AM

I will take amtrak for certain cities

Read More
Erik Lueders 3/13/2018 8:21 PM

Just bought the book Drawdown, and I’m excited to dig in.

Read More