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Becca Mericle's avatar

Becca Mericle

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,386 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    252
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    15
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    12
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    42
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    145
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    6.0
    public officials or leaders
    contacted

Becca's 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 1
DAILY 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 1
DAILY ACTION

Transport

Use Muscle Power

#49 Cars

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

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

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Choose Better Wood Products

#38 Forest Protection

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

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 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Fix Leaky Faucets

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 3 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 15 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Test Drive an Electric Bike

#69 Electric Bikes

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 1 meal(s) from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 12
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.

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

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#54 Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

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
    Women and Girls Learn about the Need for Family Planning
    What did you learn about the need for family planning? Share some of the learning with your friends!

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:55 PM
    I had no clue that 45% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended. I suppose that makes sense when I think of my friends, family, and students who have gotten pregnant.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Women and Girls Research Barriers to Participation and Representation
    What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:54 PM
    Unfortunately, even in the U.S., we still live in a world that tacitly prefers boys. Young men are often placed in higher level math classes leading them to the more lucrative STEM jobs. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Women and Girls Start a Social Media Campaign
    How are people responding to the statistics you're sharing on social media?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:53 PM
    So far I've received 5 "likes." I can't imagine anyone I know disliking this -- educating women helps families and the environment (win-win).
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:43 PM
    I learned that there are a TON of ways to both get to using sustainable energy (i.e. transitions/bridges like nuclear and natural gas) and so many different kinds of sustainable energy. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport Test Drive an Electric Bike
    Half of all trips made in the US are three miles or less; 72% of them are driven. Private vehicles account for 60% of trips of a mile or less. Do you feel that these facts apply to you? If so, how might you incorporate an electric bike into your lifestyle?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:38 PM
    This definitely applies to me. I live on the top of a mountain that has no sidewalks but is really close to lots of places  that I frequent (restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacy, etc.). It's not that safe for a person to ride a bike or walk to these locations. An electric bike could help me by going faster and could get me to the top of my mountain with more ease.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport Use Muscle Power
    How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:37 PM
    You generally don't talk to people when you're in a car because you're so closed off from the world. When you ride the city bus or walk, you're physically closer to others, so it's easier to have a conversation.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use Buy Bamboo
    Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:36 PM
    Bamboo is definitely readily available. The good and bad thing about bamboo is that it grows so quickly just about anywhere. Because of this, it's really accessible.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use Choose Better Wood Products
    Beyond carbon sequestration, what other benefits do forests offer you personally?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:35 PM
    In the Blue Ridge Mountains, forests offer us a place to have fun and learn about the flora and fauna. I'm lucky in that people who live around me care so much about educating others, it's easy to learn from the trailheads and other signs when I go on hikes.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture
    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?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:34 PM
    I can support farms using regenerative soil by purchasing their harvest and spreading the word about them.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Support Nutrient Management
    How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?

    Becca Mericle's avatar
    Becca Mericle 4/25/2018 1:33 PM
    Bettering the environment gets people working together for a common goal. This helps bring communities together in a positive way. It's something that everyone can be invested in.