Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Summer Neal

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
200 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

64

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

Summer's actions

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

UNCOMPLETED
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 25 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

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 1
DAILY 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 24 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

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).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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
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?
Summer Neal 4/24/2018 10:16 AM
One thing that I can do to support my local regenerative agriculture farm is research farms around me and find out which ones practice regenerative farming. Once I find out which farms practice that I can tell my family about it so when we go to the store we can look for products produced from the farms and buy them. This can offer support the farms. I can also tell my friends, neighbors, and other family members about it so they can support the farms as well.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
Summer Neal 4/23/2018 4:28 PM
Yes, I think bamboo alternative are readily available in my community. I have seen many products that are made out of bamboo from straws to cosmetic packaging. I think that we do have the bamboo products, it's just that they are expensive. I understand that most alternative products and energy sources are more expensive. I just wish that bamboo products were closer to the price of other products because I think that more people would be able to buy them and use them more.

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?
Summer Neal 4/19/2018 11:51 AM
Now that I know the difference between the use by, sell by, and best by dates I will not automatically assume that the product needs to be thrown away. I will consider if the date is there to show when the flavor would be the best, or if the label is telling the store when it needs to be sold. I usually will just look at a label and throw it away if it’s passed, now I can reduce waste by making better decisions on what actually needs to be thrown away.

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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?
Summer Neal 4/19/2018 11:19 AM
I do not drink coffee, or eat much meat. I do have to admit that I may eat a little for chocolate than I should. I could definitely make sure that I am buying chocolate that has a Rainforest Alliance Certification so that I can support companies that are not causing deforestation. I could also replace the milk I do drink with alternatives such as coconut milk. I think the best thing I can do is make sure I am buying products from companies that are making products in an environmentally friendly way.

Read More
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?
Summer Neal 4/19/2018 9:49 AM
I had never heard the term "silvopasture" before now. After learning about what it is, I think the biggest advantage of silvopasture is that it can reduce the stress levels of the animals by providing shade which leads to higher productivity and health. I think anything that can help farm animals is important, and this seems to keep the animals happy and healthy.

Read More
Summer Neal 4/17/2018 12:11 PM
I used a bamboo straw, instead of using a plastic one

Read More