Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

jacey nelson

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
975 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

165

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

65

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

6.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

44

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

19

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

180

gallons of water

have been saved

jacey's actions

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

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

Transport

Try Carpooling

#75 Ridesharing

I will commute by carpool 5 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 1.45 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 3
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

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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.

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

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
Land Use

As you learn more about the scope and seriousness of the environmental challenges we face, what impact does that have on your thinking and actions? What are the parts that feel overwhelming? What parts help you feel hopeful?
jacey nelson 4/25/2018 10:26 AM
I never have really understood how much the products we buy influence environmental issues such as deforestation. It is overwhelming to know that 300 football fields of forests are destroyed every hour in countries like India or Malaysia. It is hopeful to know that we are finding alternatives and that people are becoming more aware of the impact.

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?
jacey nelson 4/25/2018 10:17 AM
I have learned that food dates don't necessarily mean that the food expires by that date, and it is still safe to eat. The sell by is aimed towards the retailers, whereas best by dates are directed more towards consumers.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What are your next steps for saving energy?
jacey nelson 4/25/2018 10:10 AM
I still use heat in my home, and a better option would be, during the day, to open all the windows because my house is south facing so heat from the sun can come in during the day, and stay inside during the night.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
jacey nelson 4/23/2018 9:35 AM
There are many vegetables that you can use every part in your meal, one example is brussel sprouts. My family uses the whole vegetable, and roasts them in the oven and serves them with some simple toppings.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. What kind of investment seems most feasible for you?
jacey nelson 4/23/2018 9:28 AM
Geothermal is a great way to save energy and use the Earth's natural resources. I think that everyone that can should invest into geothermal energy because it's energy efficient, and is a great benefit to the Earth and global warming.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
jacey nelson 4/23/2018 9:14 AM
It is part of our culture to eat more meat, it has become a huge industry and we can get meat products for fairly cheap, so it often becomes the easiest choice for a meal. I think that it says that our top priority is not what the meat industry does to the environment, or what it does to our health, but rather how it can make us money. I think we need to understand the effects of the meat industry and work towards diets that have less meat in it.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?
jacey nelson 4/18/2018 7:21 AM
It was a little difficult to change my diet because I now have to try and buy products that don't have a lot of packaging, and that are grown locally and safely. It was interesting though to see how much trash I was saving by going more local and buying products that don't contribute to deforestation, and it is a change I think more people can make in their lives!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

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?
jacey nelson 4/17/2018 9:42 AM
I feel like this does apply to me because it is hard to get to places in Asheville without driving. But my dad lives on a mountain and he has an electric bike and he uses it everyday to get to work, to meet friends, and even to do small trips to the grocery. Electric bikes are a great alternative to driving, and if we can transition to the use of electric bikes more, we can save a lot of gas from going into the air.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

Take a moment to think of places you frequent often (work, grocery store, natural areas). Could you choose one or two days a week to schedule driving with a friend, neighbor or co-worker to these places?
jacey nelson 4/17/2018 9:39 AM
There are easy ways to reduce our gas use, and carpooling is a great way of doing that. I carpool by driving my sister to school and my friends home, so that they don't have to dive a separate car which puts more gas into the atmosphere.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?
jacey nelson 4/17/2018 9:35 AM
We should all be able to have devices in our house that lower our water use, such as low flow shower heads and faucets, as well as the reuse of grey water in homes. We need to bring more awareness to the amount of water we are using, and educate people on easy ways to make improvements to their homes.

Read More