Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Melanie Onnen

Green Dinosaur

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,426 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

100

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

42

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

2.0

documentaries

watched
UP TO

246

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

384

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

lightbulbs

replaced

Melanie's actions

Buildings and Cities

Tour a Green Roof

#73 Green Roofs

I will set up a visit to tour a green roof in my city, and ask about the codes and process for installing a green roof.

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

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

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

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 20
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

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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 10 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Retrofitting Incentives

#80 Retrofitting

I will spend at least 15 minutes finding out if my city, region, or state offers incentives for retrofitting existing buildings.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 20
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

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

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Upgrade My Windows

#31 Insulation

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Improve a Bus Stop

#37 Mass Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or some other small improvement.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family and/or colleagues.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Women and Girls

Host a Film Screening

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

I will host a film screening and discussion about women's and gender equality issues.

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
Transport

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?
Melanie Onnen 4/25/2018 3:25 PM
One way to advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while meeting human needs is to write city officials requesting for more public transportations routes that are convenient for people as well as go in the directions that they want to go.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What is the next step beyond raising awareness of women's and gender equality issues?
Melanie Onnen 4/25/2018 2:53 PM
The next sept after gender equality is racial equality.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

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?
Melanie Onnen 4/25/2018 2:52 PM
One thing that I can do to reduce the number of flights I take per year is to plan more road trips.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

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?
Melanie Onnen 4/17/2018 1:25 PM
The main reason why I would switch to a more fuel-efficient vehicle other than reducing exhaust emissions and improving public health is to move away from the dependency of fossil fuels. There is limited deposits of fossil fuels on earth and it takes many years for these deposits to regenerate. Renewable energy sources such as PV and wind power are starting to power the grid more and more everyday. By switching to an all electric car and promoting for micro-grids powered by renewable energy sources, we can move away from depleting the earth of it's fossil fuel reserves. Also, we will not be dependent upon a fuel that will eventually run out as we are using it far faster than it can replenish itself.

Read More
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?
Melanie Onnen 4/17/2018 1:18 PM
The more I learn about the scope and seriousness of environmental challenges we face, the more I want to take larger action to prevent destruction beyond the point of repair. The fact that there are some people that believe that climate change is not happening or that it just isn't significant makes me fell overwhelmed. The fact that there are people actively working and taking action to reverse the effects of climate change make me feel hopeful. The earth is regenerative, but some of the regenerative properties take thousands of years to recover the damages. There are small actions that everyone can do to contribute to bettering the issues. The best thing we can do it take action and educate.

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?
Melanie Onnen 4/13/2018 1:20 PM
I have not heard about Silvopasture before learning about it. One of the biggest advantages to silvopasture is that they animals are healthier.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?
Melanie Onnen 4/12/2018 7:24 PM
Three of the major barriers that effect women’s participation and representation around the world are lack of access to education, marrying young, and lack of reproductive health services. There are also invisible barriers that prevent women from having equal opertunities.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of this?
Melanie Onnen 4/12/2018 1:15 PM
One large benefit other than the environment that comes from using smaller plates and eating smaller portions is health. This reduces over eating that can contribute to obesity and other health problems.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

Why do you care about taking action on climate change?
Melanie Onnen 4/12/2018 1:13 PM
I care about taking action on climate change because I believe that the earth is not owned by people and therefore we should take care of it and not destroy it or deplete its resources. Also, we need to take care of the environment for future generations. If we are selfish and utilize all the natural resources on earth or make it inhabitable, we will be unable to preserve the human race.

Read More
Melanie Onnen 4/12/2018 1:01 PM
A way in which I can reduce the waste that I produce in my life i to put more effort into learning how to repair things as opposed to just throwing them out. Also, be better at repurposing items.

Read More