Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Rachel Morris

The Circle School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
726 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

35

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

3.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

6.0

lightbulbs

replaced

Rachel's actions

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Connect With A Nonprofit

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

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on womens' or girls' issues in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will donate to The Nature Conservancy, which works with Indigenous Peoples to secure land tenure and resource rights, support improved governance and local institutions, assist in natural resource mapping, planning and management; and strengthen livelihoods and sustainable economic development.

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 3
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

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 1
DAILY ACTION

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

If I have to buy paper products, I will only purchase products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 6 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?
Rachel Morris 4/09/2018 6:30 PM
At our school we often receive duplicate copies of catalogs and mailings from companies and organizations that we order from or are interested in as several members of our staff sign up and use our school address as their contact. I started a spreadsheet to track thee duplicates and the contact information for the organization. Then we can just give them a call and request a single copy or opt for digital communications instead. This will take a little time but will save tons of paper from going into our recycling bins!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
Rachel Morris 4/09/2018 6:25 PM
Bamboo options are available as an alternative to a surprising number of items that I use regularly. In my kitchen I opt for bamboo cutting boards for fruits & vegetables, bamboo utensils and tools. Some things that I need to be flexible or stand up to more frequent washing/water I choose glass or silicone instead.

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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?
Rachel Morris 4/06/2018 10:18 AM
My diet includes lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes but I also eat dairy, eggs, and meat daily. I know that the dairy and eggs in my diet come from local sources who are not directly contributing to global deforestation but I do not source the meat in my diet from local farmers and before today, I had not considered the impact that choosing meat has on the world's forests. I can look at the meals that I prepare more critically and commit to consuming more meat-free, plant-based meals as well as sourcing meat from local, sustainable producers. When I eat out, I can choose vegetarian or vegan options to use my buying power to communicate my interest in supporting a reduction in the impact and reach
of livestock ranching on global deforestation.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?
Rachel Morris 4/06/2018 10:09 AM
A sustainable community considers how they are consuming and using resources as well as what happens to the waste or by-products that they produce as a whole. Anaerobic digesters are a great example of turning waste products into energy and additional resources like fertilizer. In order for changes like this to become reality, communities and individuals must be willing to look at their patterns of consumption and waste production through an objective lens and consider alternative solutions.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What are the most pressing womens' and girls' issues in your community?
Rachel Morris 4/05/2018 10:02 AM
I'm looking forward to becoming more engaged with Girls, Inc San Antonio, a local nonprofit invested in addressing the most pressing issues for girls in our community by working towards their mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, Girls Inc. of San Antonio helps girls age 6 to 18 overcome barriers that prohibit them from achieving their personal, educational, and career goals.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

Indigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?
Rachel Morris 4/04/2018 8:40 AM
I'm proud to donate to the Nature Conservancy in support of indigenous peoples around the world and their commitment to ongoing stewardship of the earth. The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends and our student Changemakers at The Circle School will be the next generation of conservationists and caretakers of this planet!

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