Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Louis Runge

Go eQo

"Something Important"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
873 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

people

helped
UP TO

40

zero-waste meals

consumed

Louis's actions

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

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Materials

Become A Master Recyler/Composter

#55 Household Recycling

I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 1 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Plan to Insulate

#31 Insulation

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Give a Microloan

#62 Women Smallholders

I will give 2 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
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 Keep Track of Wasted Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?

Louis Runge 4/24/2018 6:21 AM

I think having a clear meal plan each week can cut down on the amount of wasted food in our culture. I strive to buy only the ingredients I know I will use for the week which limits my food waste to food scraps like apple cores and watermelon rind.

Read More
Louis Runge 4/24/2018 6:16 AM

Fun Fact: All colors of fruit loops have the same flavor

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Louis Runge 4/23/2018 5:03 PM

I scored very poorly on my online energy audit (it told me my apartment is one of the least energy efficient in the neighborhood). Most of this probably stems from the fact that my residence was built in the 1930s. I will say that my apartment may be energy inefficient but I'm okay with it because I'm energy conservative. My electric bill is currently sub $15 and gas sub $25 with $20 of that 40 being fixed fees. I think I'm doing alright.

Read More
Louis Runge 4/23/2018 9:55 AM

Fun Fact: There are 70 ingredients in a McRib sandwich

Read More
- Damien Hines 4/23/2018 12:19 PM
  
  but damn are they delicious
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Eliminate Toxic Plastics

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Louis Runge 4/23/2018 7:57 AM

I used to use a lot of Styrofoam cups every week for water consumption, plastic utensils to eat my lunch, plastic bags to take out all of my food scraps. Since starting the ecochallenge I bought an RTIC tumbler for work to cut out the cups, brought in my own flatware to use instead of the plastic utensils, and now conserve most of my vegetable scraps to make broth cutting down on the amount of garbage I take out.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Plan to Insulate

How can you make your home more energy efficient?

Louis Runge 4/23/2018 7:47 AM

Because I live in an apartment I didn't want to take on any big energy saving techniques but was happy to find there are small scale solutions that can help make my residence more energy efficient. Some of these solutions include insulating your windows, using smart powerstrips that turn off devices when not in use, seal doors and windows with rope caulk, and vacuuming refrigerator coils so it runs more efficiently.

Read More
- Missy Lucas 4/23/2018 12:54 PM
  
  Interesting! I hadn't heard of some of those before. As far as electricity in general, I've had a great experience so far with Green Mountain Energy. They offer 100% renewable energy options in various states including TX. I especially like that each week they show you a summary of electricity used per day and your quantitative impact of carbon saved by using renewable instead of conventional energy sources.
  
  Read More
Louis Runge 4/22/2018 10:36 AM

Happy Earth Day!

Read More
Louis Runge 4/20/2018 10:18 AM

Fun Fact: Wombat poop is cube-shaped.

Read More
Louis Runge 4/19/2018 7:43 AM

Fun Fact: There are actually more public libraries in the US than McDonald's

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro turbines can be placed on large structures to take advantage of stronger, steadier breezes. The Eiffel Tower now sports vertical axis turbines that produce electricity for use on site. Where could micro turbines potentially be installed in your city?

Louis Runge 4/18/2018 6:34 AM

Unfortunately, micro turbines are not practical in the urban environment I live in. Not only are there zoning restrictions to limit their installation, but wind quality is much poorer in denser environments. This has resulted in less than 1% of small wind turbines being used in an urban setting. Fortunately, solar panels are a worthy alternative in Houston, provided that your home is not next to a skyscraper (see Ashby High Rise).

Read More