Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Colin Shea

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
776 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

110

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

13

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

27

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

8.0

lightbulbs

replaced

Colin's actions

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 5 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

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

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

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 8 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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 5 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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 single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 10:15 AM
I actively try to avoid using single-use items. My family has a set of non-paper/plastic reusable bags that we use when grocery shopping. We also try not to use straws at all and rarely waste paper and plastic by eating from fast food restaurants.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 10:12 AM
The two easiest ways to reduce water usage at home are to take shorter showers and spend less time watering plants.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 10:07 AM
Encouraging the use of public transportation can minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs. Recently, I took a trip to New York and was able to take a few rides on the NY subway. The subway system there was not built because of its environmental impacts, but because it allowed people to avoid crowded roads and provide a faster method of public transportation. A similar project is currently underway at the LAX international airport. To combat high traffic levels in the area, a train/subway line is being built. It will be able to transport people all around the surrounding area, with its hub being at the airport. Usage of a train line such as this one produces significantly less carbon emissions per person that riding in a car.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

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?
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 9:49 AM
There are a number of tall buildings in Asheville that could support micro wind turbines, such as the Jackson building.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? Were you surprised by the information you found?
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 9:46 AM
I have learned that there is enough potential wave and tidal energy to power most of the world. However, very little of this potential is currently being used. The largest source of wave energy in the United States comes from an experimental device in Hawaii. The 50 ton device, called Azura, is run by the company Northeast Energy Innovations, and is located in a US Naval base in the island of Oahu. Worldwide, tidal and wave energy are expected to produce a total of 1 gigawatt by 2020. In comparison, wind energy produced 370 gigawatts by the end of 2014. This proves that while there is an enormous potential for tidal and wave energy , little of it is currently being used.
Source - https://e360.yale.edu/features/will_tidal_and_wave_energy_ever_live_up_to_their_potential

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?
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 9:35 AM
According to the United Nations Committee on Climate Changes, public financial backing of climate change will need to increase 7-10 fold in order for the technology to be effectively deployed. I don’t know enough about the numbers behind geothermal energy to dispute or prove this claim, but I do know that it is rarely used in place of more traditional heating and cooling systems because of its high initial cost. As this high cost is the only downside of geothermal energy, significantly increasing public funding for it would most likely make its use more mainstream.

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?
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 9:17 AM
A "sell by" date is aimed at retailers. It is the date at which a product ought to be removed from the shelf of sold. Nearly all products are still usable after their "sell by" has come and gone. A sell by date accounts for about 1/3 of a products shelf life, in a store or at home.
A "best by" date is aimed at consumers, and describes the date by which a product ought to be eaten. Products past their best by dates will not necessarily make you sick, but their quality will rapidly decrease past the date.
Like "best by" dates, "use by" dates are aimed at consumers, and indicate the the date by which a product ought to be consumed in order to assure maximum quality.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

Had you ever heard of biomass techonology before this? What did you learn that surprised you? Share this with your friends!
Colin Shea 4/24/2018 9:07 AM
I had not heard of biomass technology before hits. I was surprised that it is a “bridge solution”, and not a long term solution. I was also surprised that it is only a true solution if specific feedstock is used.

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?
Colin Shea 4/16/2018 9:27 AM
I had not heard about silvopasture before today. After learning about it, I think that the biggest advantage of silvopasture is the increased productivity of the animals and land used in the process. This means that it benefits not only the animals, but the land, environment, and farmers as well.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Colin Shea 4/12/2018 9:16 AM
I address my concerns about climate change by trying do do what I can to reduce my carbon footprint. This eases my mind as I know that I am doing something about the problem.

Read More