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Welcome to Drawdown EcoChallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Drawdown EcoChallenge expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown
Drawdown EcoChallenge
April 4 - April 25, 2018
Colin Vaida's avatar

Colin Vaida

Population Reference Bureau

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 373 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    3.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    180
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    10
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed

Colin's actions

Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

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

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

UNCOMPLETED
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 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

UNCOMPLETED
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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 0
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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Start a Social Media Campaign

#6 Educating Girls

I will share stats on gender inequity in education with my social media feed to raise awareness.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Restore Wetlands

#52 Coastal Wetlands

I will volunteer 3 hours with a wetland restoration project in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    How do wetlands differ from other ecosystems -- both in the services they offer and in your personal experience of them?
    Colin Vaida's avatar
    Colin Vaida 4/23/2018 6:30 AM
    Wetlands and watersheds are such a critical component of my personal experience growing up. Being from Miami and so close to one of our nation's most unique National Parks, The Everglades, my interaction with wetlands is close to my heart. When people think wetlands they typically thing swamp and mosquitoes, but the flora and fauna of wetland areas are so critical to a healthy ecosystem. The mangroves in particular in South Florida are such a rich ecosystem that fascinates me still, every time I am around mangroves the nostalgia is too real. While I was abroad in India, we were learning about sustainable development and through this process we took a boat tour through mangroves and in that moment my entire childhood came to me as all the other participants bemoaned the trip I reveled in the wading birds and humidity. Mangroves are my desktop picture here at work too! This past Earth Day however, I volunteered to cleanup the Anacostia watershed and had a great time meeting others in the community passionate about climate change and ecology. 
    Read More
  • Colin Vaida's avatar
    Colin Vaida 4/09/2018 11:41 AM
    Restarting my trips to the compost site now that Spring is around the corner and the community garden is back in swing. Happy to start composting our bio waste toward a good cause. And this will help me attain the recycle everything I can daily challenge. 
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?
    Colin Vaida's avatar
    Colin Vaida 4/06/2018 8:48 AM
    In a step to get our office away from mass use of paper towels I have now tried to implement a system of micro-fiber cloths for employees to dry their hands. Though paper towels are still available for use hopefully this small nudge will encourage others to reduce their paper towel use and participate in creative ways for reducing our office waste. 

    PRB already recycles and composts as well!
    Read More
  • 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?
    Colin Vaida's avatar
    Colin Vaida 4/04/2018 1:11 PM
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?
    Colin Vaida's avatar
    Colin Vaida 4/04/2018 8:34 AM
    This is going to be tough. Some of the foods I enjoy most in my life deeply affect forests and the communities that rely on forests for their livelihoods. Making conscious consumer choices about coffee, chocolate, and meat are critical to changing consumption patterns and consumer driven climate change. With this challenge, I have committed to eating two vegetarian meals a day, and I will make an effort to reduce coffee consumption through certain food tracking. With food tracking, I really worry about the impact it can have on those in my life who struggle with previous experiences with disordered eating. Often food tracking makes me uncomfortable given how it can impact and trigger those around me, especially in a competition setting. However, I certainly will take this opportunity to look at critical consumption patterns that have a disproportionate negative impact on the environment.
    Read More
  • Colin Vaida's avatar
    Colin Vaida 4/03/2018 8:23 AM
    As a dedicated member of PRB I am really excited about my organization's commitment to staying green. Though there is definite room for improvement in my own life and here at PRB, the work we do here is already primed to make an impact. Our commitment to women and girls, specifically at the intersection of planetary and community health and family planning, drives my passion for the field and spurs my commitment toward addressing climate change. 
    Read More