Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Ayana White

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,031 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

10

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

16

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

80

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

365

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

29

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Ayana's actions

Electricity Generation

Advocate for Solar Installation

#10 Rooftop Solar

I will create a plan to and advocate for solar installation at my business, apartment building, or campus.

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

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 10 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Use Public Transit

#37 Mass Transit

I will use public transit 10 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 3.65 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Use Muscle Power

#49 Cars

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 2 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

COMPLETED
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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 9
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.

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 9
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 30 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

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 2 meal(s) from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

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

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

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

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

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 Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these advantages inspire you the most?

Ayana White 4/25/2018 7:55 AM

Dependable fresh food is the advantage that inspires me most. I think it is extremely important that everyone in a community has access to food that will keep them happy and healthy.

Read More
Ayana White 4/25/2018 7:48 AM

I replaced most of the light bulbs in my house with LEDs

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?

Ayana White 4/25/2018 7:38 AM

I address my feelings of concern about climate change by educating others. The fact that I might have made an impact, no matter how small makes me feel better. Climate change can not be reversed overnight but everyone's input helps.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Ayana White 4/25/2018 7:35 AM

I am most concerned with the fact that the population is getting bigger and we are trying to make things as convenient as possible which means there is an increase in disposable things that will be thrown into landfills and ruing our earth.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

Ayana White 4/25/2018 7:34 AM

I hadn't heard about silvopasture before. After learning about it I think the biggest advantage of it is the increase in the number of wild animals that inhabit the farm. The trees also act as buffers which prevent harmful nutrients from entering nearby water sources.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Use Public Transit

How has your access to various kinds of transporation throughout your life influenced your current attitudes about transportation and your transportation behavior?

Ayana White 4/25/2018 7:27 AM

I have always ridden in cars and driven cars. I grew up believing that transport by car was the best and easiest way to get around. Riding public transit has taught me that it is just as easy and better for the environment to walk to some places and ride the bus to some places.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Use Muscle Power

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

Ayana White 4/25/2018 7:25 AM

When driving to my destination I am only focused on getting there. I am usually alone in my car. When I ride public transit or walk, I have more fun because I can interact with other people, some of whom I don't even know. This allows me to know my community and the people in it better.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Now that you know the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates, how will you view expiration dates differently?

Ayana White 4/24/2018 10:24 AM

I learned that it is good to buy the product before the sell-by date expires, but you can still store it at home after that date, as long as you follow safe storage procedures. I used to think that best by dates and sell by dates were the same bu now i know that they're different and just because something is expired doesn't mean it is rotten. it just isn't fresh or able to be sold.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Explore Other Food Solutions

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

Ayana White 4/24/2018 10:07 AM

I learned that the drawdown food solutions could result in 321.9 gigatons of reduced CO2, $777.64 billion net implementation cost and $10.02 net operational savings. The most interesting fact I've learned is that rice intensification benefits soil and root systems, lowers inputs required for production and increases crop yields. Rice Intensification is practiced by 4 million to 5 million farmers around the world and yields 50 to 100 percent more than conventional rice production. Seed use drops by 80 to 90 percent and water inputs by 25 to 50 percent.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Biomass

Had you ever heard of biomass techonology before this? What did you learn that surprised you? Share this with your friends!

Ayana White 4/24/2018 9:57 AM

I hadn't heard a lot about biomass technology before this. I learned that using biomass technology can result in 7.5 gigatons of reduced CO2, a $402.31 billion net implementation cost, but produce $519.35 billion in net operational savings.

Read More