Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Rachael Edge

Built Ecology & Friends

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,028 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

275

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

21

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

29

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

40

miles

traveled by bike

Rachael's actions

Buildings and Cities

Upgrade My Windows

#31 Insulation

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

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

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

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 21
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

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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

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

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

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

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

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

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

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

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 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

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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings and Cities

Go by Bike

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will commute by bike 20 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 14.68 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

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

Climate & Ecosystems

Calculate Your Carbon Impact

SDG 13

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how lifestyle changes could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Calculate Your Water Footprint

SDG 6

I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste.

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
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?
Rachael Edge 4/23/2018 1:43 PM
There are plenty of taller buildings with rooftop access where microturbines could be installed, particularly as we are right along the waterfront and get somewhat consistent wind from across Lake Erie.

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?
Rachael Edge 4/23/2018 10:02 AM
Knowing the difference between a listed expiration date and when a food item is actually unsafe to eat will help me waste less food, and regularly checking what's in the fridge and knowing what's there will help keep me more accountable to use what I have before I need to go grocery shopping again.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What are your next steps for saving energy?
Rachael Edge 4/23/2018 9:58 AM
Immediate steps I can take to save energy include updating insulation in my house, along with reglazing windows and updating weatherstripping to cut down on drafts. Having an older house gives me a lot of options for updating it's efficiency...

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!
Rachael Edge 4/20/2018 5:08 AM
I had heard of biomass technology before, but didn't necessarily know the term. I thought it was interesting that although it is considered a renewable energy source, it's really more of an intermediate step to reducing/eliminating a dependency on petroleum products. I do a lot of camping, so I want to look into getting a biomass "twig burner" stove to use instead of the more traditional stove that uses a propane or butane canister.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than other countries, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?
Rachael Edge 4/17/2018 9:27 AM
Meat is relatively cheap in the US compared to many other countries and it seems to be ingrained into our culture that it is the easiest way to get protein. More awareness about plant-based sources of protein, along with benefits to companies who operate sustainably would help to push a decrease in this "dependence" on meat.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

How can you make your home more energy efficient?
Rachael Edge 4/16/2018 9:44 AM
After my first winter in a new house, I have a better idea of what areas need updating in regards to insulation and weatherization. Once the weather becomes a bit more cooperative, I have plans to redo weatherstripping on doors and glazing on a few windows. In the meantime I've been able to get away with plastic on the windows and comfy sweaters...

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?
Rachael Edge 4/11/2018 10:10 AM
I do my best to stick to a healthy diet, but I unfortunately don't always make the effort to choose products that are sustainably sourced. It does take slightly more effort to read through ingredient labels and know which products might be better or worse for the environment, but I plan to make a more focused effort on overall quality of my purchases. I'm also looking forward to getting out to farmer's markets and being able to find more locally-sourced options!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
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?
Rachael Edge 4/05/2018 4:13 PM
I just bought a house so I've been trying to keep myself more accountable in saving where I can. (All those home improvement projects aren't going to do themselves!) Meal planning is a good start to limiting the waste and it keeps me from buying extra food that I won't get to before it goes bad.

Read More
- Narada Golden 4/07/2018 2:49 PM
  Great tips on food waste Rachel! Chris Edmonds has been posting some good info as well. I also posted a picture of broth we recently made from veggie scraps. It was delicious!
  
  Let us know how your Challenge is going. Folks on our team have also posted a lot of good stories and tips that you may also be interested in.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?
Rachael Edge 4/05/2018 4:07 PM
Keep a stash of veggie scraps in the freezer. When you have enough, they can be used to make broth.

Read More