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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
Tom Yost's avatar

Tom Yost

Team Walter P Moore

"I'm on a mission to bike as much as possible everyday and pick up trash daily!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,726 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    2.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    355
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    2.0
    people
    helped
  • UP TO
    14
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    10
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    2.0
    documentaries
    watched
  • UP TO
    1,590
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    108
    miles
    traveled by bike

Tom's 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 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and subscriptions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go by Bike

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will commute by bike 6 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 7.62 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

If I have to buy paper products, I will only purchase products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

COMPLETED 2
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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Retrofitting Incentives

#80 Retrofitting

I will spend at least 30 minutes finding out if my city, region, or state offers incentives for retrofitting existing buildings.

COMPLETED
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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 7
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

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

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

Land Use

Restore Wetlands

#52 Coastal Wetlands

I will volunteer 2 hours with a wetland restoration project in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Host a Film Screening

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will host a film screening and discussion about women's and gender equality issues.

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 6 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 30 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 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

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

Electricity Generation

Rooftop Solar Consultation

#10 Rooftop Solar

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Purchase a Carbon Offset

#43 Airplanes

If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials
    How can you take your action a step further?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 8:54 PM
    Buying post-consumer paper products is great but we also need to reduce the amount of paper we are using in the first place.  Paperless bills and magazines, cloth napkins, and default PDF printing can help!
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 8:53 PM
    Bamboo alternatives are available but sometimes difficult to find.  I prefer using/bringing along reusable camping silverware and cups!  
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 8:52 PM
    Being proud of the environment you live in is contagious.  Others will want to do what they can to help improve their communities as well!
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 8:50 PM
    Changing a diet is always difficult but there are products out there that will help make the transition seamless.  Packaging that makes identifying the products that don't contribute to deforestation are easily spotted.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport
    What are the factors that influence your choice of transportation? These can include things like money, time, and convenience, as well as perceptions of danger or safety.
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 8:48 PM
    The northeast corridor is ready for highspeed rail!  The cost of less efficient, slower forms of travel make driving a really popular option for the distances to travel.
    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!
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 8:43 PM
    I hadn't heard of biomass technology prior to Drawdown.  Turning natural products (wood and wood waste, agricultural waste, and manure) into clean energy will definitely help us lessen our addition to fossil fuels.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    As you learn more about the scope and seriousness of the environmental challenges we face, what impact does that have on your thinking and actions? What are the parts that feel overwhelming? What parts help you feel hopeful?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 8:16 PM
    I'm hopeful that we will come to our senses soon when dealing with climate change.  I'm confident that the earth knows how to deal with the changes we are imposing but humanity may not be here to see it rebound.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Women and Girls
    What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 6:17 PM
    Engineering is a male dominated industry (women only make up 29% of the science and engineering workforce) so we need to push for more equal gender representation.  In 2013, women earned 50.3% of the science and engineering bachelor's degrees.  While enrollment of women in STEM programs is increasing, there is a large disparity between which fields of study women continue to pursue - over 50% in biological sciences but less than 20% in engineering.

    https://ngcproject.org/statistics
    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?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 3:56 PM
    I think we've started to see a shift in a meat-focused food culture as we've seen the rise of Farm-to-Table restaurants.  By reconnecting with farms we've been reminded that vegetables are delicious and can be exciting.  They are definitely far more exciting than a slab of meat on a plate!
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport
    A round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1 ton of CO2. Imagine a giant balloon with a diameter of 10 yards. If this balloon were filled with CO2, it would weigh about 1 ton. This flight would fill just about one of these balloons. What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
    Tom Yost's avatar
    Tom Yost 4/25/2018 3:42 PM
    One way for me to reduce the CO2 associated with air travel is to minimize back and forth air travel.  By coordinating trip plans and tie a few destinations into one trip I can cut out a few flights.  Also buying TerraPass to offset the CO2 helps!
    Read More