Ecochallenge.org and Project Drawdown

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 4 - April 25, 2018

Randy Zhang

Lincoln High School

"Your average power eco user"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,346 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

546

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

10

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

21

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

180

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

20

public officials or leaders

contacted

Randy's 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

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

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Conduct Virtual Meetings

#63 Telepresence

I will not travel for meetings and will instead conduct them virtually.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Install a Toilet Bank

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water per day by installing a toilet tank bank.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Launch a Recycling Program

#56 Industrial Recycling

I will set up a recycling center at my workplace or school.

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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

Materials

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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 22
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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will support women-owned businesses when I shop this month.

COMPLETED 22
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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

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

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Retrofitting Incentives

#80 Retrofitting

I will spend at least 20 minutes finding out if my city, region, or state offers incentives for retrofitting existing buildings.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

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

Food

composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore), #8 Solar Farms

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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
Women and Girls Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

Randy Zhang 4/12/2018 9:21 AM

In my community, the largest barriers are cultural ones. In particular, the way that women are seen in fields, especially STEM, has a heavy negative impact on their participation and representation in my community. While other parts of the world suffer from legislative barriers, my community can do better to support all people in their participation in academia.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

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.

Randy Zhang 4/10/2018 8:43 AM

The single largest factor that influences my choice of transportation is convenience. With busy lives, many of us choose the quickest way of transport, using a personal car. Despite the higher cost of buying and maintaining a personal vehicle, convenience is often more important.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Research Retrofitting Incentives

How can you share what you have learned in your research with others?

Randy Zhang 4/10/2018 8:38 AM

The easiest way to share what I have learned is through social media. The ability to create posts that connect to sources and have it reach tens or even hundreds of people is enormously powerful in spreading awareness.

Besides technology, actions in the school are also great ways to share what I have learned. In an environment with hundreds of other students who are willing to learn and have their beliefs challenged, important information can be shared and its significance discussed.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Research Heat Pumps

Why do you care about taking action on climate change?

Randy Zhang 4/06/2018 8:43 AM

I care about taking action on climate change because it makes in impact in my local community. Many people who try to discredit local grassroots efforts of addressing climate change often state that the benefits brought in by small things like using LED bulbs, recycling more, etc. are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But my belief is that these actions push and promote the idea that we should not take things for granted, which on a societal level does have an impact on the largest corporations.

Thus, by making changes at the local level, we can cause companies, often driven by profit, to conform to the general public and promote sustainability.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Plan to Insulate

How can you make your home more energy efficient?

Randy Zhang 4/06/2018 8:39 AM

The biggest waste of energy in the home is the loss of energy from poor insulation. This effect is particularly noticeable in the wintertime, where the difference in temperature between the home and outside is much larger than normal, leading to higher rates of energy loss. I would consider replacing problematic windows with ones designed to limit the diffusion of energy, in addition to simply replacing malfunctioning windows.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

Randy Zhang 4/06/2018 8:37 AM

In my region, a sustainable water future would look like an area with a shift in perception on water usage. Being in an area with many upper-class families, it's true that many people, including myself, may waste water without thinking twice about it.

To change this would require a shift not at the state level, but at the local level. Spreading awareness, especially through signs, posters, and neighborhood informational meetings, may help in changing the consumer culture that affects the richer parts of cities.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Express My Support

What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?

Randy Zhang 4/06/2018 8:34 AM

The thing I like the most about biking is the abundant amount of bike parking available. I think this aspect is very important because it encourages people to use bikes for an entire trip, rather than only biking for recreation.

One thing that could be improved is the bike lanes. Other cities have a setup where the bike lane hugs the sidewalk, with the car parking lane forming a barrier between the bike lane and the rest of the road. Using this system protects bikers and reduces the risk of collisions, which in turn would encourage more people to use biking.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

Randy Zhang 4/06/2018 8:22 AM

As American consumer culture is characterized by replacement and wastefulness, the R's of repair and repurpose I consider to be especially important. Repurposing old materials, such as packaging cardboard, helps reduce landfill waste and can also save money.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Replace Manual Thermostats

How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for smart ones will positively impact your life?

Randy Zhang 4/06/2018 8:19 AM

Not only does using smart thermostats save energy, which obviously benefits the environment, their use helps make our lives better. A common theme for sustainable practices, such as smaller portions, smart thermostats reduce a household's energy bill and result in less work as the thermostat will take care of temperature adjustment autonomously.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Smaller Portions

Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of this?

Randy Zhang 4/06/2018 8:15 AM

Obviously, encouraging smaller portions with smaller plates leads to health benefits. By eating less, we as a society can help address problems with obesity and diabetes, which also come with their own environmental problems.

Smaller portions also directly benefit the household by reducing the monetary cost of preparing meals, whether at home or in a restaurant.

Read More