EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Nicholas Banks

Aesculus Glabra

"To live and love fully"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,422 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

45

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

315

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

265

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Nicholas's actions

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 50 percent of my food 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 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Improve a Bus Stop

#37 Mass Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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 20
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.

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

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

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

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

Express My Support

#54 Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

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

Food

Support Nutrient Management

#65 Nutrient Management

I will research and support local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

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

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

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

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 60 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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?

Nicholas Banks 4/24/2019 5:38 PM

This was a wonderful challenge and I really enjoyed learning with my teammates

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Improve a Bus Stop

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?

Nicholas Banks 4/23/2019 4:57 PM

I could challenge friends to explore the idea of alternative methods of automobile transportation, asking if they'd be open to riding the bus one day out of each week. I could also share my own experiences of how much better my awareness of the city and its needs became once utilizing public transportation.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? Were you surprised by the information you found?

Nicholas Banks 4/22/2019 9:47 PM

I learned that there is a vast, virtually untapped potential for renewable energy generation with this growing industry. I marveled at the technology created so far for harvesting the energy of ocean activity.

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?

Nicholas Banks 4/22/2019 4:40 PM

I have enjoyed discovering the Columbus of the alleyways and backstreets. I feel I know my home city more intimately. I would like to improve drivers' awareness of biking safety.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Express My Support

How could better walking infrastructure make your city both more enjoyable and more equitable?

Nicholas Banks 4/22/2019 4:37 PM

It would connect the various neighborhoods and allow their inhabitants to experience a sense of diversity that upholds all communities. This would be occasioned by the accessibility provided by better infrastructure for pedestrians, which also engenders a pace of life conducive to observation, appreciation, and communion.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Keep Track of Wasted 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?

Nicholas Banks 4/22/2019 4:32 PM

I'd use this money to set-up a homestead

Read More
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 (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

Nicholas Banks 4/22/2019 4:29 PM

What most interests me in this challenge is building resilient communities by supporting local food systems. Coupled with this is educating the members of my community on the ecological benefits of their support of such systems.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Composting

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?

Nicholas Banks 4/22/2019 4:26 PM

Water, energy, land, and hours of labor are factors I now regularly consider when consuming goods. By building a vermicompost, I can reintegrate some of those factors back into the system, thereby wasting less.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Nicholas Banks 4/18/2019 5:03 PM

I've identified two trees, the tamarack and the hophornbeam, which had eluded my searches last year. I've scoured streets which have bus lines, thinking of where I could do some clandestine gardening, to beautify public space. I've enjoyed watching the squirrels and birds and humans interact, sharing places and making memories. Maybe underground walkways would give pedestrians better connectivity, avoiding the noise and polluted commotion of city roads.

Read More
Nicholas Banks 4/17/2019 5:37 PM

Today I sauntered around Woodland Park, the neighborhood of my last tenancy, looking for a suitable spot to do some surreptitious gardening.

Read More