EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Angela Fritz

Seattle Children's Green Team

"Don't pave paradise to put up a parking lot!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
678 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

donations

made
UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

people

helped
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted
UP TO

12

zero-waste meals

consumed

Angela's actions

Transport

Test Drive an Electric Bike

#69 Electric Bikes

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

#6 Educating Girls

I will donate 2 Femme Kit(s) to help girls overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

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

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

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

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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 12
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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Transport Test Drive an Electric Bike

Half of all trips made in the US are three miles or less; 72% of them are driven. Private vehicles account for 60% of trips of a mile or less. Do you often drive short distances instead of biking or walking? If so, how might incorporating an electric bike into your lifestyle help you make more climate-friendly choices?

Angela Fritz 4/24/2019 11:46 AM

I recently started using Lime Bikes, both electric and non-electric for all my trips under 3 miles (unless extreme hills are involved! haha). I hardly ever drive my car anymore, and take public transit, ride sharing and bike sharing whenever possible. It also keeps me more active which feels great, and it so much fun! I'm excited for summer to ride even longer and more often, because I must admit I'm more of a fair weather rider :)

Read More
Angela Fritz 4/24/2019 11:42 AM

The last day of the challenge but not the last day of my environmentally friendly lifestyle! I will be taking these changes and information learned with me throughout my lifetime and will be sharing with friends and loved ones. Thanks for the challenge!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?

Angela Fritz 4/24/2019 11:41 AM

What pains me so much to hear about is the plastic that ends up in the oceans and then inside animals. The whales where they find hundreds of lbs of plastic in their stomachs makes me so sad and furious with humankind. We need to be more aware of the impact littering and waste disposal has on our oceans and on our whole world, and make changes to reduce the damage we do.

Read More
Angela Fritz 4/23/2019 2:59 PM

This challenge has been so amazing for both myself and my family. I have encouraged all those around me to join in on the effort to evaluate your impact on the environment, look at how you can reduce your footprint, and being intentional and conscious of how you spend your money and which companies/products you support based on their ethics and values related to climate and environmental protection.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Zero-waste Cooking

How are environmental issues like black carbon and other emissions from cooking fires or rudimentary cookstoves also human health and social justice issues? Why do these issues matter to you?

Angela Fritz 4/23/2019 2:55 PM

Cooking fires and rudimentary cookstoves are most commonly used by people of lower incomes and SES, making this disparity a social justice issue. Black carbon and other harmful effects of this type of cooking has detrimental effects to lung function, respiratory quality and overall health of those who interact with it, and as a health care worker these issues are especially salient to me.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Angela Fritz 4/23/2019 2:52 PM

We changed to energy-efficient heating/cooling, energy efficient light bulbs and auto timers for appliances that don't need to run all day. Looking next into energy-saving kitchen appliances, as we need a new washer/dryer and oven coming up soon!

Read More
Angela Fritz 4/23/2019 8:34 AM

The challenge is going so well for me, making me more conscious and aware of my impact on our environment and making a more direct effort to mitigate these effects. The changes have been fairly easy and sustainable to continue past the challenge and make a part of my regular lifestyle!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

In what other ways could you help girls overcome health barriers to being able to attend school?

Angela Fritz 4/22/2019 8:01 AM

I also choose to donate to the Pad Project, a nonprofit organization in Delhi, India that helps provide sanitary pads to girls to allow them the freedom and confidence to move about their lives during their periods without shame and restriction.

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?

Angela Fritz 4/22/2019 7:48 AM

I would rather use this money for savings and for travel expenses. Throwing away food is so wasteful in many ways, financially, economically, and environmentally. I hope to continue my awareness of food waste and do all I can to limit it even after the challenge is over!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

Angela Fritz 4/17/2019 2:19 PM

Quieter engine, which would help reduce street/city/traffic noise; less money spent on gas; feel like I am contributing to reduce pollution!

Read More