EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Ann Ganter

High Meadow School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,207 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

315

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

10

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

47

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

40

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

70

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

3.0

trees

planted

Ann's actions

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Solar Water Consultation

#41 Solar Water

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

#8 Solar Farms

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

#5 Tropical Forests

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 3 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Advocate for Solar Installation

#10 Rooftop Solar

I will create a plan to and advocate for solar installation at my business, apartment building, or campus.

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

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 20
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

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

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 45 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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Become A Master Recycler/Composter

#55 Household Recycling

I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.

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

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

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

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

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
Materials Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

Ann Ganter 4/24/2019 12:38 PM

Slows me down to be more thoughtful with my purchases. Where will this package go after I am done with it in a few minutes. Why so much packaging!

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?

Ann Ganter 4/24/2019 12:36 PM

Supporting local farmers and businesses. People are passionate about what they are drawn to do, so I would like to support them rather than plants transported across the united states.

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 eating smaller portions?

Ann Ganter 4/24/2019 12:34 PM

Slowing down to enjoy a meal with family and friends.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Advocate for Solar Installation

How does advocating for rooftop solar connect to your values? How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to clean energy?

Ann Ganter 4/15/2019 4:17 PM

We are incredibly lucky these days to have government & New York (Nyserda) subsidies which offset the costs of solar panel. 1 household can produce all their needs with a $13K install which will last 25 years. That is $520 a year. Which is half the cost of purchasing from our electric company a product which is harming the environment.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Plan to Insulate

What are some of the benefits of making your home more energy efficient?

Ann Ganter 4/15/2019 4:12 PM

Comfort, warm feet, no chilly drafts, no big bills!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Upgrade My Windows

How does improving your home's energy efficiency help you better live out your values?

Ann Ganter 4/15/2019 4:11 PM

Let's start with not paying the propane company so much in our winter months! When you think of a house as having socks & a hat, the cold air can't come in the basement and force the hot air to rise to the attic to escape. Great place to start!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Rooftop Solar Consultation

Identify some ways in which modern human societies have become unsustainable. What kind of roles do individuals have in creating and changing practices in society?

Ann Ganter 4/15/2019 4:07 PM

We bound around in our gas guzzling cars, heat our homes with fuels shipped from afar, our foods are grown/processed/packaged from far away places. Here in the USA, we work non stop and have lost the art of growing large gardens at home, baking bread, cooking every meal...It is time to slow down and get back to tending ourselves.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Research Heat Pumps

Why is taking action on climate change important to you? Why do you care?

Ann Ganter 4/10/2019 4:25 AM

Showing our kids that we can be active participants with our decisions and daily habits. There is always room for improvement and it starts with us to take care of ourselves, each other and our environment.

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?

Ann Ganter 4/10/2019 4:22 AM

We are adding solar panels to our property to add what we can to the environment. With that gain of producing our own energy it is a win win to produce our own energy for our driving needs. Also, saving costs of gasoline and not adding carbon back into the atmosphere.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Choose LED Bulbs

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?

Ann Ganter 4/10/2019 4:17 AM

At High Meadow School we changed out all of our wasteful florescent bulbs and have saved thousands of dollars in electricity expenses since. Next, we want to stop the wasteful heating expenses by installing heat pump heat and air units. Offsetting cost of propane units. Would be wonderful to be off of any oil and propane for he future.

Read More