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April 3 - April 24, 2019
Kris Hrycun's avatar

Kris Hrycun

SunCommon RBK

"To conserve resources and live minimally. Less stuff, more freedom!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 724 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    9.8
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    12
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    305
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    174
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    6.0
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Kris's actions

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

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

Transport

Stay on the Ground

#43 Airplanes, #63 Telepresence

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Choose Better Wood Products

#38 Forest Protection

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

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

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

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

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 3 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 2
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
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

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 3 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 75 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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 30 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 4
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
    Land Use Buy Bamboo
    Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

    Kris Hrycun's avatar
    Kris Hrycun 4/24/2019 9:01 PM
    Yes, bamboo is pretty easy to find in these parts. Even if they aren't, one can order online. I have bamboo utensils and a bamboo toothbrush!
  • 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?

    Kris Hrycun's avatar
    Kris Hrycun 4/24/2019 8:59 PM
    I would rather use my money to do things, go places, visit, invest, travel and explore. It's such a shame to waste food and money. 
  • 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?

    Kris Hrycun's avatar
    Kris Hrycun 4/24/2019 8:58 PM
    Fresh food is where it's at! You actually save money buying only what you need and eating it soon after purchasing. I'm lucky to live near a store and a farmer's market so I can purchase my food nearly daily to cut back on waste. I am inspired by farmers and I want to support local farmers and their farms. The food is better tasting and better for you!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Reduce Animal Products
    In your opinion, what contributes to people in North America eating more meat than any other countries? What does this say about North American values and ways of living?

    Kris Hrycun's avatar
    Kris Hrycun 4/23/2019 10:22 PM
    Most Americans don't really know where their food comes from and meat and animal products in general have been ingrained in our psyche for so long. For example, there are so many subsidies to push Americans to buy and eat dairy. There is a lot of manipulation of the facts and misinformation about human dietary needs.  This can be tied to money. All countries tend to eat more meat when their incomes grow. It's a law of human behavior. So Americans eat meat because they can afford it. That said, meat is cheap in the States! Go figure. Even though there is so much evidence showing people the dangers of high animal product consumption we have to tap into the psychology of why so man people disregard this. And eating a vegetarian or vegan diet is generally simple, cleaner and more affordable than people realize. All about education...like anything!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture
    Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons?

    Kris Hrycun's avatar
    Kris Hrycun 4/22/2019 9:08 PM
    I knew about regenerative agriculture in theory but did not understand or know what was involved. I learned how much it increases biodiversity and enriches the soil. It also enhances the ecosystem. The key takeaway I got was how badly the soil is destroyed and how much regenerative farming can improve this problem. Pretty simple yet big improvement. 

  • Kris Hrycun's avatar
    Kris Hrycun 4/21/2019 10:32 AM
    I have always been conservation with resources. There are so many small things we can do that don't require much effort but save a lot of money, time and resources. For example: When the toothpaste tube gets low, I cut a thin slice off the end, cut the base, then cut a thin slice off one side to open it up like a folder. There is a lot of product left that can be scraped off the flat surface as well as the little round base! :) 1) Saves money 2) Saves time (having to drive to the store to purchase more 3) Conserves resources. EASY! Just one very small example.