April 3 - April 24, 2019

Claudia L

"It's time to put out the fire. Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires...Climate change is real and we must take action now. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,491 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

80

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

120

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

15

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

209

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Claudia's 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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

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

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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 15 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

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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

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

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

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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

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

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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 4 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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 Go Paperless

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?

Claudia L 4/24/2019 5:52 PM

I want to prioritize keeping life simple and having the least amount of stress. I also want to have a lot of fun and new experiences.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Research Cement Alternatives

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but may its carbon footprint is not obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

Claudia L 4/24/2019 5:45 PM

I think cars are one everyday material that has a large carbon footprint, especially the large SUVs. I also have read that clothes and running shoes have a large carbon footprint because of what it takes to make them. It uses up a lot of water to grow the cotton used to make clothes and other products made of cotton. I think the best way to find out more about which everyday materials have a large carbon footprint is to use online carbon footprint calculators and read more books and articles like DRAWDOWN.

Read More
Claudia L 4/24/2019 4:27 PM

I think this 21 day challenge was fun and I learned a lot! I hope more people will take an interest in doing something about carbon emissions and learning how their actions everyday affect climate change.

Read More
Claudia L 4/23/2019 6:00 PM

Palm Oil is a big contributor to deforestation and is in so many products that most people buy. If you want to prevent deforestation, start reading product ingredients on labels and DO NOT PURCHASE ones that list PALM OIL as an ingredient. Palm oil can be found in Skippy and Jif peanut butter, butter spreads, snacks (crackers), and cookies (like Oreos!). By not buying products with palm oil, you can stop deforestation.

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?

Claudia L 4/23/2019 5:31 PM

I learned that wave and tidal energy is the most expensive of all the renewable energy options. If underwater technologies can be developed to use wave and tidal energy, it was make a huge impact on the world's carbon footprint. I was very surprised to learn that wave and tidal energy could provide electricity for 25% of the United States. That's a huge amount.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 1

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?

Claudia L 4/23/2019 2:48 PM

My diet is positively impacting the environment and doesn’t support deforestation because I took the challenge to avoid palm oil and cocoa. Also, I don’t drink coffee. Another huge way I have been making a huge impact is by going vegan and only eating organic foods. By going vegan and eating organic, I’m not supporting animal cruelty, deforestation, and monoculture crop farms that rely on pesticides and fertilizers.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Biomass

Had you ever heard of biomass techonology before you took this challenge? What did you learn that surprised you? Share this with your friends!

Claudia L 4/22/2019 1:12 PM

I had never heard of biomass technology before doing this challenge. I was surprised to learn that garbage can be burned to produce biomass energy with a net zero carbon effect.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Every dollar you put into solar or wind is a dollar not put into traditional financial institutions. You'll also be bolstering the fossil fuel divestment movement, too. Name some companies you know that invest in green energy. How can you support them?

Claudia L 4/21/2019 6:15 PM

Microsoft and Apple invest in green energy. Microsoft is the number one leading company and this makes me want to buy their products even more. I’m also happy to see Starbucks and H&M being in the top 100 investing in green energy. I think the biggest way to support them is to buy their products and stock.

Read More
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?

Claudia L 4/18/2019 10:30 AM

I often use a car to go short distances. I think it would be a lot easier to use a scooter to get around town. I could use one to go to local stores and restaurants. They’re also a lot cheaper than using a car and easier to park on college campuses too. I think incorporating one into my lifestyle will help reduce pollution, avoid gasoline, and I can use an electric bike to go short distances. If I had an electric bike, it would motivate me to stay local so I could use my electric bike instead of a car.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Eliminate Toxic Plastics

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Claudia L 4/15/2019 1:35 PM

The main plastic that I have used on a regular basis has been produce bags at Whole Foods, but I don’t eat out a lot and that helps avoid having to use single use containers and straws. I avoid single use plastics by using glass containers and reusable straws.

Read More