EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Ashley Lorden

Lyft

"EcoChallenge fan since October, looking to convert Spring energy into more sustainable actions and permanent changes!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,724 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

315

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

150

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

215

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

4.0

public officials or leaders

contacted
UP TO

2.0

trees

planted
UP TO

14

zero-waste meals

consumed

Ashley's actions

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 2 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

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

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

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

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 2 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Retrofitting Incentives

#80 Retrofitting

I will spend at least 30 minutes finding out if my city, region, or state offers incentives for retrofitting existing buildings.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 10 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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 Explore Other Transport Solutions

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

Ashley Lorden 4/24/2019 2:20 PM

I was really surprised that our daily commute choices actually have by far the biggest impact, as opposed to shipping and air travel. It made me commit 100% that the next car for my family will be electric, and that we'll continue to emphasize non-car local transport -- should be easy in the summer!

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?

Ashley Lorden 4/24/2019 2:18 PM

Wave and tidal energy is a huge potential natural energy source but the implementation of technologies to harness it can be very expensive and difficult to maintain. Still, because so many cities which use a lot of energy are coastal, it is worth more research.

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?

Ashley Lorden 4/24/2019 9:49 AM

We already have a smart thermostat and these were the last non-LED bulbs in the house. One other thing I want to do is add a toilet tank to the other 2 toilets (we have it in 1 and it seems to save water without any side effect, so great!).

Read More
Ashley Lorden 4/24/2019 9:47 AM

Last day of Ecochallenge :( :( I used to feel like similar initiatives were more about making people feel good than really causing change, but I love Ecochallenge because it *does* actually make a difference, in 2 ways:
- one-time actions that have a lasting impact such as changing out showerheads and lightbulbs, planting trees etc, keep giving back forever!
- daily actions were some of those habits stick -- I might fall off the wagon on some things, but others have made me permanently more conscious of my impact (for me, this time it was food waste that I realized is a really big deal and I definitely have a different attitude about composting any leftovers)

Would be curious to hear others' biggest changes/takeaways!

Read More
- Ashley Lorden 4/24/2019 11:14 AM
  
  High five Suzy! I have a different approach to our buffet lunch now :)
  
  Read More
- Suzy Lambert 4/24/2019 10:15 AM
  
  I agree! I think the one time actions genuinely made a difference - both with my learning about topics I wasn't knowledgable about, sharing what I've learned with friends, and donating or doing actions that have a positive effect if only done once. With the daily actions, I agree as well - the food waste bit was big for me too, and I feel like I've created a habit that I'll stick with, that I hadn't considered before.
  
  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?

Ashley Lorden 4/23/2019 10:19 AM

Modern societies typically operate in a way that requires overusing natural resources and produces excess volumes of waste. Though it can be hard not to feel powerless at times given the very large role of government and corporations in this cycle, individuals also make lots of choices every day that contribute to a more or less sustainable society, mostly with our purchasing power but also in the attitudes we have.

Read More
Ashley Lorden 4/23/2019 9:58 AM

Found some nice resources for California Bay Area people! https://www.energyupgradeca.org/the-movement/ you can sign up to get tips to reduce home energy use and http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/ceda/documents/report/oak032965.pdf lists all programs with incentives/rebates to upgrade aspects of your home to improve efficiency in SF East Bay.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Research Retrofitting Incentives

How can you share what you have learned in your research with others?

Ashley Lorden 4/23/2019 9:56 AM

I'm excited to share the most actionable things I learned by posting in public forums as well as sending directly to friends. Yesterday I got several people on the ferry talking about sustainability :)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

What is the most exciting solution you explored? Why is it exciting to you?

Ashley Lorden 4/22/2019 3:46 PM

Wind and solar are definitely the most exciting solutions to me because they are so versatile and can be incorporated in so many places.

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?

Ashley Lorden 4/22/2019 3:43 PM

Though I don't drive very much, saving $ and trips to a gas station is always nice, and in the bay area sometimes electric vehicles are also given access to preferred lanes which is a nice bonus. For me because we avoid driving in general, the switch is primarily because of environmental concerns.

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?

Ashley Lorden 4/22/2019 3:41 PM

The use of fertilizers and other high-volume chemical products, along with microplastics and other disposables, I think are the biggest human activities impacting our water systems. Overuse of water is also an issue. I can choose to avoid buying not-organic foods and textiles, choose alternatives to plastic when possible, and limit my waste by avoiding single-use disposables. I can also work to reduce my own water footprint.

Read More