EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Theresa Marsik

Wolfpack

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
673 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

15

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

195

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

10

trees

planted
UP TO

54

zero-waste meals

consumed

Theresa'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 6
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

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 10 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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
Buildings and Cities Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Theresa Marsik 4/19/2019 10:44 AM

I live in a relatively rural area so my walks have been taken around my yard and down our gravel road. I have enjoyed being able to view nature. I can't think of any infrastructure changes that would make my walks more enjoyable.

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?

Theresa Marsik 4/11/2019 4:54 AM

I have changed some of my light bulbs to LED bulbs, and intend to change others in my house as the existing ones burn out. I also am making a concerted effort to shut off lights in unoccupied rooms (and reminding my family to do the same).

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?

Theresa Marsik 4/05/2019 5:36 AM

Black carbon is pure carbon and a component of fine particulate matter. It is formed through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuel, and biomass. Black carbon and other emissions from cooking fires and or rudimentary cookstoves are also human health and social justice issues. Black carbon particulate matter can contain carcinogens, which can lead to cancer. Inhaling the particulate matter can cause respiratory illness such as pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, and other issues that reduce lung function. Reducing emissions costs money, so poor urban areas typically have limited emissions controls in place, so the effect is that those people who earn a low income have a higher exposure rate.

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?

Theresa Marsik 4/05/2019 5:22 AM

Aside from environmental benefits, other benefits of eating smaller portions relate to health. If you eat less, or rather, right-size your portions, you can limit weight gain. If you balance out your portions and limit the sizes of them, it will likely lead to eating more healthy foods which can have a huge impact on cardiovascular health.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Composting

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?

Theresa Marsik 4/05/2019 5:18 AM

Of the resources that can be squandered by wasting food (seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, labor, and financial capital), I guess financial capital motivates me the most to change my behavior regarding food waste. However, from a non-resource standpoint, I know that there are people who do not have enough to eat and that motivates me to reduce my food waste. If I use only what I need, then, all other resources being equal, hopefully there will be enough food to feed those who do not have enough to eat.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Plan to Insulate

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

Theresa Marsik 4/05/2019 5:12 AM

One benefits of making your home more energy efficient through proper insulation are reduced heating and cooling costs. If your building is properly insulated, you reduce your energy consumption while maintaining the same comfort level.

Read More