John McComb
"Take care of myself, my friends and the earth"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 556 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO4.0meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO63minutesspent learning
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UP TO2.0plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO5.0zero-waste mealsconsumed
John's actions
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.
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.
Transport
Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail
#66 High-Speed Rail
I will spend at least 1 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.
Transport
Explore Other Transport Solutions
All Transport Solutions
I will spend at least 1 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.
Materials
Properly Dispose of Refrigerants
#1 Refrigerant Management
I will spend at least 1 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.
Buildings and Cities
Online Energy Audit
Multiple Solutions
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Food
Zero-waste Cooking
#3 Reduced Food Waste
I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day
Food
Reduce Animal Products
#4 Plant-Rich Diet
I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.
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.
Action Track: Social Justice
Advocate for Forest Protection
#38 Forest Protection
I will contact 2 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.
Buildings and Cities
Choose LED Bulbs
#33 LED Lighting (Household)
I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.
Transport
Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle
#26 Electric Vehicles
I will spend at least 60 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONMaterials Properly Dispose of RefrigerantsHow do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
John McComb 4/24/2019 9:11 PMI am worried, but it is not despair. I have been involved in lobbying on environmental issues forever with some success. The U.S. position is deeply diaappointing. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONBuildings and Cities Online Energy AuditWhat are your next steps for saving energy?
John McComb 4/24/2019 9:09 PMBig items that on all the time include my refrigerator (363 KWh/year), my computer (531 KWh/year). The next biggest items which are ones less often on are the TV (assume 3 hours/day = 100 KWh/year], After that lighting maybe another 70 KWh/year. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONMaterials Eliminate Toxic PlasticsWhat single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
John McComb 4/22/2019 10:26 AMDoes my daily Starbucks qualify? I bring my personal cup which has its own straw which I have been using for months.-
Karen Hollweg 4/22/2019 2:46 PMOK, I finally got to a place where I can see the question. I"d say you're pretty "green" - no single-use coffee cups, straws, ...etc. Congrats. -
Karen Hollweg 4/22/2019 10:55 AMI'd say it's a re-useable cup, but don't know what the question is.
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John McComb 4/22/2019 10:24 AMCold cereal, banana, organge juice. Does this quality-
Karen Hollweg 4/22/2019 2:51 PMI think you're going for zero-waste -- but the cereal box+bag and any other packaging that you cannot recycle end up as waste. Since I started composting all compostable kitchen waste, I've found that I end up with a surprising amount of packaging materials (kinds of plastic) in my trash -- that I cannot recycle. It's the kind of stuff that still needs to go to the landfill. -
Karen Hollweg 4/22/2019 10:54 AMQualify for what? … a good breakfast? It's also meatless, but not locally-sourced (the banana, cereal and OJ had to travel a ways) or vegan (I assume you had milk on your cereal).
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John McComb 4/21/2019 8:00 AMSo far no waste since I started this yesterday -
John McComb 4/21/2019 7:59 AMSo far no waste in since I started tis yesterday. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransport Explore Other Transport SolutionsWhat did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
John McComb 4/21/2019 7:59 AMWhile it seems not likely to become reality, the Musk DC-Baltimore Loop tunnel is interesting because it has got as far as an environmental assessment. It will transport people between DC and Baltimore in about 10-15 minutes in autonomous electric vehicles.-
Karen Hollweg 4/22/2019 2:53 PMfascinating !
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REFLECTION QUESTIONTransport Research and Advocate for High-Speed RailWhat are the factors that influence your choice of transportation? These can include things like money, time, and convenience, as well as perceptions of danger or safety. What would need to change for you to regularly choose more climate-friendly options?
John McComb 4/21/2019 7:55 AMMy choice of bicycling includes health, and greater awareness of my natural surroundings. I cross the Potomac River twice a day and it is always interesting - flood stage, ice, kayakers, tide in and out. I think I have already chosen a climate-friendly option. -
John McComb 4/20/2019 5:58 AMThe recent stories about Musk tunnel proposal between DC and Baltimore are interesting.-
Karen Hollweg 4/20/2019 9:06 PMwhat does the musk tunnel carry?
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John McComb 4/20/2019 5:57 AMSince my primary transportation is a bike and I don't own a car - am looking for ways to make biking easier and safer. One example is bicycle parking at work.