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April 3 - April 24, 2019
John O'Donnell's avatar

John O'Donnell

FGCU Climate Change Heroes

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 626 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    10
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    175
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    10
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    163
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved

John's actions

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 9
DAILY ACTIONS

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 10
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

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

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

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 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?

    John O'Donnell's avatar
    John O'Donnell 4/25/2019 2:05 PM
    I use way too many plastic bags. Reusable bags would be a good alternative.
  • 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!

    John O'Donnell's avatar
    John O'Donnell 4/25/2019 2:03 PM
    I had heard about biomass before this challenge, specifically how algae is an emerging biomass energy source. However, I was surprised to learn that biomass is the largest renewable energy implemented in Europe!
  • 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?

    John O'Donnell's avatar
    John O'Donnell 4/25/2019 2:01 PM
    For some reason, Americans tend to associate eating meat with wealth and status. Steak seems to be a favorite of the wealthy, and Americans want to emulate this. It is sad to see the amount of land that is wasted on beef production, especially when considering how the land could be used for renewable energy generation.
  • 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?

    John O'Donnell's avatar
    John O'Donnell 4/25/2019 1:58 PM
    I've been losing weight since late 2017, so this was a natural transition for me. I'm currently up to 55 pounds lost and counting! Eating smaller portions keeps the mind more alert and active, reducing the feeling of sluggishness that is all too common after eating a bunch.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation Watch a Video about Methane Digesters
    What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?

    John O'Donnell's avatar
    John O'Donnell 4/18/2019 10:56 AM
    A sustainable community should make no carbon footprint. Any carbon that is generated should be sequestered in some way. We obviously need to move away from fossil fuels to make this happen, but there needs to be an overall lifestyle change in America before this can happen. We need to look at reducing our carbon footprint as more than a necessity. It is a choice to be better.