EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Jenny .

EcoChallenge Rhinebeck

"Aspiring solar punk"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
624 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

5.2

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

12

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

person

helped
UP TO

145

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Jenny's actions

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 15 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

#6 Educating Girls

I will donate 1 Femme Kit(s) to help girls overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 10 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 4
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

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?

Jenny . 4/22/2019 11:21 AM

When I was reading about women owned businesses in the hudson valley, I saw there is a grant women who want to start one can apply for and the deadline is May 9th. https://www.newpaltzchamber.org/wow.html

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

Jenny . 4/22/2019 8:20 AM

There are lot of local farmers in the area. It's interesting to meet so many people who have left other careers to try their hand at growing food. The more I learn about farming the more I realize what hard work it is, but it also seems to be very gratifying.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Jenny . 4/22/2019 8:19 AM

I think it is purposely confusing to have some many different labels. It encourages people to throw out food that may still be good. Sell by and best by labels do not mean a food has spoiled; only that the store and manufacturers (who are, of course, in the business of making money) suggest you use the product by this date. They are not official food safety labels.

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?

Jenny . 4/22/2019 8:12 AM

The articles I read said tidal and wave energy is potentially capable of providing up to 25% of our energy, which came as a surprise to me. But it hasn't been realized because the technology hasn't been developed yet. More research and funding is needed.

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?

Jenny . 4/22/2019 7:51 AM

Today the dog helped us keep our meal zero waste. The other scraps went into our new compost.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

In what other ways could you help girls overcome health barriers to being able to attend school?

Jenny . 4/22/2019 7:48 AM

Have a nurse at the school with free supplies or provide free supplies in public restrooms.

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?

Jenny . 4/21/2019 7:56 AM

I learned that palm oil is one of the biggest culprits in deforestations. And turning the land over to growing this crop also affects the habitat of animals. The article suggests cooking with oil oil or coconut oil as an alternative.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

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

Jenny . 4/21/2019 7:48 AM

There is an organization that is helping homeowners and business owners change from black sun-absorbing roofs to white or cool ones. This means the roofs absorb less of the heat and because of this the homeowner can spend less on air-conditioner.
Check out this for more details.

http://www.whiteroofproject.org/faq

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Support Women-Owned Businesses

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. How can you better support communities by supporting women? Can you share any past experiences that may help others take action?

Jenny . 4/21/2019 7:28 AM

I try to notice which businesses are owned by women in the area. Oblong books
and Tivoli Mercantile come to mind. Bubby's food stand and restaurant were started and are owned by one woman.

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?

Jenny . 4/20/2019 4:24 PM

I watched a video about a police force that has started using hybrid cars to save money on fuel costs. Most of the people in the town were against the idea at first until they realized how cost-effective it was.

Read More
- Chantal Collins 4/20/2019 4:42 PM
  
  Hey Jenny! Thank you for sharing all
  Of this. Every bit of information helps and makes others aware of what is going on in the 🌎.
  If you have a moment, PLEASE click on edit profile and update avatar, banner and mission statement THANK YOU 🙏🏻
  
  Read More