EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Amy Ouchterlony

Primrose for the Planet

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
620 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

176

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

9.3

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

4.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

30

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

40

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

436

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Amy's 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

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

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Choose Better Wood Products

#38 Forest Protection

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
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 4
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

UNCOMPLETED
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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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 1
DAILY 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).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 70 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 3
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

Materials

Install a Toilet Bank

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water per day by installing a toilet tank bank.

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
Land Use Choose Better Wood Products

Beyond carbon sequestration, what other benefits do forests offer you personally?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/23/2019 7:32 PM

Where do I begin? Whenever I walk into a forest, especially with my kids, it's as if we have entered a religious place of worship. A sense of calm, humility and reverence comes over all of us. Of course there's also, maple syrup, beautiful fall colours, wood for fires, shelter from the rain and wind, leaves for artwork and mulch...

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Choose Recycled Paper

Good job on choosing recycled paper! How can you take your action a step further?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/22/2019 7:04 PM

Reduce our use of paper when not necessary.

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?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/17/2019 8:24 PM

Educating women gives them the information to make the right decisions for their families. Tonight I presented at a meeting of women where we (hopefully) inspired several to take action on food waste, climate change, minimizing household waste and regenerative agriculture.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/17/2019 8:21 PM

Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm not doing enough - that I don't seem to have the time to source foods without the packaging or to buy certain things in bulk. But other times it is exciting to think of clever ways to show my kids how to fix things or make them into something else!

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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?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/17/2019 8:20 PM

If we understand what these dates mean, we won't throw out food unnecessarily. It is good to know that they are there for a reason, but don't necessarily mean we shouldn't eat the food after the date!

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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?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/17/2019 8:15 PM

People have been conditioned to think they need a lot of protein and to think meat is the only source of it! We also don't seem to think a meal is complete without meat in it. We need to branch out our cooking repertoire. I was inspired by reading the book "The Third Plate" by Dan Barber on this topic.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Install a Toilet Bank

How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/08/2019 6:29 PM

We can continue to protect headwaters region where several rivers begin. By limiting / penalizing chemical use on farms that polluted waterways. By designing collection / catchment facilities on farm and rural properties to slow the overland flow of water and make use of it on the property instead of pumping groundwater (ie for irrigation)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Stay on the Ground

What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/03/2019 7:20 PM

We were considering a winter trip to Mexico to enjoy some warm time in the sun. But as the time approached, we realized that enjoying winter was more appealing to us. Luckily, a group of friends chose a fun winter camping adventure so we made it our winter vacation instead! We had a blast!
Choosing local vacation spots that don't require a flight, carpooling to share a long drive, choosing the train or bus instead.

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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?

Amy Ouchterlony 4/03/2019 7:17 PM

What a perfect question for an organic veggie farmer! All of the above!!! Twelve years ago I chose organic farming as a practical form of environmentalism that puts my beliefs as to how we can live, grow, share, eat in a positive and regenerative manner. Industrial food production and global food transport are extremely vulnerable, unsustainable & insecure systems. We can do so much better! I am inspired on a regular basis to be a part of this movement!

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