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April 3 - April 24, 2019
Fran Palumbo's avatar

Fran Palumbo

Hauppauge Eco Team

"“The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.” ― Robert F. Kennedy "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 964 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    2.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    6.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    7.8
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    6.0
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    220
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    116
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    20
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Fran's actions

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 2 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Transport

Advocate For Greener Vehicles

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on electric and fuel-efficient vehicles

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 10 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 20 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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 6 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 5 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore), #8 Solar Farms

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

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?


  • Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/23/2019 6:34 PM
    The eco challenge is going great ., we learned an awful lot

  • Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/23/2019 6:32 PM
    Challenge is going great and learning a lot.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits
    Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your zipcode, and in your state. What steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?

    Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/23/2019 5:39 PM
    Shut off the tv...change your lightbulbs,  use a tan before air conditioning, upgrade your appliances to energy efficient and use less gasoline... check out the eco friendly automobiles at the car show this week
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport Advocate For Greener Vehicles
    How does advocating for green vehicles in your community connect to your values? How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to fuel-efficient vehicles?

    Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/23/2019 5:36 PM
    I think people need to know that the upkeep on an electric vehicle is very little compared toa  vehicle with a regular engine. My husbands volt has 200 thousand miles after 6 years and the only thing that needed changing were the tires. So I bought one too

  • Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/23/2019 5:23 PM
    I joined the challenge to educated myself along with others. Obviously we don’t do enough to save our earth. Better late than never. We must leave this planet in better shape than we found it for future generations.
  • 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?

    Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/23/2019 5:21 PM
    Better digestion and healthy eating is the benefit of eating your food on smaller dishes and cleaner diets.

  • Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/18/2019 4:31 PM
    Keep up the good work everyone, we are almost there. Have you learned anything? I did. Have you changed anything? I did. 

  • Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/11/2019 10:47 AM
    Earth day is coming....how is your Draw-down Eco-challenge going? Challenge your friends, family and co-workers to check out their goals.. 
    Keep the momentum going. 

  • Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/09/2019 5:09 PM
    I’m so proud of my eco challenge buddies, keep up the great work.  Post on and learn more eco friendly things to protect our future.

  • Fran Palumbo's avatar
    Fran Palumbo 4/05/2019 12:12 PM
    www.andrewsfamilyfarm.com
    (631) 929-5963

    Today I joined a local farm for 10 week of fresh produce. yah