EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Urvi Patel

Seton Hall University

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
696 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

51

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

120

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

708

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

33

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

174

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Urvi's actions

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

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

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Improve a Bus Stop

#37 Mass Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

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 5
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 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 3 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 678 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

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

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
Women and Girls Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

Urvi Patel 4/24/2019 8:49 PM

Some barriers that exist between women's equal participation and/or representation is that there are many people in the world today who truly believe that women are inferior and because of this mentality, we can not move ahead and change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

What 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?

Urvi Patel 4/23/2019 6:57 AM

The factors that influence my choice of transportation are money and time.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Improve a Bus Stop

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?

Urvi Patel 4/23/2019 6:57 AM

we can carpool. This will get us to the destination, but also keep the environmental cleaner than if everyone was to drive.

Read More
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?

Urvi Patel 4/23/2019 6:55 AM

To avoid air travel in future, I can try to minimize how many trips I take internationally and stick to local vacations.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Urvi Patel 4/10/2019 1:28 PM

I noticed that, no matter where I am, I noticed a lot of garbage on the sidewalks and roads. I went to a reservation and there were very few garbage cans or recycling bins. It would be nice to see more of them.

Read More
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?

Urvi Patel 4/05/2019 7:54 PM

I use plastic coffee cups when I get coffee from cafes. Instead, I can take my own cup and tell them to make the coffee in that, considering many cafe's now accept bringing your own cups.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Go Paperless

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?

Urvi Patel 4/05/2019 7:52 PM

I want to prioritize being more grateful for the stuff I already have in my life, such as family and friends, instead of focusing on material things.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Keep Track of Wasted Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?

Urvi Patel 4/05/2019 7:50 PM

This money can be used in many different ways. I would use the money to donate to a non-profit, such as Food Recovery Network, which helps college students fight food waste and hunger by recovering perishable food that would otherwise go to waste from their campus dining halls and donating it to those in need.

Read More
Urvi Patel 4/04/2019 7:32 AM

I believe it is very important to think about what you are putting in your body and how that relates to our environment. When we look at the Earth as whole instead of living in our small bubble, it'll be easier to see how small actions like these actually make a big difference.

Read More
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?

Urvi Patel 4/04/2019 6:53 AM

Many people believe that being a vegetarian/vegan is more expensive than eating meat. They believe it is easier to enjoy a meal with meat because it is more accessible than vegetarian options, when that is not the case.

Read More