EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Samrat Pathania

Wallkill Senior High School

"There are no winners on a losing planet."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
871 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

28

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

420

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

240

minutes

spent learning

Samrat 's actions

Electricity Generation

Rooftop Solar Consultation

#10 Rooftop Solar

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

#8 Solar Farms

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Fund Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will donate to supply a community with reproductive health supplies.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Give a Microloan

#62 Women Smallholders

I will give 5 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

#5 Tropical Forests

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 14
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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

UNCOMPLETED
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
Electricity Generation Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

Samrat Pathania 4/24/2019 5:57 AM

Being a high school teacher, I try to bring the best climate solutions to my classrooms. Geothermal is definitely one of them. Also, in my conscious raising work in our community, I try to help (new) people network with those who are already using geothermal systems in their homes.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Every dollar you put into solar or wind is a dollar not put into traditional financial institutions. You'll also be bolstering the fossil fuel divestment movement, too. Name some companies you know that invest in green energy. How can you support them?

Samrat Pathania 4/24/2019 5:53 AM

There is a growing movement among large corporations to move away from fossil fuels. The RE100 is one such group that is committed to switching to 100% renewable electricity by 2050 the latest. I try to only do business with those companies that have the strongest pledges as part of the RE100 campaign.
http://there100.org/companies
On a local level, I try to support those businesses that are conscious of their carbon footprint and are making a concerted effort to shift to renewable sources of electricity and heating.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Explore Other Transport Solutions

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

Samrat Pathania 4/20/2019 7:26 AM

I noticed that in the assumptions made in the transportation sector, the projected EV share for 2050 is merely 16%. Global sales of plug in vehicles has already crossed 5 million in 2018. This was a 2.1% market share of new car sales in 2018. Some studies have forecasted that sales of electric vehicles will hit 41 million by 2040, representing 35% of new light duty vehicle sales . I think that even that is conservative. I believe that as EV adoption follows an S curve, EVs will become a top 10 drawdown solution.

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?

Samrat Pathania 4/20/2019 7:07 AM

I am lucky that I live in a town where nice trails are accessible. Walking is very much a part of the culture of our town. It made me wonder though as to how different would life be if I lived in a place where access to walking paths, especially in nature, was not common.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro turbines can be placed on large structures to take advantage of stronger, steadier breezes. The Eiffel Tower now sports vertical axis turbines that produce electricity for use on site. Where could micro turbines potentially be installed in your city?

Samrat Pathania 4/10/2019 7:59 AM

Our city is a small one and the tallest building has 10-11 floors. I can envision a turbine on top of it.
We have many small farms in our region and I believe that they would make good candidates for micro-turbine systems. We already have many community solar projects coming into our part of NY. I wonder how they would compete/complement each other.

Read More
Samrat Pathania 4/08/2019 5:25 AM

Hi Wallkill. We are in week 2 of the challenge and I must say that you all are doing very well. Let's continue making small changes in our lives and watch the incremental power of these changes. Do not lose heart looking at teams with higher scores. Remember, we all live on the same planet.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 2

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Samrat Pathania 4/08/2019 5:22 AM

I found that I could have a big impact with necessarily making big changes to my diet but instead focusing on the sourcing of my food. Of course, I have the luxury of living in a place where that is easy to do. I am wondering how can we make it easier for many other people who may not have access to food sources that have low environmental impact?

Read More
Samrat Pathania 4/03/2019 11:15 AM

Dear Students,
We must reject the idea of winning at all costs. We cannot fudge the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We cannot cheat the physical laws of the universe. If you do not think and reflect upon the material that is being presented in this competition, then merely making posts on this forum is pointless (no pun intended).
The idea of this challenge is to learn, grow, and start a journey toward sustainability. And like all big changes, it must begin with small steps. So please think about those steps, reflect upon your actions and responsibilities, and report only what you have truly accomplished.
Remember, there are no winners on a losing planet.

Read More
Samrat Pathania 4/03/2019 10:55 AM

Creating a sustainable future is not something that we can accomplish in a day. It is a lifelong journey and starts with small steps.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Go Paperless

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

Samrat Pathania 4/03/2019 5:05 AM

I want to prioritize connections with other people and nature. I have tried to make changes to my life over the years to make this possible. It is a lifelong journey though and I have found a lot of joy walking this path.

Read More