EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Annika Pelc

Wallkill Senior High School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
430 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

3.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

Annika's actions

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.

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

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will donate to The Nature Conservancy, which works with Indigenous Peoples to secure land tenure and resource rights, support improved governance and local institutions, assist in natural resource mapping, planning and management; and strengthen livelihoods and sustainable economic development.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Research Peatlands

#13 Peatlands

I will spend 13 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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 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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Fix Leaky Faucets

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.

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
Land Use Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

Indigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?

Annika Pelc 4/03/2019 4:05 PM

We have to balance the needs and realities of our daily lives with the impact that they have on the environment. For example, we all need to power our homes. Well, the way we do it matters. Powering with fossil fuel-based energy harms the environment, contributes to acid rain, and pollutes the air we breathe. We need to look to ways to power our lives that aren't so harmful. That's just one example of a way to balance our lives. I could write a whole essay on it, and probably will have to some day :P

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Annika Pelc 4/03/2019 3:59 PM

It's very close between pollution and global warming. Pollution destroys ecosystems, severely harms human health, and kills wildlife. Most of the pollution today is highly preventable, and mainly occurs from our own carelessness and ignorance. Global warming is causing habitat destruction and ecosystem destabilization, and increases the severity of storms. I see politicians and people in power, along with everyday people, making jokes out of it, denying it's existence, impact, and severity, and/or just ignoring the problem. There are so many things that can be done to fix these things, but a lot of people aren't willing to take action, and some people just don't know about these issues or their severity. We need to educate people and spread the word. WE each make our own difference in the world, but to truly fix these issues, it's going to need all of us working together. It really does take a village, and then some.

Read More
- Samrat Pathania 4/04/2019 5:00 AM
  
  I wish we could make clones of you Annika.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Fix Leaky Faucets

What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?

Annika Pelc 4/03/2019 3:48 PM

Washing dishes faster, washing dishes by hand instead of by dishwasher, and setting shorter wash times for the washing machine,

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?

Annika Pelc 4/03/2019 3:45 PM

Reduce: I can limit the amount of materials used and packaging thrown away
Refuse: I can refuse unnecessary single-use products like straws, utensils, bags etc.and instead using reusable ones
Repair: I can see if i can fix things that are broken instead of trashing them and getting new ones
Repurpose: I can see if any packaging materials or old/unused things can be used for something else, like water jugs as garden scoops/trowels and as watering cans

This thought excites me and makes me optimistic.

Read More
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?

Annika Pelc 4/01/2019 11:54 PM

I would like to use it on my education and necessary home repairs.

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?

Annika Pelc 4/01/2019 11:53 PM

Consuming less prevents overeating, which promotes an improved well-being and limits weight gain. It can also help you lose weight. Lastly, it will save money because you will have to spend lass on food.

Read More