EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

christina perez

Seton Hall University

"Commitment to Continuous Environmental Improvement"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,352 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

50

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

60

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

810

minutes

spent learning

christina's actions

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 50 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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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

Land Use

Local Perennial Biomass

#51 Perennial Biomass

I will spend at least 20 minutes finding out if anyone is working on perennial biomass projects in my region and how I can get involved.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 20 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

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

Land Use

Research Peatlands

#13 Peatlands

I will spend 30 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

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

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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
Transport Explore Other Transport Solutions

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

christina perez 4/02/2019 10:47 AM

Air pollution caused by transportation emissions is a major contributor to health issues. Biking is a beneficial alternative to driving, as it is low cost to obtain, maintain, and does not contribute to air pollution.

Read More
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?

christina perez 4/02/2019 10:38 AM

Dependable fresh food helps to support local farmers and thus build stronger communities. Therefore, it is vital to support local food systems which not only benefits the community but also personal health and well-being.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Composting

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?

christina perez 4/02/2019 10:35 AM

The waste of seeds, water, energy, land, etc. is vital because accessibility to clean natural resources is increasingly limited. Therefore, we must change our individual behavior so that when the collective effort scales up we as a species can help to reduce food waste and its accompanying issues.

Read More
- Kristel Renn 4/03/2019 12:19 PM
  
  Food waste is my biggest issue! Drawdown lists it as the third biggest change we can make to combat global warming. We overproduce so much!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Explore Other Food Solutions

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

christina perez 4/02/2019 10:30 AM

Food waste is a large cause of environmental issues such as climate change. When food waste decomposes it contributes to the emission of harmful greenhouse gases.

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?

christina perez 4/02/2019 7:32 AM

I can replace appliances with more energy efficient ones to reduce. Also, I can incorporate the other R's by assessing my daily habits and learning ways to directly improve my actions.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

christina perez 4/02/2019 7:28 AM

Fuel-efficient vehicles require less fuel to run, which will reduce the amount and cost of gas used when commuting.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Buy Bamboo

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

christina perez 4/02/2019 7:20 AM

Yes, bamboo alternatives are readily available in my community. Other solutions can be plant-based materials.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 1

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?

christina perez 4/02/2019 7:19 AM

In order to decrease the negative impact, I can research where the food I am eating is sourced if I go to a restaurant, or am buying food from a market.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Choose Better Wood Products

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

christina perez 4/02/2019 7:14 AM

Forests provide a beautiful space to interact with nature, which promotes improved physical and mental health.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Local Perennial Biomass

Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe states that "The reason we care about climate change is because it affects the people and places that we care about." What is happening (or will happen) in your area that will affect the people and places you care about?

christina perez 4/02/2019 7:12 AM

Climate change will affect the local terrain, which will therefore negatively affect the local species and change the way we interact with nature in parks and recreational areas.

Read More