EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Tammy Raabe

OGA_Abt

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
585 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

240

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

24

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Tammy's actions

Electricity Generation

Solar Water Consultation

#41 Solar Water

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

UNCOMPLETED
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

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 2 friends, family and/or colleagues.

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

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 30 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 60 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

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 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Become A Master Recycler/Composter

#55 Household Recycling

I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 12
DAILY ACTIONS

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
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?

Tammy Raabe 4/18/2019 4:36 AM

I have stopped using straws, and find it frustrating when, at restaurants, a new straw comes with every glass on the table! I always request no straws. I never use disposable cups unless at an event where there is no other option and I don't have my aluminum cup. I avoid plastic bags, and carry canvas bags in my car at all times.

Of course, it's not an exact science, and so many things are packaged and otherwise "forced" upon us, but I do the best I can, and have as few disposables as possible in my daily routine.

Read More
Tammy Raabe 4/13/2019 3:05 PM

I'll admit it - I just don't think about coming online to check in on this campaign. I'm outside and generally off the computer as much as possible, because my garden is getting started for a productive season! :)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Become A Master Recycler/Composter

What could you do differently to waste less?

Tammy Raabe 4/13/2019 3:03 PM

My partner uses bottled water daily, which is a necessity since the water supply on the Marine base where he works is contaminated. This is the one hurdle that I really want to solve, which hopefully will happen soon. My largest choice is canvas bags instead of paper or plastic shopping bags. We average one kitchen trash bag per week, and recycle and compost a lot. I tend to try to buy bulk instead of overly packaged foods, but one of my weaknesses is online shopping; online merchants use ridiculous amounts of packaging. All of my soft plastics are taken to grocery stores for recycling, and boxes are broken down and added to the recycle bin.

Overall, I am likely doing more than the average suburban American household in how I treat waste, but I definitely have more that I can do. I'm currently focused on permaculture and growing my own vegetables and pollinator-friendly plants, and I'm growing all that I can from seed to cut down on plastic plant pots. Small thing, but it means a lot to me.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Tammy Raabe 4/08/2019 3:50 AM

I generally try to eat fresh, rather than processed, foods, so paying attention to dates helps me ensure that I'm not eating contaminated/spoiled food. A long time ago I learned that eggs were good for a couple weeks beyond their expiry date; I was able to avoid throwing out eggs!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

Tammy Raabe 4/08/2019 3:48 AM

I had not heard the term, but it seems to be sustainable and a common-sense approach to preserving natural ecosystems. Moving to a more localized approach to pasturing, rather than the industrial-scale approach that has stripped resources, will be our best option for agricultural/environmental recovery.

Read More