EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Anita Roberts

CYAGHG

"I will do what I can to reduce my carbon footprint to leave the planet better than I found it for future generations."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
915 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

2.0

donations

made
UP TO

3.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

63

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

35

minutes

spent learning

Anita's actions

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 3 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

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

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 22
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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Fund Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

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

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 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?

Anita Roberts 4/22/2019 10:00 AM

Having eaten a mostly vegan diet for the last three weeks, and finding it easier than I expected, my plan is to continue eating a mostly plant-based diet long term. I'll choose locally and organically produced foods when possible to minimize the impacts of my diet on the ecosystem and hopefully see some personal health benefits, too. I'm curious to see where this takes me a year or five years from now.

Read More
Anita Roberts 4/22/2019 9:29 AM

Happy Earth Day, friends! I want to thank Bill for encouraging us to join this challenge. I've learned some new things and have enjoyed eating mostly plant-based this month. It's been fun to try new recipes and overall I feel pretty good. I've even shed a few pounds. While I'm not quite ready to say I'll never eat meat again, I can easily see myself eating primarily plant-based moving forward. There is so much variety in the plant world that it doesn't get boring. At this point, I plan to continue eating mostly plant-based for at least the next year and see what impact that has on my overall health, weight, etc.

Read More
- Kim Mortstock 4/22/2019 12:52 PM
  
  You are an inspiration!
  
  Read More
Anita Roberts 4/22/2019 8:37 AM

Just submitted my reservation form for the Community Solar program. It says it'll be reviewed and may take up to 10 days for processing before they email the actual application packet. That was anticlimactic. I thought it would be a much quicker process. I'm surprised in this day and age that it wasn't a simple online transaction. Oh well, I'll try to be patient.

Read More
- Anita Roberts 4/24/2019 7:23 AM
  
  I did see on facebook that they sold half the units in the first day so hopefully it'll sell out and we can move things along.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?

Anita Roberts 4/15/2019 3:29 PM

I suppose my vision of a sustainable community is one where we each consider our impacts on those around us (locally and globally) and adjust our behavior accordingly. This at not only a personal level, but in local, state, and federal government as well. We're all connected and we only have one planet to share (for now at least).

Read More
Anita Roberts 4/12/2019 4:50 PM

I've been eating meatless now for 12 days (started a little early on April 1). So far I really don't miss the meat. My goal was to eat Vegan for the duration of the challenge. I did have a little cheese yesterday that was in a prepared salad - I didn't want to pick it out. But otherwise I'm on track. I need to pay a little more attention to my macronutrients in my meal prep for next week as I felt like my energy level was a little off this week. I think I need a better balance of whole grains and protein along w/ all the veggies. I will say I really enjoyed the Mushroom Stroganoff w/ Spaghetti Squash. That was delicious!

Pending review of the macros, for next week I'm planning to make Chana Saag (Chickpeas & Spinach), Red Lentil Dal, wilted kale, millet, and Jamaican Black Beans. The following week I'm planning to make veggie tamales, and green smoothies, and maybe a roasted beet salad. Lots of good eats ahead.

Read More
- Anita Roberts 4/13/2019 3:04 PM
  
  I just have to share that the Jamaican Black Beans are delicious! You make this pineapple chutney separately and then mix it all together at the end. The fresh thyme and cilantro, a little kick from the jalapeno, then the sweetness from the pineapple. It's SUPER GOOD!
  
  Read More
- Bill Berger 4/12/2019 5:14 PM
  
  Making my mouth water Anita :) Sounds delicious!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Solar Water Consultation

Diversifying our energy supply and improving public health are just two benefits of renewable energy. What other motivators inspire you to consider installing a solar water heater in your home?

Anita Roberts 4/10/2019 2:40 PM

Reflection question: Diversifying our energy supply and improving public health are just two benefits of renewable energy. What other motivators inspire you to consider installing a solar water heater in your home?

Solar hot water is a possible alternative given that my house doesn't get enough sun to install solar panels to offset my energy use. But, as posted elsewhere, the new Community Solar program being offered by my utility (SnoPUD) is also a good alternative. Since I recently replaced my water heater, going to solar (or on-demand) hot water is a longer-term prospect.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Choose LED Bulbs

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?

Anita Roberts 4/10/2019 2:34 PM

Reflection question: Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?

This summer I plan to update weather-stripping and at some point in the not too distant future (hopefully not until next year) my heat pump will need to be replaced. It's pretty old but still working so I'm waiting for it to run its course and saving for its replacement. Replacement windows are also on the list.

Read More
- Anita Roberts 4/11/2019 8:30 AM
  
  Thanks Kim. I've converted about half the windows in my house to energy efficient ones. The other half are on the not too distant horizon. SnoPUD has a lot of programs like that to help people make these changes, from loans to rebates and other incentives. They provide a list of approved contractors who participate in their programs.
  
  Read More
- Kim Mortstock 4/10/2019 9:31 PM
  
  Energy efficient windows are win-win! There are programs that give low interest loans for energy upgrades. Or there me to used to be! If you're interested, I'll send you some info.
  
  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?

Anita Roberts 4/09/2019 2:50 PM

Using smaller plates is working for me. I started eating dinner off my breakfast plates or from small bowls instead of dinner plates and the smaller portion sizes are just as satisfying. In fact, when eating from a larger plate, I would often feel overly full after eating, but I felt compelled to "clean my plate." The obvious personal benefit of eating less is that consuming less can help with weight loss (which I need). I'm curious to see the net result at the end of this challenge in terms of changes on the scale. But beyond that my hope is that this challenge helps me build better habits that I can sustain long term. Another benefit of eating less is that, if I plan my meals well enough and don't waste food, then I spend less money on food. It also helps that I'm eating lots of fiber, which helps with feeling full/satisfied.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Fund Family Planning

When family planning focuses on healthcare provision and meeting the expressed needs of women, it results in empowerment, equality, and well-being, and the benefits to the planet are side effects. Why is family planning an important civil rights consideration?

Anita Roberts 4/09/2019 2:39 PM

In my opinion, equal access to reproductive health services should be a right, not a privilege. Women shouldn't have their healthcare decisions second guessed by bureaucrats or zealots. Healthcare decisions should be made by the patient (or their delegate) and their chosen medical professionals.

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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?

Anita Roberts 4/08/2019 12:11 PM

For me, the secret to avoiding household food waste is in the planning. When I make my meal plan each week, I start by taking inventory of my pantry and fridge and build my plan around what I already have. Then I just have to fill in the gaps when I shop. This not only reduces food waste, but helps keep the grocery budget in check. When I fail to plan meals I end up making poor food choices because I'm deciding while hungry, which is, for me, always a bad idea. I use the money I save by meal planning to fund fun activities and to support causes that matter to me.

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