EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Johanna Schweiss

USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter

"Green Buildings Are Better!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
863 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

95

minutes

spent learning

Johanna's actions

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

Action Track: Social Justice

Improve a Bus Stop

#37 Mass Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 5 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Express My Support

#54 Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Connect With A Nonprofit

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on womens' or girls' issues in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Upgrade My Windows

#31 Insulation

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Plan to Insulate

#31 Insulation

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

COMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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
Buildings and Cities Replace Manual Thermostats

How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for smart ones will positively impact your life?

Johanna Schweiss 4/24/2019 8:10 AM

I didn't get around to this task during this EcoChallenge, but it's still on my list! Ameren Missouri offers heavily discounted smart thermostats in their online store, and you can sign up for $25 off your bill to participate in their summer demand response program called Peak Time Savings. Lowering our demand for electricity during times of highest demand helps balance the grid, and reduces ghg emissions. http://www.amerenmissourisavings.com/

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Choose Recycled Paper

Good job on choosing recycled paper! How can you take your action a step further?

Johanna Schweiss 4/23/2019 7:21 AM

It's been challenging for me to find sources of recycled toilet paper to purchase in person! Finally realized that Seventh Generation 100% recycled TP is available through Target online (only stocked at the Hampton Target, which isn't near my house). Seems crazy to ship toilet paper through the mail, so I'm curious if others have good solutions to this challenge. I found this resource that my colleague Joyce originally posted to be helpful!

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/shoppers-guide-home-tissue-products

Read More
- Jenna Jarvis 4/24/2019 8:15 AM
  
  I've joked about starting a boutique TP store. For shopping local, there is no where to go to grab paper towels, TP, kitty litter, etc...If people are willing to pay a bit more for an eco-friendly product, maybe it would be worth starting a corner store with sustainable essentials.
  
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- Emily Andrews 4/23/2019 11:04 AM
  
  You might also look into what they carry of Office DePot. I know Jean buys her TP there. It might even come in a big cardboard box with the rolls wrapped in paper rather than plastic wrap!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Connect With A Nonprofit

What are the most pressing issues for women and girls in your community?

Johanna Schweiss 4/22/2019 1:57 PM

There are so many... I was glad to schedule my GiveSTL Day donation early in support of several of our great local organizations taking action on climate change, social justice and supporting women and girls. https://www.givestlday.org/index.php

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Johanna Schweiss 4/09/2019 9:06 AM

I've been using ENERGY STAR's Energy Savings at Home platform to review and prioritize energy efficiency projects at home. Their home energy yardstick tool gave my home a score of 7.6 out of 10, which seems pretty good! But it also says I would save $180 per year by improving to 8.6. So plenty of work to be done! I have a bit more information to enter into the tool to consider this item complete - like the results of a home energy audit we got a few years ago. On my list of projects are air sealing to do around my windows, a small insulation and air sealing project to do in the utility room, sealing some leaky ductwork, and insulating our hot water pipes. Hopeful that I can get this done during the Drawdown EcoChallenge! For anyone else interested in ENERGY STAR's home tools (they are great, and have a ton of info!) go to www.energystar.gov/campaign/home

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Johanna Schweiss 4/04/2019 8:57 AM

I'm loving this new Hi-Five feature! Excited to get started on the Drawdown Eco-Challenge once again this year. I'm focusing on energy efficiency improvements to my home. This weekend seems like it will be a great one to finally caulk my windows! Also have a small insulation job I've been putting off for some time. Anyone else have energy efficiency projects they plan to tackle? Would love your inspiration/ideas!

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Johanna Schweiss 3/21/2019 8:26 AM

Game on! Once again we have a friendly competition with Illinois Green Alliance's team in the Drawdown EcoChallenge. Winning team gets bragging rights for the year to come. :)

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