EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Frances Stewart

ClimateYogi

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
2,004 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

5.0

donations

made
UP TO

165

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

855

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

155

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

people

helped

Frances's actions

Action Track: Social Justice

Give a Microloan

#62 Women Smallholders

I will give 1 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

#6 Educating Girls

I will donate 1 Femme Kit(s) to help girls overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Support Microgeneration in Low Income Countries

#48 In-Stream Hydro, #76 Micro Wind, #78 Microgrids

I will make a donation to a nonprofit that installs microgeneration in low income countries.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
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).

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

Materials

Install a Toilet Bank

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water per day by installing a toilet tank bank.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Start a Social Media Campaign

#6 Educating Girls

Through social media, I will raise awareness about gender inequity in education by sharing the information found in the links below.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 45 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 19
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

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

Transport

Use Muscle Power

#49 Cars

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 21
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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Donate

#21 Clean Cookstoves

I will donate to nonprofits that install clean cookstoves in low-income countries.

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

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?

Frances Stewart 4/24/2019 8:33 PM

A good day to end the challenge. I ate 2 vegetarian and one vegan meal, walked more than my goal, stayed out of motor vehicles, tweeted about educating girls and finished up my challenges and reflections. I've learned a lot in the last three weeks. Thanks to everyone who made this possible!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Support Microgeneration in Low Income Countries

How can micro energy solutions reduce inequities? Why is this important to you?

Frances Stewart 4/24/2019 8:30 PM

Many people in developing countries have little or no access to electricity. That makes it more difficult for children to study, for medical clinics to keep vaccines cold and to provide emergency care at night, etc. In places like Puerto Rico that have electricity but where there are many problems with the system, a disaster like Hurricane Maria may deprive people of the power they need for months. Micro energy solutions can help people who now live in areas without electric power to have better medical care, more educational opportunities, etc. In places like Puerto Rico they can improve resiliency. It's important to me because I want everyone to have those opportunities and for communities to be resilient. It's vital that we solve the climate crisis, but not by keeping people in energy poverty.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons?

Frances Stewart 4/24/2019 8:18 PM

Regenerative agriculture can also help sequester carbon and reduce climate change. It can foster biodiversity. It can reduce the need for pesticides and the hazards to farm workers. It can increase productivity in places where the soil is poor.

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?

Frances Stewart 4/24/2019 8:16 PM

Sustainable communities will vary because they need to fit their surroundings and the cultures of the people who live there. They could range from a village with a handful of families to a mega-city. They should be places where the residents can thrive without harming the natural environment. They won't exist in isolation because they will depend on other communities and rural areas for a variety of goods and services and will provide other goods and services in a balanced way. The ymake good use of their resources with little or no waste. They offer clean air, clean water, safe places to live and work, good food, plenty of social interaction and access to nature, and many opportunities for learning, meaningful work, and healthy recreation.
Many things need to change to make communities more sustainable. They need to be designed for people rather than for cars, with more public transportation and safer walking and biking. There need to be inviting spaces where neighbors interact and there are trees, birds, etc. as part of everyone's everyday life. We need to create less waste and find ways to reuse and recycle more and to use energy more efficiently. We need to get away from fossil fuels and other polluting energy sources and use more renewable energy, much of which may be generated in the community. Most communities wouldn't grow most of their own food but home gardens, community gardens, urban farms, etc. could be very helpful in getting fresh, healthy food to the community's residents.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice Start a Social Media Campaign

How are people responding to the statistics you're sharing on social media?

Frances Stewart 4/24/2019 8:00 PM

I've gotten a number of likes and retweets on Twitter, but not many comments other than asking about educating boys.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice Improve a Bus Stop

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?

Frances Stewart 4/24/2019 7:58 PM

I think the biggest needs are for better public transportation and for cities to be more bike and walker friendly. In my area that means we need more funding and more funding stability for the public transit system. That funding needs to make service more reliable and to improve service to areas with many low-income residents while keeping fares affordable. We can advocate for that with our local, state, and federal governments.

Read More
Frances Stewart 4/23/2019 8:08 PM

Still going well but I have several things to finish tomorrow.

Read More
Frances Stewart 4/22/2019 6:47 PM

Another good day today. It was a little busy because of Earth Day, but I walked more than my goal, didn't use any motor vehicles, ate one vegetarian and one vegan dish, tried a new veggie recipe using my bok choy from Hungry Harvest, and kept my social media mini-campaign going.,

Read More
Frances Stewart 4/21/2019 6:05 PM

Another good day. I walked more than my goal. I did use the car for grocery shopping, but we were able to do it in EV mode. I ate two vegetarian and one vegan meal. The social media mini-campaign is ongoing. I learned a lot about geothermal power and microcredit.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

In what other ways could you help girls overcome health barriers to being able to attend school?

Frances Stewart 4/21/2019 6:03 PM

There are many barriers to girls attending school in various parts of the world. Some relate to nutrition. When a family doesn't have enough food, girls are often the ones who suffer most. Programs that provide school lunches (and sometimes other meals and/or take home food) can help. Some relate to hygiene, like lack of toilets. Supporting programs that provide clean water and toilets can help. Many of those relate to safety, which I would consider a health barrier. Dealing with that may require safe boarding for girls going to secondary school or university far from home, improved security at schools, or better ways to make the trip (like World Bicycle Relief's work to provide bicycles for girls who have a long trip to school.) Problems with infectious diseases affect both boys and girls, Better sanitation, vaccinations, bed nets, etc. can help.

Read More