EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Brittany Tse

Brightworks Sustainability

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
462 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

215

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

12

zero-waste meals

consumed

Brittany's actions

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

#5 Tropical Forests

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Contact your Elected Officials

#23 Farmland Restoration

I will contact 3 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Test Drive an Electric Bike

#69 Electric Bikes

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

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

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
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?

Brittany Tse 4/24/2019 5:25 PM

Nope I have not! Closest thing I've heard of is "managed grazing"...

It think the biggest advantages are:
-requires less attention (in the long run), but more understand (which eventually leads to care) of the whole system, bring our attention to quality over quantity
-brings the farming practices back to viewing and working with the Earth holistically
-it is a way of planning ahead and investing in the health of the soil (and as a result, the consumer)
-brings that ecosystem back to a homeostasis, bringing stability and resiliency

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?

Brittany Tse 4/24/2019 5:05 PM

It clarifies the actual longevity/life span of food which translates to better understanding the potential value certain foods have to our body. It also makes me less hesitant to buy produce w/ "best by" or "use by" dates that are near.

Acting in accordance to the "expiration date" rather than the other's listed will pull on the supply chain to reduce the (over)supply, which not only reduces the amount of food-production resources wasted, but will hopefully also allow stakeholders in the agriculture industry to reduce the amount of chemicals used in to grow produce.

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?

Brittany Tse 4/24/2019 3:43 PM

-filled with /surrounded by/composed of by solutions that are applicable/adoptable for regions' particular climate, environmental and financial resources
-supplied w/ several, well-dispersed urban farm with locally sourced energy (which biogas, etc.) and that require climate-appropriate amounts of water
-functions on multiple close-loop systems and fosters w/ communal efforts to aid/watch over these systems
-inputs to the systems, especially the close-loop systems should be geographically and economically accessible
-Accessibility of those resources can be aided w/ environmentally sustainable transportation

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Biomass

Had you ever heard of biomass techonology before you took this challenge? What did you learn that surprised you? Share this with your friends!

Brittany Tse 4/24/2019 3:30 PM

I have heard of this!

I appreciate Drawdown's emphasis that this is a "bridge" solution and that it should really only be considered a solution if it's from waste from perennials (thereby encouraging replacing annuals w/ perennials).

I learned that there have been emission studies on miscanthus and willow short rotation coppice.. didn't realize coppicing would be encouraged .

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

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

Brittany Tse 4/24/2019 3:15 PM

Drawdown's Building and Cities Sector is ranked #6!!! I am in the right industry :)

It was interesting to see the order in which the Sector summary was done: "First, district heating was subtracted, then heat pumps, then building automation (which requires a split of impact between heating and cooling and lighting energy reduction), then smart thermostats." It helps me as a consultant guide the conversation/thought process and order of "reduce, reuse, recycle" it the context of the building design and construction industry.

I also didn't realize how much emphasis there was on smart glazing as part of the solution. I have worked on projects where I though it was just a one-off, but apparently it shouldn't be!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Test Drive an Electric Bike

Half of all trips made in the US are three miles or less; 72% of them are driven. Private vehicles account for 60% of trips of a mile or less. Do you often drive short distances instead of biking or walking? If so, how might incorporating an electric bike into your lifestyle help you make more climate-friendly choices?

Brittany Tse 4/19/2019 11:52 AM

I try to walk as much as I can and lucky my work schedule and life are flexible enough to allow me to do so. The ebike is super easy to ride and with that extra e-help, I would be able to go to meetings (where I try to avoid the sweaty look) via bike, without looking like I just biked!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Zero-waste Cooking

How are environmental issues like black carbon and other emissions from cooking fires or rudimentary cookstoves also human health and social justice issues? Why do these issues matter to you?

Brittany Tse 4/11/2019 11:39 AM

BC and other GHGE mostly negatively affects areas inhabited by people who may not have the resources to move out of those areas and to address the medical externalities of BC and GHGE as well as climate change in general.

These issues matter to me because I care about justice and not having access to clean, breathable air and livable environments is unjust, especially when those who are suffering are systematically put in or born into unjust systems.

What is so frustrating is that mass education in specific regions can do so much at the source....

Read More