EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Jordan Barber

SEEDS

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
496 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

135

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

91

minutes

spent learning

Jordan's actions

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 16 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Recycle Everything I Can

#55 Household Recycling

I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

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

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Local Perennial Biomass

#51 Perennial Biomass

I will spend at least 10 minutes finding out if anyone is working on perennial biomass projects in my region and how I can get involved.

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

Materials

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Conduct Virtual Meetings

#63 Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

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

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 Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

Jordan Barber 4/17/2019 5:42 PM

I need to reduce and reuse the things in my life. There's something special about getting something new that offsets a bad day when I don't get to shower (saving water--you're welcome, World). That's obviously a personal issue, but I know this drives other people to buy new things.

Now that going plastic free is all the rage, I feel more comfortable refusing or bringing my own take-away or beverage containers out. I hope it stays trendy forever.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Research Cement Alternatives

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but may its carbon footprint is not obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

Jordan Barber 4/17/2019 5:33 PM

Google it! Which also emits 0.2 grams of CO2, per Google search.

"Did you know that making a 1 kg hard cheese generates 12 kg of CO2?

For another completely everyday object, such as a mobile phone, just two minutes' daily use produces 47 kg of CO2 per year and an hour a day could produce the scandalous figure of 1,250 kg per year. If we take into account that there were 6 billion mobile telephones around the globe in 2012, and that 7 billion are forecast for 2013, it is clear that we need to reduce how we use them. Curiously, texting creates less CO2 than a voice call."

https://www.activesustainability.com/sustainable-life/the-carbon-footprint-of-everyday-objects/

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

Jordan Barber 4/17/2019 5:26 PM

Geothermal is more expensive than traditional heating and cooling systems. It would be great if I knew more about tax credits and incentives available for geothermal installations and was in a position to inform individuals and companies on the monetary benefits of geothermal, because money is a huge motivating factor.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Research Heat Pumps

Why is taking action on climate change important to you? Why do you care?

Jordan Barber 4/17/2019 5:21 PM

Why wouldn't I care?! I don't question how we got to live on this beautiful planet, but it's a pretty fragile existence and we'd be foolish to mess it up. Also, polar bears.

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?

Jordan Barber 4/17/2019 5:16 PM

What great timing! The incandescent bulb in my pantry just. burnt. out. yesterday.
What's next for me? Who knows? I think I might borrow a kill-a-watt to check out appliances around the house.

Read More