EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Amrit Brown

Asheville High School!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
732 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.9

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

21

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

60

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

85

minutes

spent learning

Amrit's actions

Land Use

Research Peatlands

#13 Peatlands

I will spend 35 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

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

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

Support Nutrient Management

#65 Nutrient Management

I will research and support local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 30 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 10 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 15 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Contact your Elected Officials

#23 Farmland Restoration

I will contact 2 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

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 15 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

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 2 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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
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?

Amrit Brown 4/24/2019 10:15 AM

My diet is currently impacting deforestation by supporting the companies that are causing the deforestation. By not eating from those companies I can help make an effort to stop them from killing the forests.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Research Peatlands

Much of Indonesia's peatlands have been drained so they could be replaced with palm oil or pulp and paper plantations. How can you make choices that help to protect peatlands, even if you live far away from one?

Amrit Brown 4/24/2019 10:10 AM

I can support peat lands by not buying items that are produced in areas that peat lands once stood. By not buying these products I can prevent businesses from taking over these lands.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

Amrit Brown 4/24/2019 9:41 AM

Supporting local farmers is really cool to me because having fresh food coming to me from within my town gives me a feeling of sustainability. Having the ability to sustain will benefit future communities.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro turbines can be placed on large structures to take advantage of stronger, steadier breezes. The Eiffel Tower now sports vertical axis turbines that produce electricity for use on site. Where could micro turbines potentially be installed in your city?

Amrit Brown 4/24/2019 9:39 AM

Microturbines could be placed on top of many different buildings including Asheville Middle School. Asheville middle school would be great because of the flat roof. There are also multiple bridges in Asheville that the turbines could be placed on.

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?

Amrit Brown 4/24/2019 9:23 AM

My vision of a sustainable community would be an area that is self reliable and can produce for itself. This would include food and energy needs. To make this a reality people would have to change there living style and be willing to sacrifice for future generations.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Plan to Insulate

What are some of the benefits of making your home more energy efficient?

Amrit Brown 4/24/2019 9:18 AM

Making a home more energy efficient can in the long run save you money and keep your house running for longer periods of time.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Support Nutrient Management

How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?

Amrit Brown 4/24/2019 9:15 AM

Great environmental quality can influence the sense of community because having environmentally friendly and nice looking yards can effect the way community members relate to each other. High environmental quality can also make areas more self-sufficient and friendly.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?

Amrit Brown 4/15/2019 12:29 PM

Some of the human activities that impact water systems are fertilizing with harmful chemicals near water sources and not planting plants in the areas where water runs off. To improve the health of water systems I can make sure that I have mulch near my plants and I can encourage people to plant lots of plants.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Amrit Brown 4/15/2019 12:25 PM

When I got off more main streets I noticed that the sidewalk had more cracks, there were fewer trees, and there were more potholes in the road. I enjoyed the walk because I got to walk with my puppy and the weather was really nice. I would have more trees planted and have the potholes filled in if I wanted to make the walks nicer.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

In your opinion, what contributes to people in North America eating more meat than any other countries? What does this say about North American values and ways of living?

Amrit Brown 4/15/2019 12:20 PM

I think that Americans are just naturally inclined to eat meat. It is almost taboo not to eat meat. It seems that the common misconception is that meat is the only source of protein. It shows that Americans value eating meat in society and eat it as a source of protein that could be replaced by other sources of protein.

Read More