EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Katie Daly

Seton Hall University

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
786 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

30

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

560

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

5.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Katie's actions

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

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Solar Water Consultation

#41 Solar Water

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

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

Electricity Generation

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore), #8 Solar Farms

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Research Peatlands

#13 Peatlands

I will spend 20 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings and Cities

Tour a Green Roof

#73 Green Roofs

I will set up a visit to tour a green roof in my city, and ask about the codes and process for installing a green roof.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 20 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 5 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Go Paperless

#70 Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Land Use

Local Perennial Biomass

#51 Perennial Biomass

I will spend at least 30 minutes finding out if anyone is working on perennial biomass projects in my region and how I can get involved.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Rooftop Solar Consultation

#10 Rooftop Solar

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

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
Electricity Generation Solar Water Consultation

Diversifying our energy supply and improving public health are just two benefits of renewable energy. What other motivators inspire you to consider installing a solar water heater in your home?

Katie Daly 4/24/2019 7:46 PM

Saving $$$ and the planet!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your zipcode, and in your state. What steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?

Katie Daly 4/23/2019 12:57 PM

I will reduce my electricity usage by using less heat and lights at home and unplugging any electronics I am not using.

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?

Katie Daly 4/23/2019 12:35 PM

Knowing the difference between these terms will reduce food waste in my household that would have occurred before by disposing of ingredients that had a past date but were still edible.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Composting

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?

Katie Daly 4/10/2019 2:32 PM

Waste of water motivates me the most because there is a limited amount of clean water in our water cycle and almost all living beings need water everyday to survive.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Go Paperless

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?

Katie Daly 4/10/2019 2:08 PM

I prioritize experiences over material "stuff." I'd like to build memories with my loved ones and explore the world and the people in it, not just collect physical items that will eventually just be trash left on our planet.

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?

Katie Daly 4/10/2019 2:05 PM

The culture in North America is all about convenience and money. Meat is the "easiest" way to consume complete proteins so they are added into almost every meal. We also have tons of fast food restaurants, which mainly serve meat and almost no plant-based alternatives. Our capitalist society doesn't want to challenge the animal agriculture industry because it makes so much money.

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?

Katie Daly 4/07/2019 4:55 PM

I will not purchase products with palm oil in them. I can make my own meals or beauty products from natural products with no preservatives or support companies that make the conscious decision to not use palm oil.

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?

Katie Daly 4/07/2019 4:50 PM

There is solid waste, mostly single use plastics, that are making there way into our waterways due to people littering. I encourage everyone to dispose of their waste properly, into the correct stream to prevent it from wandering loose in our environment which could pollute water systems and hurt wildlife.

Read More