EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Kimberly Dempsey-Jones

Primrose for the Planet

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
224 TOTAL

Kimberly'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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Conduct Virtual Meetings

#63 Telepresence

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

UNCOMPLETED
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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 15 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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/14/2019 7:02 AM
I would rather put that towards making upgrades in our home. That truly is a shocking amount. It was good to track out compost this week. A lot of the food waste comes from preparing food (peeling, trimming, etc). We are now looking towards recipes that we can use that don't require as much prep.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

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?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/14/2019 6:58 AM
It is important to be mindful of what we pour down the drain. Often we contaminate our water through putting toxix things down the drain. As home we talk about what can and can't go down the drain and safe disposal. At the cottage we are mindful about the things that are going into the lake (e.g., soaps, boat gas, etc) and work to limit these things. We can limit our use of plastics that are having a negative impact on our oceans. We can learn more about the oceans and support groups that are working on preservation.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/14/2019 6:53 AM
I believe a sustainable community is where resources are valued and protected. I think it is a place where we harness the power of the sun and the wind to provide us with electricity. It is a place where we grow our own food using the lessons from our indigenous people and early settlers that is free from pesticides. It is a place where we reuse things, that we minimize waste and we value our impact on the planet.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/14/2019 6:35 AM
Although we use reuseable bags and boxes when we shop, we generally use plastic vegetable bags. I found the Net Zero Company and have purchased reusable vegetable bags that are machine washable. A small step but hopefully an impactful one. I am sharing the name of this company with friends and family.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

Good job on choosing recycled paper! How can you take your action a step further?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/07/2019 8:58 AM
So we use recycled paper in our home office. We have made the decision at work to use recycled paper in our photocopiers. We print very little (reduce) as we used shared documents and electronic communication over paper. At home we can do a better job at looking for newer items that include a percentage of recycled materials.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/07/2019 8:51 AM
My priority is always maximizing my time with my family. Spending time talking, laughing, exploring and making memories...that is the most important thing in life to me.

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- Nicole Hambleton 4/07/2019 1:48 PM
  I totally agree. Hence, why I'm not on my computer much on the weekends logging points:)) I'm on right now, because my kids are on doing homework.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

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?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/07/2019 8:45 AM
We live in an area surrounded by farms. We know many of our local farmers and speak as a family about what is growing the in the fields around us. We are regulars at the local farmers markets and have gotten to know local farmers at the stalls we regularly frequent. We know what is in season, have been educated on a number of vegetables we had never used before and know a little about the growing techniques they use. It gives us a greater appreciation for the hard work that goes into the food that makes its way to our table.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice

How are people responding to the statistics you're sharing on social media?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/07/2019 8:42 AM
I have been posting a few articles on Facebook and receiving many likes and a few comments about not knowing. I follow and will repost information from the UNICEF, Human Rights Canada, World Health Organization, WE, Gates Foundation, ONE, that focus on social inequalities and women's rights. I have several discussions with friends and peers about the information that I learn and what they hear. Social media expands and informs the conversations.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

How can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/06/2019 4:15 AM
I work for a school board that values environmental issues. My school prides itself on on being an eco school. Being a distance from the school board I often will beam in via Google Hangout. The conference rooms are set up with the technology needed for those who beam o. To fully participate in the meeting.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Kimberly Dempsey-Jones 4/06/2019 4:12 AM
We want to use the food we purchase rather than throw away perfectly useable food. Limiting those things that go into compost or landfill helps preserve bio energy.

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