EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Susan Hanson

WSP USA

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,163 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

people

helped
UP TO

1.0

lightbulb

replaced
UP TO

215

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

105

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

142

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

donations

made

Susan's actions

Action Track: Social Justice

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will donate to The Nature Conservancy, which works with Indigenous Peoples to secure land tenure and resource rights, support improved governance and local institutions, assist in natural resource mapping, planning and management; and strengthen livelihoods and sustainable economic development.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Give a Microloan

#62 Women Smallholders

I will give 1 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 2 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 10 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Purchase a Carbon Offset

#43 Airplanes

If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Help Girls Overcome Health Barriers

#6 Educating Girls

I will donate 1 Femme Kit(s) to help girls overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

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

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
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

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Susan Hanson 4/24/2019 6:06 PM
That a vegan diet is by far the least impactful on the environment by 150% over a meat centric diet, the data on poultry/dairy diet and vegetarian diets which also have large negative impacts. I learned about the life cycle of food production and lots of statistics about it. We got to experience a talk today from our company's expert on this topic. We also got to eat a variety of vegan dishes.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Susan Hanson 4/24/2019 4:29 PM
Plastics are my biggest concern: the amount of plastic products, packaging and how to dispose of them responsibly. It is a huge challenge and so much work needs to be done. The other global challenge I am concerned with is deforestation since it has so many impacts on food, air, land use and population growth.

Read More
Susan Hanson 4/24/2019 4:05 PM
My Challenge has gone well. My goal was to complete one challenge each day. I was able to do so for all but 3 days.
I learned a lot about topics I only knew a little about and that raised my awareness and gave me more things to do and think about to minimize my footprint on the earth and support the efforts of NGOs doing the same.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?
Susan Hanson 4/23/2019 8:12 PM
I read the article titled: 4 Foods That Are Eating the World’s Forests And How to Choose Better.
Here are the Four Foods and actions I can take to reduce my intake (or no).
1. Palm Oil: I will look for it in the ingredient lists of the foods we buy and choose products that don't include it. We currently do not eat any foods with palm oil.
2. Coffee: I do not drink coffee and that's a good thing. It was interesting to learn more about its negative impacts.
3. Cocoa: This will be very difficult for me to reduce my chocolate consumption since it is my favorite food. There is some good news. I will work on finding ways to buy chocolate with the the Rainforest Alliance green frog to ensure that I'm not supporting deforestation with my sugar fix.
4. Meat, Dairy, & Eggs: This is also a tough one. I will reduce my consumption of meat and continue to include plant based foods.
This was a fascinating article with lots more detail.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

As you learn more about the scope and seriousness of the environmental challenges we face, what impact does that have on your thinking and actions? What are the parts that feel overwhelming? What parts help you feel hopeful?
Susan Hanson 4/23/2019 7:53 PM
Forests cover 30% of the earth and there are different types of forests and specific threats depending on their type. The temperate forest type is located in this area. They are threatened by development which fragments them making it more difficult to protect them from future development. Temperate forests are also threatened by hotter weather (climate change), droughts and wildfires. Protection of these forests can be addressed through land use planning and efforts to reduce wildfire fuel. We can advocate for legislative action on these topics.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?
Susan Hanson 4/22/2019 5:40 PM
Our neighborhood has good sidewalks overall. I have enjoyed the wide sidewalks in most places and separate bike paths. Things that could be done are to: Repair cracks, trim blackberries and collect and dispose of trash.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Susan Hanson 4/21/2019 4:06 PM
Changing more CFL bulbs to LED. Buying more LED bulbs to have on hand to use for replacement.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What are some of the benefits of making your home more energy efficient?
Susan Hanson 4/21/2019 4:05 PM
Cost savings of both for heat and cost savings. More consistent temperature control indoors. Increased re-sale value. Reducing the amount of natural gas or electricity needed to heat your home and therefore having a positive impact on reducing these natural resources.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. How can you better support communities by supporting women? Can you share any past experiences that may help others take action?
Susan Hanson 4/19/2019 6:42 PM
Through the EcoChallenge I used the resources provided to learn about women owned businesses that offer unique, useful and sustainable products.

I am also getting a list of Oregon's Women's owned businesses so I can support them now and in the future. It is easy to request that list from this website: http://www.oregon4biz.com/How-We-Can-Help/COBID/MWBE/

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. Why do you think that is?
Susan Hanson 4/17/2019 3:26 PM
It could be that in some cases women may be secondary or discretionary income earners. Their income can provide more than the necessities for their families.

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