"Raise awareness of the environmental damage we're causing in our atmosphere, and how we can reduce/prevent further damage"
POINTS TOTAL
0
TODAY
0
THIS WEEK
1,030
TOTAL
participant impact
UP TO
40
miles
traveled by bus
UP TO
70
minutes
spent learning
UP TO
6.0
zero-waste meals
consumed
UP TO
-9.5
pounds of CO2
have been saved
UP TO
28
meatless or vegan meals
consumed
UP TO
2.0
donations
made
UP TO
40
miles
not traveled by car
Becky's actions
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.
COMPLETED
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 14
DAILY ACTIONS
Land Use
Choose Better Wood Products
#38 Forest Protection
I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.
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
Transport
Use Public Transit
#37 Mass Transit
I will use public transit 8 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to -1.9 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
COMPLETED 5
DAILY 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
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
Food
Zero-waste Cooking
#3 Reduced Food Waste
I will cook 3 meal(s) with zero-waste each day
COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS
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 1
DAILY ACTION
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
Materials
Become A Master Recycler/Composter
#55 Household Recycling
I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Action Track: Social Justice
Donate
#21 Clean Cookstoves
I will donate to nonprofits that install clean cookstoves in low-income countries.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Participant Feed
REFLECTION
QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice
Indigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?
Sustainability IS balance. You can't call something sustainable if it has no balance. We have a variety of natural resources on our planet (air, water, soil, etc.) and our use of them must create balance. You have to give the same or more to a system than you take from a system to have balance. If you're going to grow crops and take nutrients from the soil, you make your agricultural system sustainable by adding the same or more nutrients back to the soil than you take. But always GIVE more than you TAKE. The same goes for all natural resources. Never over indulge, and always give back.
How are environmental issues like black carbon and other emissions from cooking fires or rudimentary cookstoves also human health and social justice issues? Why do these issues matter to you?
Not everyone has the ability to purchase a clean cookstove. Some cultures even have to burn plastic just to cook their meals. Everyone has to eat, and a lot of foods have to be cooked to be edible. A family should not be stuck breathing in toxic fumes in their home just to be able to eat just because they're poor or don't have access to a kitchen appliance store. All of the fumes that end up in the atmosphere from cooking with these toxic chemicals have a direct effect on those breathing it in, but it also effects the rest of the world, because it adds to the toxins that end up in the atmosphere adding to climate change.
Today is the last day of the challenge. Make it a good one everybody!
Thank you all for being a part of the team and participating in the Drawdown Challenge. I hope everyone had the opportunity to learn something new, and that you all realized how much of a difference we can each make. Even small changes we make in our lives can create a positive global impact.
I really enjoy the Ecochallenges; this has been my 3rd but the first time I started my own team. So thank you again for joining ^_^. I know I learn something new with each challenge I involve myself in, and it also helps encourage me to keep working hard to strive to live a sustainable lifestyle and work towards global sustainability.
You all did a great job, and I'm proud of what we accomplished with this challenge :)
I hear a lot of good things about bakery Lorraine but I can vouch for 5 points local being AWESOME! It's one of our regular restaurants. Pharm table is really good too, but their hours are a little weird and they are downtown which I try to avoid.