EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Danielle Henderson

FGCU Climate Change Heroes

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
779 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

6.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

6.0

zero-waste meals

consumed

Danielle's actions

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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

Advocate For Greener Vehicles

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on electric and fuel-efficient vehicles

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

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

Become A Master Recycler/Composter

#55 Household Recycling

I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

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

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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
Transport Advocate For Greener Vehicles

How does advocating for green vehicles in your community connect to your values? How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to fuel-efficient vehicles?

Danielle Henderson 4/17/2019 10:31 AM

I care about the environment so for me advocating for green vehicles in my community helps connect me to my values because FGCU as a community cares for the environment. I might be able to get other involved in advocating for the shift to fuel-efficient cars because when you buy a fuel efficient car depending on the car you may be able to get a tax write off for having en environmentally friendly car.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

What are the factors that influence your choice of transportation? These can include things like money, time, and convenience, as well as perceptions of danger or safety. What would need to change for you to regularly choose more climate-friendly options?

Danielle Henderson 4/15/2019 10:36 AM

Some of the factors that influence my choice of transportation are time, money, and convenience I think that if you are trying to choose a more climate friendly option than you need time and money to choose eco friendly options. For example, if you take public transit you need to plan ahead to see what transits you need to take and you most likely have to pay for a ticket to be able to take the public transit

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Explore Other Transport Solutions

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

Danielle Henderson 4/11/2019 10:37 AM

Some other transportation solutions that will help the environment are to either carpool, drive a hybrid or electric car, and take public transportation.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

Danielle Henderson 4/10/2019 10:42 AM

Some motivators that inspire me to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle is because some of the newest hybrid cars are using sustainable and recyclable materials with which to construct the interior of these vehicles. This will slow down the use of materials garnered from deforestation as well as prevent habitat destruction. There is also the potentiall for a tax break if you drive a green car. Purchasing a hybrid car means you may be eligible for as much as $3000 back when you file taxes. While not every eco-friendly vehicle qualified for this kind of tax break, the majority do. This tax credit could help you in many ways at the end of the year.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Become A Master Recycler/Composter

What could you do differently to waste less?

Danielle Henderson 4/10/2019 10:39 AM

Some things that I can do differently to waste less food is plan what I am eating for dinner in advanced so that I’ll be more likely to buy only what I need. Later on in the week, I’ll be much less likely to rush out for takeout. I can also use leftovers so that I am not wasting any food, freeze food and not overshop.

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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?

Danielle Henderson 4/09/2019 6:41 PM

Use by means This label is aimed at consumers as a directive of the date by which the product should be eaten; mostly because of quality, not because the item will necessarily make you sick if eaten after the use-by date. However after the use-by date, product quality is likely to go down much faster and safety could be lessened. Sell by means that this label is aimed retailers, and it informs them of the date by which the product should be sold or removed from shelf life. This does not mean that the product is unsafe to consume after the date. Typically one-third of a product's shelf-life remains after the sell-by date for the consumer to use at home

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Support Nutrient Management

How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?

Danielle Henderson 4/09/2019 6:40 PM

The environment can influence peoples' behavior and motivation to act. ... The environment can influence mood. For example, the results of several research studies reveal that rooms with bright light, both natural and artificial, can improve health outcomes such as depression, agitation, and sleep.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

Danielle Henderson 4/09/2019 6:38 PM

I can spend time educating people on the geothermal energy types so that I and they can reduce our energy impact.

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?

Danielle Henderson 4/09/2019 6:38 PM

1/3, or 1.4 billion metric tons, of the food the world produces each year is never eaten and more than 800 Million people are chronically hungry • Wasted food contributes 4.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere each year • If food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases • The water used to grow just the food we discard is greater than the water used by any single nation • Annual cost of food loss and waste = $411 Billion

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Go Paperless

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

Danielle Henderson 4/09/2019 6:34 PM

I used to be someone that is very materialistic and finding that I needed certain things in my life all the time such as plastic utensils that were easy to throw away. Not knowing at the time how bad they were for the environment so I want to prioritize my life around trying to help the environment any way I can such as taking metal utensils with me to work or when I am out getting coffee bring a metal straw instead of using a plastic one.

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