EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

paul jarboe

ARROWSTREET EAST & SOUTH

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
541 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

60

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

105

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

12

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

10

meatless or vegan meals

consumed

paul's actions

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 10
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

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 25 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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

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

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?
paul jarboe 4/24/2019 7:29 AM
the beef/poultry industries provide a high supply of meat which makes it readily available. also fast food restaurants provide accessible, cheap food centered around meat.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
paul jarboe 4/23/2019 2:30 PM
a really swanky cutting board WOOT WOOT

Read More
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?
paul jarboe 4/23/2019 2:25 PM
I've enjoyed the weather, when dry. I always notice aspects of the neighborhood when walking that i never see when in a vehicle

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
paul jarboe 4/10/2019 6:50 AM
Yes. I have a very quick trigger finger when it comes to throwing items out, especially dairy, as I get easily scared by the dates posted on the packaging

Read More
- Holly Kang 4/10/2019 7:12 AM
  Last Week Tonight has a great segment on food expiration dates. Mark Kurlansky, the author of "Salt" has a book called "Milk!" which explores the history of milk & its regulation, if you're interested.
  
  If you're unsure about your milk (I go by smell rather than date), pour it into a cup for a sniff test - milk residue around the cap/rim dries out and sours much more quickly than the milk in the jug.
  
  Read More
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?
paul jarboe 4/10/2019 6:49 AM
Supporting local farmers

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of eating smaller portions?
paul jarboe 4/10/2019 6:49 AM
Portion control reduces waste and helps with weight loss.

Read More
paul jarboe 4/10/2019 6:47 AM
This has been going swimmingly.

Read More