I will take a walk for 1 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.
COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS
Land Use
Plant Trees
#15 Afforestation
I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Electricity Generation
Rooftop Solar Consultation
#10 Rooftop Solar
After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Electricity Generation
Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits
#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore), #8 Solar Farms
I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food
Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates
#3 Reduced Food Waste
I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Food
Smaller Portions
#3 Reduced Food Waste
I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.
COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS
Transport
Test Drive an Electric Bike
#69 Electric Bikes
I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Transport
Stay on the Ground
#43 Airplanes, #63 Telepresence
Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Transport
Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle
#26 Electric Vehicles
I will spend at least 20 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Materials
Fix Leaky Faucets
#46 Water Saving - Home
I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Materials
Recycle Everything I Can
#55 Household Recycling
I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.
COMPLETED 5
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 5
DAILY ACTIONS
Electricity Generation
Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions
All Electricity Generation Solutions
I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Generation Solutions.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Participant Feed
REFLECTION
QUESTION
Electricity Generation
What is the most exciting solution you explored? Why is it exciting to you?
I have always been into solar power and even got solar panels on my roof but for some homework I looked into three solar electricity generation solutions from draw down. I have pros and cons for each of them. Concentrated solar power (CSP) turns the sun light into heat using mirrors to generate heat. The only issue with CSP is it has to be in very dry and hot climates and can't be used everywhere. Next, is solar water is used mainly to heat up water. A large portion of electricity made is used to heat water so solar panels are used for that. I wonder though how efficient it is in terms of space taken up, and how fast it heats the water compared to what is used now. Finally, is solar farms. They are solar panels that are angled to face the sun and they are put there in mass quantities. Only issue is they take a lot of space which can possibly hurt forests and many other natural bio-mes which isn't good.
The foliage outside is starting to become greener. I have noticed on my daily walks that plants are starting to bloom already! Not too long ago we had snow everywhere but now that the snow is gone I have seen that grass has gotten greener and plants are coming out of nowhere! I absolutely love spring and cannot wait for summer. Usually I see the plants come back gradually but I am seeing this plants come out of the blue. It makes sense this is happening though as we move closer into May. As we all know, April showers being May flowers! (I have a image that I will add later.)
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?
My mom has small business and I absolutely love supporting her. I have helped her at farmers markets for example by working the register for her. I love my mom <3.
That's awesome David. Globally, women tend to have less access but more robust and stable business dealings in communities. CARE International has been promoting an indigenous savings model for years called Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA). Their work has been replicated around the planet as women take more control of their economic future. More savings (wealth) helps these women and their families be resilient to challenges from climate disruptions (droughts and food shortages, flooding and damages, etc). You can read about their success here - https://www.careaction.org/blog/care-report-reveals-far-reaching-benefits-women%E2%80%99s-economic-empowerment In addition, there is a nice Video of this history on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=CbEeC8xXdZ8
How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?
I will look at the bottom of my trash looking for the recycle symbol before recycling. I will also re-use Ziploc bags instead of just getting rid of them. I will also buy compostable plates instead of paper plates.
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?
Besides the price - what is different about these 2 models? More importantly - what are the carbon savings using Teslas. They have a pretty complex, international supply chain to build these cars and complex technologies involved as well - Forbes has a good article on the carbon footprint (emissions) of a Tesla: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/04/22/the-carbon-footprint-of-tesla-manufacturing/#1b977d3f6096
Half of all trips made in the US are three miles or less; 72% of them are driven. Private vehicles account for 60% of trips of a mile or less. Do you often drive short distances instead of biking or walking? If so, how might incorporating an electric bike into your lifestyle help you make more climate-friendly choices?
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?
When I was younger and living with my dad, he always told me to never waste food. So instead of getting full and force feeding myself, I would get myself smaller portions. If I needed more food I would go back and get more.
