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Welcome to Drawdown EcoChallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Drawdown EcoChallenge expert in no time!

EcoChallenge.org
Drawdown EcoChallenge
April 3 - April 24, 2019
Mary Krembs's avatar

Mary Krembs

EcoChallenge Rhinebeck

"To treat the earth with the respect she deserves "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 605 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    50
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1.0
    zero-waste meal
    consumed
  • UP TO
    3.9
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    140
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    public official or leader
    contacted

Mary's actions

Materials

Install a Toilet Bank

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water per day by installing a toilet tank bank.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

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

UNCOMPLETED
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 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity Generation

Solar Water Consultation

#41 Solar Water

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 10 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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Action Track: Social Justice

Express My Support

#54 Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

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?

  • Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 4/23/2019 10:42 AM
    Read More
  • Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 4/19/2019 6:07 AM
    I find I think about these  issues more often than I check in. Sorry! I’m doing the real work, just not checking into the page
    Read More
    • Chantal Collins's avatar
      Chantal Collins 4/19/2019 6:25 AM
      Greatly appreciate that Mary!  That’s definitely the long term goal   Thank you so much for taking the time to check in. It means a lot to the kids in the Environmental club!!
      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity Generation
    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?
    Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 4/19/2019 5:58 AM
    We have researched geothermal but the technology available locally does not work well with our existing infrastructure (baseboard hot water or overhead ac ducts). We hope our furnace will last a few more years until the “attic” geothermal unit becomes available.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Social Justice
    How could better walking infrastructure make your city both more enjoyable and more equitable?
    Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 4/19/2019 5:54 AM
    Perhaps if we had better sidewalks we could reduce the elementary bus runs. It is so silly to bus children to s school they can nearly see out of their yards!
    Read More
    • Chantal Collins's avatar
      Chantal Collins 4/19/2019 6:27 AM
      Absolutely!! Need to have more proper sidewalks   We   need to make walking  a  habit for kids 💪🏼
      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport
    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?
    Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 4/15/2019 9:14 AM
    The cost of a new EV is pretty high, but the used ones seems reasonable.  Our family car is a minivan, which is necessary when we all want to go someplace together.  But is is crazy that I drive that large vehicle to work every single day all by myself.  So I'm considering a used EV as my commuter care.  I have to check into the cost charged (if anything) at our workplace charging stations to see have more information for the cost analysis.
    Read More
    • Chantal Collins's avatar
      Chantal Collins 4/18/2019 5:42 PM
      Thank you for sharing this!!
      Can you consider going on your profile and adding pictures to banner and avatar to earn more points for team?  Add a mission statement too if you could please!! Thanks for supporting the EcoChallenge 
      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport
    What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?
    Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 4/15/2019 9:01 AM
    I rant he numbers and truth be told it was cheaper to drive five people than fly us.  Then add in the cost of a rental car it was a no-brainer.  But for trips under 1000 miles round trip the time vs money vs environmental impact means flying loses and driving wins. 
    Read More
  • Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 4/15/2019 8:24 AM
    I spent the weekend focused on reducing single use plastic bag usage in our lives.  We already exclusively use reusable shopping bags, so next on the hit list were produce bags and plastic wrap.  So I took and old sheet and made four beeswax wraps
    to reduce use of plastic wrap at home, and I used an old dish towel and created a produce bag.  Added the produce bag to my stack of reusable grocery bags.  Now I need to remember to use it.
    Small steps can make a big difference over time.  
    Read More
  • Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 3/28/2019 10:21 AM
    We grow a lot of vegetables in our garden and have started saving seeds where possible. We save seeds that performed well in the garden as that would make the most sense for hopefully another good crop. Does anyone want to start a small "seed sharing" this year?  I know I have some extra cushaw and extra pumpkin seeds if anyone is interested (and you can repay me next year if you start saving your own seeds!)

    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials
    What could you do differently to waste less?
    Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 3/28/2019 10:12 AM
    This is an interesting balance.  If I shop more often, I waste less food as I only buy for a few days meals and those plans tend to come to fruition.  But shopping more often means more trips to the grocery store (more gas used) and smaller packages (more packaging materials).  So I'm still working to balance less trips to the grocery store against wasting more food.  It is so much easier when the farm stands open and I can stop on my way home from work (no wasted fuel) and simply purchase what is fresh and available for the evening or following evening's meal.  Summer's coming soon I guess!
    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?
    Mary Krembs's avatar
    Mary Krembs 3/28/2019 10:05 AM
    While we do compost all food scraps in our house (being pescatarian makes this easy!  We even compost dairy if necessary) I am making an effort to reduce food waste by planning my shopping and cooking more intentionally.  Yogurt and Milk however sometimes aren't used at the rate I expect.  So my new goal is to bake with these "expired" products.  There is a lot you can do with old yogurt and truly, isn't yogurt already "expired" when you buy it (smile)
    Read More