EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Jennifer Landree

HR Climate Coolers

"Inspiration through action"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,011 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

288

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

288

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

220

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

40

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.0

people

helped
UP TO

1,473

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Jennifer's actions

Transport

Purchase a Carbon Offset

#43 Airplanes

If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Use Public Transit

#37 Mass Transit

I will use public transit 16 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 6.54 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Conduct Virtual Meetings

#63 Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 10 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY 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

Women and Girls

Give a Microloan

#62 Women Smallholders

I will give 2 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

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

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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?

Jennifer Landree 4/24/2019 8:40 AM

Can't believe it's the last day of the challenge! This has been a fun and reflective time for me to consider some of my habits and some of the actions I can take to reduce climate change, waste, etc.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Buy Bamboo

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

Jennifer Landree 4/23/2019 2:28 PM

Some bamboo options were readily available, like disposable plates made from bamboo. I also found out about bamboo toothbrushes and bought one to replace my old toothbrush that was due - a little harder to find, but a great alternative to something that needs to be replaced regularly!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Purchase a Carbon Offset

A round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2. What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?

Jennifer Landree 4/23/2019 2:26 PM

This is a tough one! I already don't do a lot of travel for work - check! We've been working with consultants remotely on a project, for example, to avoid travel. Since all of them are East Coast based, this was a significant savings! For a personal trip I have coming up though, I researched and bought carbon offsets for the first time! Doesn't solve the problem BUT it does help.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 1

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?

Jennifer Landree 4/22/2019 10:22 AM

I was pretty confident that the mostly-whole foods diet I enjoy was positive but...I was shocked to read how pervasive palm oil is in consumer products. I will be bookmarking the list and trying to switch to palm-oil free alternatives when I run out of what I'm using (looking at you, toothpaste?!?).

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Keep Track of Wasted Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?

Jennifer Landree 4/19/2019 10:32 AM

Vacation! A million other things! This is tough - I've been trying to get better at reducing food waste and it's still a challenge. For example, I had switched to cream for my coffee that comes in re-usable glass containers...but it seems to go bad faster than other dairy, and consequently I've never managed to finish a bottle before it goes off. In other areas I'm trying to get better at repurposing leftovers before they go bad.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

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?

Jennifer Landree 4/19/2019 10:31 AM

This one definitely seems to point to how well off North America is on a global scale - to where meat is less a treat and more of an always available food stuff.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls Give a Microloan

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. Why do you think that is?

Jennifer Landree 4/19/2019 10:30 AM

I've heard this stat before, but I'm not sure why. I do know that re-investing in the community is definitely a win-win!

Read More
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?

Jennifer Landree 4/18/2019 9:47 AM

I've always been one to "follow my nose" vs. go by the date on the package, but learning more about the differences between use/sell/best by dates really helped confirm this approach, and not feel bad about using something just because the "best by" date has passed.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Recycle Everything I Can

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?

Jennifer Landree 4/16/2019 8:45 AM

I know that 'reduce' is the more important 'r'...and it's tough! For example, when I make my coffee at home, I'm all about my re-usable mug. Different story when I want an afternoon coffee, or I'm on the go and I want to order ahead at Starbucks...then I almost never choose reusable. Working on changing my mental models around this to favor factors other than convenience.

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- Jennifer Landree 4/16/2019 9:43 AM
  
  Thanks for the tips friends - I love the collapsible cup - my current tumbler is great if I have a lot of space, but not great for carrying around all day if I don't have my backpack. I also love the idea for reusable cups for online ordering and/or similar. I switched to a milk company that does this - you pay a deposit for the bottles and get it back when you return them to the grocery store. As a bonus their milk is waaaay tastier than the brand I had been buying before.
  
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- Jennifer Fredericks 4/16/2019 9:35 AM
  
  I want to press businesses to invest in reusable cups for online ordering. Other cities have embraced this. Imagine, you order ahead, your drink is ready in a reusable stainless (or other material) cup, when done you return it to the business or to a "drop site" for sterilization and reuse... easy peasy, just requires a change in attitude.
  
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- Christine Hogue 4/16/2019 9:09 AM
  
  I've seen several people carrying this new collapsible Pocket Cup. "With a removable, reusable straw, the 16oz monochrome cup carries hot and cold drinks with you on the go." Maybe something to consider... https://stojo.co/
  
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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?

Jennifer Landree 4/12/2019 11:53 AM

Definitely fuel efficiency - it would be nice to spend even less at the pump! My current vehicle still has plenty of lift left in it...but I really think next time I buy it will be a hybrid.

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