EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Zoe Marks

Team Comsewogue

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
995 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

135

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

7.5

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

29

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

10

public officials or leaders

contacted
UP TO

5.0

trees

planted

Zoe's actions

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Launch a Recycling Program

#56 Industrial Recycling

I will set up a recycling center at my workplace or school.

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

Buildings and Cities

Plan to Insulate

#31 Insulation

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Contact your Elected Officials

#23 Farmland Restoration

I will contact 5 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Upgrade My Windows

#31 Insulation

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

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

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 50 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

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 15 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 5 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 5 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

#5 Tropical Forests

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

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

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
Women and Girls Support Women-Owned Businesses

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?

Zoe Marks 4/15/2019 9:22 AM

I can tell people these facts, and I can try to persuade them to help women.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Contact your Elected Officials

Do you have any personal connections to a farm or farmland? If so, what are they? What feelings are evoked for you when thinking about declining farmland?

Zoe Marks 4/15/2019 9:18 AM

I don't, because a lot of the farms and farmlands are farther away, like sort of in riverhead and around that area. I want to try and find some that are closer to me. when people decline farmland, they are declining fresher food. the fruit might be just picked and washed and sold the next day.

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?

Zoe Marks 4/15/2019 9:16 AM

If you spend $1,500 a year on food and then throw it all away, there are so many things you could use with that money instead, like maybe you don't buy as much food, which means you have way more money for different things. these things could be donating to charities, or saving money for important things, like college. I would rather put $1,500 into college instead of spending that all on food.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Stay on the Ground

What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?

Zoe Marks 4/15/2019 8:57 AM

I had to figure out how I would get to places across the ocean from the U.S. I think to get to Europe, if I'm not on a cruise, I would have to take a plane because there's no other way. But otherwise, if I had to go across the country, it would be fun to take a road trip to wherever I wanted to go.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Forest-Friendly Foods 2

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Zoe Marks 4/08/2019 9:26 AM

It wasn't that hard because I'm already vegetarian, so I just changed it a little bit more to fit what the challenge was asking. It's really nice changing my diet to something I know is helping the world, and it's good for me too, mentally and physically.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Plant Trees

How is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?

Zoe Marks 4/08/2019 9:23 AM

Planting trees is good for your mental health because you can relieve stress when you're doing something calming. It's good for your physical health because trees produce oxygen, which is what we need to breathe. Also, if you plant a lot of trees, you might become spiritually stronger in what is good for the environment and what is not. You could also learn more about nature when you plant trees.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Smaller Portions

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?

Zoe Marks 4/08/2019 9:21 AM

I think that some benefits of eating smaller portions is that one, you're not eating so much food, so you're eating healthier. second, it's better for the environment, because if everybody else started eating smaller portions, not as many animals would get killed for their meat, which is good, and there would be more food to go around for everybody. There are so many benefits to eating smaller portions of food.

Read More