Skip to main content
April 3 - April 24, 2019
Allison Mitchell's avatar

Allison Mitchell

Woodstock Day School

"My mission is to increase my own awareness and lead by example. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,592 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    20
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    55
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    72
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    42
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    425
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    180
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    132
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill

Allison's 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

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 45 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 45 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 20 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

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

Land Use

Choose Better Wood Products

#38 Forest Protection

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Start a Social Media Campaign

#6 Educating Girls

Through social media, I will raise awareness about gender inequity in education by sharing the information found in the links below.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 25 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 21
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

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

Materials

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

#47 Bioplastic

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl and instead replace them with bioplastic or durable options.

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

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 75 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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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
    Transport Test Drive an Electric Bike
    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?

    Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/24/2019 10:24 AM
    Living in a rural area with hilly terrain, many things are more than a 3 mile distance. But with an electric bike, I would certainly be more likely to ride the 5 - 10 miles to visit friends or to a store.

  • Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/24/2019 2:41 AM
    It was a really great learning experience and one that brought a definite shift to the way I do things. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Choose Recycled Paper
    Good job on choosing recycled paper! How can you take your action a step further?

    Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/24/2019 2:41 AM
    I am choosing to buy products that are recycled or from sustainable sources, as well as no plastic. There are a number of companies who are getting wise to the need for convenience and sustainability. Dropps for laundry detergent and Bite for toothpaste offer alternatives to the plastic wrapping and packaging. 

  • Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/23/2019 3:05 PM
    One more day! And I learned a lot. Still am!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Social Justice Learn about Local Indigenous Practices
    What did you learn about indigenous peoples' land management that you can apply in your own life?

    Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/23/2019 12:01 PM
    Holding on to the sacredness of a spot, as well as respecting the land around it. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport Explore Other Transport Solutions
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?

    Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/23/2019 2:44 AM
    That "bad air" is causing hardening of arteries and an increase in heart attacks and strokes. That I did not know.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture
    Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons?

    Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/22/2019 4:18 AM
    What we leave behind. These practices allow the earth to do what it already does well, without too much interference. Many of the negative effects of current practices extend far beyond the single season.

  • Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/22/2019 4:13 AM
    I'm still trying to find a local workshop on Indigenous land usage. Not as easy as I thought!

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Install a Toilet Bank
    How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

    Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/19/2019 4:27 AM
    Installing toilet banks or other low water usage appliances, using drip tape for gardening to water directly to the roots of plants and avoiding using sprinklers, especially industrial sized (not sure about a better system for those) and fixing those leaky faucets and running toilets. Shorter showers. Rain water collection. To name a few.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Properly Dispose of Refrigerants
    How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?

    Allison Mitchell's avatar
    Allison Mitchell 4/19/2019 4:15 AM
    I keep reading about the good initiatives that are happening to address climate change, and get inspiration from that to keep going.