EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Elena Morales-Grahl

ETHS Bagasses

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,011 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

460

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

33

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

8.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

11

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted

Elena's actions

Transport

Use Muscle Power

#49 Cars

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 120 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

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

Buildings and Cities

Research Retrofitting Incentives

#80 Retrofitting

I will spend at least 60 minutes finding out if my city, region, or state offers incentives for retrofitting existing buildings.

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

Buildings and Cities

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

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

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 1 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 120 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Restore Wetlands

#52 Coastal Wetlands

I will volunteer 8 hours with a wetland restoration project in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 40 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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
Electricity Generation

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/23/2019 8:13 PM
Thinking about future generations and their well being makes me want to stand up for sustainable energy sources. Having seen some of the wonders of nature, it also scares me to think that these things could disappear.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/21/2019 5:49 PM
We can learn to depend on less water and use methods that will save it the most. We can also collect rain water and protect wetlands and other areas to prevent flooding.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

Beyond carbon sequestration, what other benefits do forests offer you personally?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/21/2019 5:47 PM
They offer beauty and a place to relax. They are also the home for many extremely important organisms and tons of biodiversity.

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?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/21/2019 3:27 PM
It allows me to ensure that I don't throw away food that is still good while also making sure that I don't eat something that could be past its prime.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/21/2019 3:26 PM
I like the beautiful views that one can see while biking. I am glad that I feel safe while biking. Something I would like to improve is the bike routes in the northern parts of the city.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

How can you share what you have learned in your research with others?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/21/2019 3:25 PM
If I know someone that wants to work on improving the energy efficiency in their home, I can inform them about the possible regulations and programs that could help them.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What are your next steps for saving energy?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/21/2019 3:24 PM
My next steps are replacing a lot of our lightbulbs with LED lights as well as increasing the temperature on the AC.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

How do wetlands differ from other ecosystems -- both in the services they offer and in your personal experience of them?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/17/2019 7:22 PM
Wetlands are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the planet. They help with carbon sequestration and flood-prevention. They are also beautiful places to go and see nature.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

What are the factors that influence your choice of transportation? These can include things like money, time, and convenience, as well as perceptions of danger or safety. What would need to change for you to regularly choose more climate-friendly options?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/17/2019 7:17 PM
Factors that influence my choice of transportation are speed, cost and how close and easy they are to access. It also may depend on the weather and time of day. In order to choose more climate-friendly options, the weather would need to be warmer. In addition, for nightime, I would need to feel safe enough to walk or bike places.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?
Elena Morales-Grahl 4/14/2019 12:01 PM
When I walk places, I pay a lot more attention to my surroundings and the people I pass. If the weather is nice, I prefer walking or biking because I am taking advantage of how nice it is and not feeling guilty for driving.

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