EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Heidi Moxham

Woodstock Day School

"To be more conscious of everything and everyone around me."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,476 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

12

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

116

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

231

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

trees

planted
UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

30

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

232

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Heidi's actions

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

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 12 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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

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

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

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 2 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 15 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 21
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

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

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 13 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 23 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 25 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 5 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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?

Heidi Moxham 4/24/2019 7:16 AM
Today is the last day of the challenge, and it is sad to think about. We are so invested and excited about this challenge that we are thinking we are going to keep it up in some fashion throughout the remaining days of school. The kids are gaining so much information from what we've been doing, as are all of us!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Heidi Moxham 4/15/2019 6:34 PM
We realized the basement was still old bulbs! We had replaced all the ones we use most frequently, but forgot to do the bunch down stairs! One step at a time!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?
Heidi Moxham 4/15/2019 6:29 PM
Pure choice to not go down. We we're thinking about going, but since we were just there in February, we will postpone the trip until the summer. We have to plan accordingly, for more vacations locally.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons?
Heidi Moxham 4/11/2019 11:29 AM
It is good for farmers because it can take such good care of the soil, which in turn provides a stable and fruitful business for farmers. The soil is were. our food comes from, and if the soil is healthy, our food will be healthy.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?
Heidi Moxham 4/09/2019 3:13 PM
I've noticed a lot of more recent dumping around rivers and creeks in our local area, from people. There are some who visit streams and creeks for an afternoon of fun, but leaving so much garbage behind. That garbage can continue into the largee bodies of water, impacting the oceans.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Heidi Moxham 4/08/2019 9:56 AM
We are literally trashing the planet, with our trash. So many people are taking advantage of life the way it is, without thinking about leaving the planet in a better shape than they entered it. It is easy enough to do a little every day!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? Were you surprised by the information you found?
Heidi Moxham 4/07/2019 6:30 PM
I wasn't surprised at the information I read about. It is clear that there is such a huge potential but it seems so new yet that things are still flushing out what is best. There are three main types of wave energy the majority of projects are looking to use the offshore device (buoys, floats, or pitching devices). I read that tidal energy uses dams/barrages, which are pretty common. It's nice to know that wave and tidal energy facilities generate electricity without producing any pollutant emissions or greenhouse gases. Something that is so important.

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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?
Heidi Moxham 4/05/2019 12:30 PM
It would be significantly more cost effective in the long run for me, because I often feel like I'm spending a lot of money on gas and car maintenance.

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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?
Heidi Moxham 4/05/2019 12:29 PM
My factors are the locations to which I'm traveling; perhaps into Kingston or across the river to Pleasant Valley. Of course it's easier to drive most places, but I'll start biking to work when it's nice out. I'd prefer not to ride down Glasco Turnpike when it's raining. Riding to the gym in Kingston, or to volleyball would be counter productive to the workout that I'd be doing, but I suppose possible. Weather is a factor for biking really, because I don't have the proper attire to ride in colder climate (nor do I want to spend the money on it).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?
Heidi Moxham 4/04/2019 9:35 AM
I had no idea that refrigeration was such a serious concern for global warming. Back in the day there used to be ice boxes - why not go back to that? It was effective for then, it should work for us now.

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