EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Tom O'Dowd

Marist Red Foxes

"To learn and teach about humanity’s place on the planet!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,007 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

120

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

872

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Tom's actions

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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

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

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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 2
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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Purchase a Carbon Offset

#43 Airplanes

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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 Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

Tom O'Dowd 4/22/2019 8:34 AM

I was glad to revisit this topic that I have been away from for some time. It is both counterintuitive and intuitive that such simple actions as giving girls access to education can help with environmental goals of reducing family size and reducing emissions. But there it is, in plain sight - teach a girl and you facilitate future family and community leadership!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

Tom O'Dowd 4/22/2019 8:28 AM

I have not done this as much as I would like to but I have had more involvement in CSAs in the past and plan to be even more involved in the future.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Research Cement Alternatives

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but may its carbon footprint is not obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

Tom O'Dowd 4/08/2019 3:02 PM

I was just hearing about the surprisingly large eco footprint of re-usable cotton tote bags. Often seen as alternatives to disposable plastic and paper bags, cotton totes use cotton, which uses a lot of resources. Cotton is know for being a water hog, and often is grown with synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. All this can add up to a bigger carbon footprint.

Read More
Tom O'Dowd 4/08/2019 2:58 PM

I had a big pause between my big first day and today. I'll try to do my actions more regularly!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

Tom O'Dowd 4/03/2019 1:05 PM

I hadn't heard the term but I had seen it at work at the Stone Barns farmlands and more informally in India and Honduras. "Silvo-" is related to "sylvan" meaning "from the forest" as in "Pennsylvania" or Penn's woods.

The main advantage is the comined benefits of silviculture, livestock agriculture, and ecosystem services of a somewhat-natural forest ecosystem (carbon sequestration, animal habitat, micro-climate maintenance, etc.).

I read this: https://www.aftaweb.org/about/what-is-agroforestry/silvopasture.html

Read More
Tom O'Dowd 4/03/2019 8:40 AM

I do some eco-friendly things all the time, but I could always do better. Some actions I know about but could make more a part of my routine. Some actions I could try for the first time and leave them out of my routine if they don’t fit.

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?

Tom O'Dowd 4/03/2019 8:39 AM

I would like to use that money for events with family and friends like concerts and eating out and trips to parks.

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?

Tom O'Dowd 4/03/2019 8:35 AM

I now know more about suggested dates vs. dates that I absolutely should heed. Old food is not necessarily spoiled food until the expiration date, or even after that. Americans waste 273 pounds of food per year. Eggs last 3-5 weeks and should sink in water when fresh. In Denmark stores order less bread and sell older bread at a discount, reducing huge amounts of waste.

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?

Tom O'Dowd 4/03/2019 8:11 AM

I flew to the Netherlands recently so I decided to offset 3 tonnes of CO2 via the gold standard!

Thank you for your order Thomas Kevin O'Dowd!
Your Gold Standard purchase details:
Payment amount: $38.00 USD USD
Payment Date: Wed, 04/03/2019 - 18:07

ProductQtyPrice (USD)Ton - Cleaner Cook Stoves in Rwanda | 1.00 | 13.00
Ton - Solar Cooking for Refugee Families in Chad | 1.00 | 13.00
Ton - Terraclear - Clean water access for families in Laos | 1.00 | 12.00
| Subtotal: | 38.00
| Total: | 38.00

By supporting our projects, you are taking positive action to protect our climate and improve the lives of people living in poorer communities.

If you would like to find out more about how to reduce your carbon footprint and support a brighter future for our planet, please visit our website .

Many thanks,
The Gold Standard team

P.s. Your credits will be held under a registry account in your name, which will go live on our registry within 30 days. To see your account, search for your full name on the Gold Standard Markit Registry.

Read More
Tom O'Dowd 4/03/2019 8:09 AM

Thank you for your order Thomas Kevin O'Dowd!
Your Gold Standard purchase details:
Payment amount: $38.00 USD USD
Payment Date: Wed, 04/03/2019 - 18:07

ProductQtyPrice (USD)Ton - Cleaner Cook Stoves in Rwanda | 1.00 | 13.00
Ton - Solar Cooking for Refugee Families in Chad | 1.00 | 13.00
Ton - Terraclear - Clean water access for families in Laos | 1.00 | 12.00
| Subtotal: | 38.00
| Total: | 38.00

By supporting our projects, you are taking positive action to protect our climate and improve the lives of people living in poorer communities.

If you would like to find out more about how to reduce your carbon footprint and support a brighter future for our planet, please visit our website .

Many thanks,
The Gold Standard team

P.s. Your credits will be held under a registry account in your name, which will go live on our registry within 30 days. To see your account, search for your full name on the Gold Standard Markit Registry.

Read More