EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Sam Osterhout

Woodstock Day School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
876 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

230

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

630

minutes

spent exercising

Sam'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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Electricity Generation

Rooftop Solar Consultation

#10 Rooftop Solar

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 21
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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

#29 Wave and Tidal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Micro Wind

#76 Micro Wind

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of Micro Wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Social Justice

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 2 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

UNCOMPLETED
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).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Explore Other Electricity Generation Solutions

All Electricity Generation Solutions

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

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

Had you ever heard of biomass techonology before you took this challenge? What did you learn that surprised you? Share this with your friends!
Sam Osterhout 4/11/2019 5:55 PM
So...yes. I'd written about biomass before, but this was still very illuminating. One of my favorite stories is about Güssing, Austria, a town that went nearly entirely off grid (and the first in Europe, supposedly, to decrease their fossil fuel consumption by as much as 90%). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCssing There are a lot of links about it out there, but the wikipedia link tells a nice story.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?
Sam Osterhout 4/11/2019 5:37 PM
Again - I really love anything that decentralizes our power systems. I developed a tv series a couple years ago with a futurist named Mark Stephenson. We worked with Atlas of the Future https://atlasofthefuture.org/?sfid=129&_sft_project_theme=energy to tell a story about how these power systems are shifting toward city-wide (rather than region-wide) centers of control. Imagine if Kingston (or Woodstock) produced all of its own power and no one had to pay a gas bill or an electric bill. Imagine if all of our public buildings ran on energy produced by the city. What would we spend that money on? What kind of city do we want to live in?

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

Micro turbines can be placed on large structures to take advantage of stronger, steadier breezes. The Eiffel Tower now sports vertical axis turbines that produce electricity for use on site. Where could micro turbines potentially be installed in your city?
Sam Osterhout 4/11/2019 5:18 PM
Small wind systems are an interesting - but maybe cost prohibitive - way to reduce one's use of carbon-based energy supplies. The one thing I love love love about this concept, which is something I also love about home solar and other micro-systems, is that the power (both literally and figuratively) is taken back from a centralized, top down entity, and spread among the users. What would happen if our economy was no longer centered around the price of fossil fuels?

Read More
Sam Osterhout 4/09/2019 11:52 AM
I love getting the reminders to check in! I'm not forgetting to do the challenges, only to check in and record them. Also, I already feel habits forming, although much of the change is rather subtle.

Read More
Sam Osterhout 4/05/2019 6:06 PM
The walks have really been amazing. I generally walk a lot, but with this week's plan, I've made it a thing, you know? Weekend will test my ability to stay on track. Truth is, though, the point is not about exercise, it's about not driving, right? So maybe I chase the girls around the backyard instead of walking uptown, and that's enough.

Read More
Sam Osterhout 4/05/2019 6:04 PM
The past few days have gone swimmingly. I mentioned earlier, it helps that the weather was great. I'm curious how the rainy days coming up (and the weekend, when the girls are in school) will affect my walking/biking.

Read More
Sam Osterhout 4/03/2019 5:54 PM
Mass and I biked to Rough Draft - it's not the Appalachian Trail, but it's a trek we often make by driving (especially when time is short). It's actually probably faster to get there on bike, in fact.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
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?
Sam Osterhout 4/03/2019 5:52 PM
WDS tuition. Heh. Today we wasted almost nothing except a slice of pizza at the end of the day (and, perhaps, one garlic knot).

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?
Sam Osterhout 4/03/2019 5:51 PM
Walked like a mother today, but also went for a little run. Exercise. Nature. it didn't hurt that it was such a beautiful day. This challenge could be...err...challenging in the upcoming rainy weather.

Read More