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Welcome to Drawdown EcoChallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Drawdown EcoChallenge expert in no time!

EcoChallenge.org
Drawdown EcoChallenge
April 3 - April 24, 2019
Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar

Scout Pronto Breslin

EcoChallenge Rhinebeck

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,072 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    50
    people
    helped
  • UP TO
    360
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    1.0
    hour
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    180
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    16
    plastic containers
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    13
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    4.0
    public officials or leaders
    contacted

Scout's actions

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 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

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

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

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

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

#54 Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Give a Microloan

#62 Women Smallholders

I will give 50 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

#5 Tropical Forests

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

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

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

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

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 8
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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Restore Wetlands

#52 Coastal Wetlands

I will volunteer 1 hours with a wetland restoration project in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 4 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

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
    Materials
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/24/2019 6:34 PM
    recycling is one of the easiest ways to help the environment. We need more recycling bins in our school so students are encouraged to recycle instead of just throwing everything into the trash.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    How do wetlands differ from other ecosystems -- both in the services they offer and in your personal experience of them?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/24/2019 6:31 PM
    Wetlands are natural and very effective filters of water, including our drinking water. They are disappearing at an alarming rate, which creates a huge problem for the quality of water as well as wildlife who live in the wetlands.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    Higher standards of living are very often dependent on moving our environmental costs elsewhere. What are some specific ways in which the environmental impacts of your own lifestyle might be shifted elsewhere?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/24/2019 6:28 PM
    We don't think about where our trash goes when we throw it out, because in our minds, it is gone from our life so we have no reason to care about it anymore. In reality, our trash, even our recycling, is just transferred somewhere else. For example, a lot our recycling went to China until they stopped accepting it.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/24/2019 6:20 PM
    Bamboo is not available enough in our community, but you can always buy bamboo products online. I recently bought a bamboo toothbrush. Super easy way to reduce plastic!
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/24/2019 6:16 PM
    Silvopasture is not only good for creating habitats, it also reduces carbon and provides multiple crop possibilities, as well as providing shelter and shade, and thus reduces the waste of water. As I said in another post, it provides ecosystem services and also reduces deforestation.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Women and Girls
    What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/23/2019 6:22 PM
    There aren't enough girls and women in science and technology and also in all leadership positions. We need to break down stereotypes. We need to end sexual harassment. We need to give women equal pay.   
    Read More
  • 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?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/23/2019 6:18 PM
    Here are some great resources Hudson Valley Wild put together on protecting watersheds and life under water.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zyh8CGDCG7dOCylgTv7W4KGO75q05kMO/view
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food
    Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of eating smaller portions?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/23/2019 6:16 PM
    Health benefits! Only eat when you are hungry,  don't overeat and plan your meals better.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Use
    What did you learn about indigenous peoples' land management that you can apply in your own life?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/23/2019 6:12 PM
    This article is interesting because it takes a more critical view to some of the current climate mitigation efforts. We need to live more in harmony with nature.

    http://indigenousrising.org/about/
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Buildings and Cities
    What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
    Scout Pronto Breslin's avatar
    Scout Pronto Breslin 4/23/2019 6:08 PM
    Green roofs are good for climate and also create additional habitat in urban environments.

    https://livingroofs.org/biodiversity-and-wildlife/
    Read More