EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Megan Schultz

Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative

"forever adventuring and learning"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,339 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

240

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

850

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

171

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

44

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

330

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

392

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

850

miles

not traveled by car

Megan's actions

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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 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

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Try Carpooling

#75 Ridesharing

I will commute by carpool 50 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 23.06 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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

Buildings and Cities

Upgrade My Windows

#31 Insulation

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

#18 Geothermal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

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

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Fix Leaky Faucets

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.

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 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How are environmental issues like black carbon and other emissions from cooking fires or rudimentary cookstoves also human health and social justice issues? Why do these issues matter to you?
Megan Schultz 4/24/2019 7:26 AM
Often times, " rudimentary" methods don't burn the wood or fuel completely which can create a lot of smoke and pollution. People can inhale these fumes which can hurts their health.

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Megan Schultz 4/24/2019 7:07 AM
Last day, folks! What was the most influential thing that you learned?

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?
Megan Schultz 4/23/2019 10:00 AM
I feel that it influences me sense of community because I love being outside and those around me love being outside and without having good environmental quality I wouldnt get to enjoy being outside with those that I love.

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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?
Megan Schultz 4/23/2019 9:59 AM
Working in the agriculture industry I had heard of silvopasturing before. I think the biggest advantage is the restoration and biodiversity viewpoint, secondarily it could mean feeding more people on less land.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice

What did you learn about indigenous peoples' land management that you can apply in your own life?
Megan Schultz 4/23/2019 9:53 AM
I learned that it was far more complex with far more moving parts than expected. I enjoyed learning about the pasturing aspect for livestock, as that is when livestock is happiest and healthiest, but I also enjoyed learning about home gardening as that is more applicable to me.

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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?
Megan Schultz 4/22/2019 6:01 AM
Other reasons include the increase of biodiversity, soil enrichment and the fight against climate change.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What did you learn about the need for family planning? Share some of the learning with your friends!
Megan Schultz 4/22/2019 5:59 AM
Educations and speaking in tangible and impactful ways is so important. Most people are willing to learn, but do not have the resources needed.

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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?
Megan Schultz 4/18/2019 9:29 AM
Other motivators could include gaining a reduced fuel dependency and tax incentives at local, state and country levels.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

How does improving your home's energy efficiency help you better live out your values?
Megan Schultz 4/17/2019 12:47 PM
Improving energy efficiencies help me live in a way that minimizing the impact that I am leaving on the earth and gives me the opportunity to leave the world better than the way that I have found it.

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Megan Schultz 4/17/2019 12:09 PM
One more week, everyone!

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