EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Erin Sheehan

WSP USA

"Go Green!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,531 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

2.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

90

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

55

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

600

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

18

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

3.0

donations

made

Erin's actions

Action Track: Social Justice

Donate

#21 Clean Cookstoves

I will donate to nonprofits that install clean cookstoves in low-income countries.

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

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 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Social Justice

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will donate to The Nature Conservancy, which works with Indigenous Peoples to secure land tenure and resource rights, support improved governance and local institutions, assist in natural resource mapping, planning and management; and strengthen livelihoods and sustainable economic development.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 2 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore), #8 Solar Farms

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

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

Action Track: Social Justice

Fund Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will donate to supply a community with reproductive health supplies.

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
Food

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Erin Sheehan 4/24/2019 10:04 PM
Julie Sinistore gave an excellent presentation today about food and sustainability. There's a lot of energy, land, and water used to produce the food we consume. She went into detail about the processes and effects of the food we eat as well as provided some handy tools to track your own impact.
footprintcalculator.org was one of them. Check it out!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your zipcode, and in your state. What steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?
Erin Sheehan 4/24/2019 10:02 PM
I just signed up for my utilities at the new house I am renting, so I cannot ask for my average usage, I'll have to save that for my first bill.
I am excited as this is the first time I've had to put the utilities in my name and was able to buy a carbon offset! When renewables aren't available, it's nice to know I can buy an offset to counteract. I am horrible at turning lights off throughout my house... luckily I have bought some smart bulbs and plugs that I can schedule to turn on and off. Hopefully that can help! Though, those might use some electricity while off to keep the signal going... maybe I need to do a bit more research.

Read More
- Meghan Jones 4/24/2019 10:29 PM
  I didn't know you could buy carbon offsets for utilities. Thanks for sharing that nugget!
  
  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?
Erin Sheehan 4/24/2019 9:58 PM
I go on walks almost every day in my neighborhood and around downtown.
It's interesting to notice even within a couple blocks the infrastructure changes. Closer to my house there are sidewalks and set pedestrian areas. A few blocks out, the sidewalks disappear and I have to share the road with cars and avoid parked cars. With dogs it can be nerve wracking when there aren't set areas to walk. But, overall, I have greatly enjoyed my walks and it is still my favorite mode of transport!

Read More
Erin Sheehan 4/24/2019 9:49 PM
What a challenge! This go-around was the first time I seriously participated and I loved every part of it.
I was sad to have slacked off a bit as Green Team Lead here in Seattle during Earth Week (can't we ask clients for no deadlines during that week so we can plan events...?), but the EcoChallenge helped make up for it. Thanks for a great challenge everyone!

Read More
- Meghan Jones 4/24/2019 10:29 PM
  I like your suggestion of no client deadlines during Earth Week! :)
  
  Read More
Erin Sheehan 4/22/2019 8:44 AM
HAPPY EARTH DAY!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Erin Sheehan 4/21/2019 3:44 PM
I was able to switch a couple light bulbs in my new house to LED (for those in Seattle, LED bulbs are on sale!). I also was able to install a toilet bank. The next goal is to look into low flow fixtures!

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?
Erin Sheehan 4/21/2019 12:19 PM
Holy cow, I have been tracking my wasted food almost everyday and it has been an eye opener. There have been quite a few days where I successfully had no food waste (yay!). But others, like today, I cleaned out my fridge with items that have gone bad before I was able to consume. This mostly comes from buying food hoping to eat it with lunch or cook it for dinner, but then I forget to pack a lunch or we decide to eat out instead. My goal moving forward is to properly meal plan and make lunches ahead of time, rather than in the morning. Also, to know what I might not eat in time and freeze accordingly to find another purpose.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?
Erin Sheehan 4/21/2019 12:14 PM
These days with "living simplistic" being a popular trend, I have been trying to follow suit. I have KonMari'ed my home and tried to pull away from the material things to find what "sparks joy". The biggest challenge with that has been how to properly dispose of all the material items I no longer need. Certain things like clothes and old furniture you want to donate, but you can't always be sure what you donate doesn't end up in the landfill.... But by focusing less on material things I hope to prioritize quality time with friends and family, and mindfulness.
Only a few more days left of the challenge!

Read More
Erin Sheehan 4/21/2019 12:10 PM
Only a few days left! Time to complete any remaining one-time challenges!
Hoping to get folks in the Seattle office together to complete some all as a group!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?
Erin Sheehan 4/19/2019 9:42 AM
Finally installed my toilet bank!
I am intrigued to see how it goes. I bought it before the challenge even started, but in the midst of moving I had to put off install.

It will be interesting to see how others in the household get accustomed the the lower flow of water with every flush. I am hopeful I can switch over to low flow fixtures next, but we'll see!

Read More