EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Richard Simonetti

NYPA

"Narwhal enthusiast"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,457 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

44

conversations

with people
UP TO

363

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

10

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

330

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

210

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

3.0

trees

planted

Richard's actions

Buildings and Cities

Replace Manual Thermostats

#57 Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

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

Electricity Generation

Spread the Word about Energy Alternatives

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will research and tell 2 people each day about the benefits of alternative energy sources like wind turbines, solar energy, geothermal energy, and methane digesters.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 3 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

#42 Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Choose Better Wood Products

#38 Forest Protection

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

#46 Water Saving - Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

#1 Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 60 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

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

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

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Transport

Advocate For Greener Vehicles

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on electric and fuel-efficient vehicles

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

Transport

Conduct Virtual Meetings

#63 Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

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

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

#33 LED Lighting (Household)

I will replace 10 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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

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 Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

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?

Richard Simonetti 4/22/2019 6:49 PM

Pollution is certainly a concern for watersheds, especially with the advent of natural gas fracking. If not executed very carefully, fracking can have catastrophic effects for nearby localities, and the environment in general.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Plant Trees

How is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?

Richard Simonetti 4/22/2019 6:44 PM

Planting trees is a great way to give something back to the environment for generations to come.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

Richard Simonetti 4/18/2019 11:00 AM

While geothermal energy is a great effort towards sustainability, it is often cost prohibitive. It definitely makes sense in certain applications, and will pay for itself over time. Public investment? Only if there is a defined payback.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Conduct Virtual Meetings

How can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?

Richard Simonetti 4/18/2019 10:53 AM

Save some gas by conducting virtual web conferences; you can still talk face to face (sort of), and minimal energy is used.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Choose Better Wood Products

Beyond carbon sequestration, what other benefits do forests offer you personally?

Richard Simonetti 4/17/2019 6:32 AM

Forest have much to offer, including shade, shelter, and great habitat for responsibly sourced game animals.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

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?

Richard Simonetti 4/16/2019 9:25 AM

While not necessarily enviro-centric, economics so often drive most of our decisions, and that is as true in this case as much as any other.

Read More
- Timothy Bozek 4/22/2019 10:30 AM
  
  This is why when i ride share i like to have the ride full.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

Richard Simonetti 4/16/2019 8:00 AM

Creating clean drinking water is important, but it does require a lot of energy and resources to ensure a safe and reliable product. The more purified water we can conserve, the less energy we use, and the better off we are.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Fix Leaky Faucets

What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?

Richard Simonetti 4/15/2019 6:06 AM

One way to reduce water usage is to minimize the amount of water used for landscape irrigation. If you must water your plants, do so in the evening to prevent evaporation. Also, mulching the beds will help soil retain moisture for longer durations between watering.

Read More
- Lielle Berman 4/15/2019 8:11 AM
  
  Great tip!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?

Richard Simonetti 4/15/2019 6:01 AM

Serenity now. Education, commitment, and dedication is the best way to slow climate change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Advocate For Greener Vehicles

How does advocating for green vehicles in your community connect to your values? How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to fuel-efficient vehicles?

Richard Simonetti 4/12/2019 10:09 AM

Everybody has a need to get places, so vehicles contribute to quite a bit of energy usage. Why not reduce pollution and greenhouse gas production by switching to a more environmentally friendly vehicle? Costs of these vehicles are finally starting to go down, and they are becoming more affordable. Also, nothing is more environmentally friendly than self-power (ie walk, bike, skateboard, etc).

Read More