EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Kazimea Sokil

Comox Valley Unitarians, Comox United Church & Friends

"Using the creative arts in service to the Great Turning. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
557 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

85

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

tree

planted

Kazimea's actions

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

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

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 15 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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
Transport

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Kazimea Sokil 4/23/2019 12:15 PM
I'm fascinated by the hyperloop train idea. It seemed really sci-fi until I read about it being a similar design to the vacuum-tube delivery system in old New York, as seen in the movies.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

How is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?
Kazimea Sokil 4/23/2019 12:13 PM
I have always felt a great connection with trees, in fact as a child when people would ask "if you could be any animal, what would you be" I often would answer "a tree". I can attest to the great peace of being around trees - their solidness, their groundedness, their reaching for the sky. Their abundance, their shelter. The beautiful slow speed of their life force. Their uniqueness. Now clinically proven - being out among the trees in the forest is proven to lower blood pressure and help with depression, anxiety, and a myriad of physical illnesses.

Read More
- Kasia Stepien 4/23/2019 9:31 PM
  I also feel very connected with trees... I cherish and appreciate them as much as I cherish any sentient creatures.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons?
Kazimea Sokil 4/23/2019 10:10 AM
Healthy soil and drawing down carbon stand out to me as major factors to shift to regenerative agriculture.
In the Drawdown book it is reported that regenerative agriculture has already been proven to be a better investment financially alone, than conventional modern farming. What on earth is stopping us from making the shift?

Read More
- Kasia Stepien 4/23/2019 9:32 PM
  I haven't heard of regenerative agriculture... I'll have to add it to the growing list of things to learn thanks to this ecochallenge!
  
  Read More
Kazimea Sokil 4/21/2019 5:17 PM
I'm so proud of us being in second place nationwide! Go, us!!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What did you learn about the need for family planning? Share some of the learning with your friends!
Kazimea Sokil 4/21/2019 5:17 PM
The impact of family planning is huge in limiting the exponential reproduction rates in some countries. We need less people eating less, using less energy, producing less carbon.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

Half of all trips made in the US are three miles or less; 72% of them are driven. Private vehicles account for 60% of trips of a mile or less. Do you often drive short distances instead of biking or walking? If so, how might incorporating an electric bike into your lifestyle help you make more climate-friendly choices?
Kazimea Sokil 4/21/2019 5:15 PM
I would like an e-bike for the two days a week I travel up to 40km, Hauling up to 100lb, for work. It's just the up-front investment ($4k) that requires I pause.

Read More
- Kasia Stepien 4/23/2019 9:44 PM
  Yeah, they are steeply priced. There are conversion kits for a normal bike, which are in the ballpark of $1000... still not cheap though.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Kazimea Sokil 4/21/2019 5:14 PM
Biggest learning for me about this issue is that those dates don't relate to safety standards at all. They have only to do with marketing and a pressure to sell more, consume more.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
Kazimea Sokil 4/21/2019 5:12 PM
Big-business meat agriculture emits 17% of carbon emissions. Wow. That's a lot. Easiest way to reduce my carbon footprint, for sure.

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?
Kazimea Sokil 4/21/2019 5:11 PM
I learned this word in Paul Hawkin's book Drawdown. Fascinating idea - less is more. I'm blown away by the research showing regenerative agriculture, which seems traditional and "old-fashione" to me, is proven to be more cost-effective agriculture as well as better for the world ecosystems.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?
Kazimea Sokil 4/21/2019 5:09 PM
I know I could be far more mindfully present when walking or on my bike. Family obligations, work timing affects my ability to do so.

Read More