April 3 - April 24, 2019

Amelia Solum

"I am focused on helping the environment and preventing climate change by educating myself and others about the little things you can do that make a big change!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,242 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

80

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

17

conversations

with people
UP TO

7.8

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

30

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

7.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Amelia's actions

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

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Social Justice

Contact your Elected Officials

#23 Farmland Restoration

I will contact 2 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Advocate for Forest Protection

#38 Forest Protection

I will contact 2 congress people or representatives to advocate for public policy that protects forests and the enforcement of existing anti-logging laws.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 5 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 12 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will spend at least 6 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Temperate Forests

#12 Temperate Forests

I will spend at least 5 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 5 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Local Perennial Biomass

#51 Perennial Biomass

I will spend at least 5 minutes finding out if anyone is working on perennial biomass projects in my region and how I can get involved.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

#11 Regenerative Agriculture

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

#66 High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#59 Bike Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

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

Buildings and Cities

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

#47 Bioplastic

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 17 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Spread the Word about Energy Alternatives

All Electricity Generation Solutions

I will research and tell 4 people each day about the benefits of alternative energy sources like wind turbines, solar energy, geothermal energy, and methane digesters.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Research Peatlands

#13 Peatlands

I will spend 6 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 10 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Amelia Solum 4/24/2019 2:47 PM
I started this because I was interested in competing with the other schools, but I really enjoyed learning about the environment. There are so many important things that I never would have known about without this.

Read More
Amelia Solum 4/24/2019 2:46 PM
I am surprised by how much I have learned during these few weeks of the Ecochallenge!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?
Amelia Solum 4/23/2019 5:59 PM
I am inspired by the ability to be able to depend on your own food. Even with a small garden, you can get a surprising amount of food. We grow carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, peas, and other vegetables and herbs. We try to use these as much as we can in meals, and it's very nice to know we don't have to buy those at the grocery.

Read More
Amelia Solum 4/23/2019 5:56 PM
I have learned a lot about the environment through this challenge. I've learned not only about the bad things about what has been happening to contribute to climate change, but I have learned about the small things I can do to make a difference.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

What inspiration and wisdom can you gather from your family, faith, or community traditions that would help you in both communicating about and addressing our most pressing energy issues?
Amelia Solum 4/23/2019 5:55 PM
My family has always been environmentally conscious. We try to compost and recycle as much as we can, and have installed applications in our house to try to make a less negative impact on the environment. If other people around the world made these small changes, it would be a big help to the environment.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use

Much of Indonesia's peatlands have been drained so they could be replaced with palm oil or pulp and paper plantations. How can you make choices that help to protect peatlands, even if you live far away from one?
Amelia Solum 4/23/2019 5:53 PM
You can help protect peatlands by spreading information about them and how to help protect them. I hadn't really heard of peatlands before I began researching them. They currently have a massive positive effect on carbon emissions, and by protecting them we can protect the entire environment.

Read More
Amelia Solum 4/16/2019 9:03 AM
Hi, just wanted to share some tips about bioplastic disposal! I have been doing a lot of research on this topic.

Bioplastics are an eco-friendly type of plastic that are made from renewable organic materials.
One way of disposing of bioplastic is through mechanical recycling. Drop bio based and durable plastic products into a plastic recycling bin. It will then be collected and can be converted into energy resources so that the CO2 can be captured and used again.
Many bioplastics can also be composted, because they decay into natural materials that blend with soil. However, many can not be composted at home because there might not be the right environment. You can test composting bioplastics produce in your home compost pile, but know that they might take a longer time to break down. It also helps to shred them to increase their surface area and put them in the middle of the compost pile. Some Whole Foods stores and other environmentally friendly stores offer compost bins for compostable bioplastics. You can find stores near you that offer this service with findacomposter.com

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Amelia Solum 4/16/2019 9:02 AM
I am most concerned with how little people seem to care about the rate that we are hurting our planet. Many people try to brush it off because they think that it's for future generations or for other people to deal with. But we need to learn and stop it right now because it is already affecting us and is going to hurt us even more in the near future.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?
Amelia Solum 4/15/2019 2:38 PM
I like how my city has a lot of biking shoulders, especially on main roads. However, I think something helpful that could be implemented would be a bike share program. I've seen those in other cities, and they look like a great alternative to driving.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What are your next steps for saving energy?
Amelia Solum 4/15/2019 2:16 PM
One of my next steps for saving energy is to get a more efficient heating system. This will not only save money and resources, but it is much better for the environment in the long run!

Read More