EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Melanie Stewart

UNMC/Nebraska Medicine LiveGreen

Points Total

0 Today
0 This Week
863 Total

Participant Impact

up to

38

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
up to

274

pounds of CO2

have been saved
up to

864

gallons of water

have been saved
up to

1.0

people

helped
up to

1.0

documentaries

watched
up to

2.0

trees

planted
up to

95

minutes

spent learning

Melanie's Actions

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

I will plant 2 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

Completed
One-Time Action

Transport

Stay on the Ground

#43 Airplanes, #63 Telepresence

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

Completed
One-Time Action

Land Use

Research Peatlands

#13 Peatlands

I will spend 30 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Women and Girls

Give a Microloan

#62 Women Smallholders

I will give 1 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

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.

Uncompleted
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

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

#2 Wind Turbines (Onshore)

I will write or call 3 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

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

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

#34 Biomass

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

Completed
One-Time Action

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

#70 Recycled Paper

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

#36 Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 35 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

Uncompleted
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

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

#35 Bamboo

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

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

Feed

Reflection Question
Electricity Generation Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?

Melanie Stewart 4/17/2019 6:14 AM

Learning about methane digesters was very interesting. Methane is worse the carbon dioxide and while burning breaks it down it was still confusing to me that this was categorized as a solution. Now I see that we are capturing methane that would be produced anyway, burning it so it doesn't go into the atmosphere, and this reduces the use other fossil fuels, thereby reducing emissions.

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Reflection Question
Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Melanie Stewart 4/11/2019 5:31 AM

So much food is wasted for no good reason! Understanding the difference between "use by", "sell by" and "best by" dates can help reduce that! That said, not all of us use certain things (like eggs) at the same pace, so it would be nice if there was some kind of standard...

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