EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

jennifer tarentino

Tiffany & Co.

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,351 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

135

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

18

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

315

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

33

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

4.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

jennifer's actions

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

#9 Silvopasture

I will spend at least 10 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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

Reduce Animal Products

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

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

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Express My Support

#54 Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

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

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

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

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Support Local Food Systems

#4 Plant-Rich Diet

I will source 25 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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Buildings and Cities

Explore Other Buildings and Cities Solutions

All Buildings and Cities Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings and Cities Solutions.

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

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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

Electricity Generation

Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

#8 Solar Farms

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

COMPLETED
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

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

Materials

Launch a Recycling Program

#56 Industrial Recycling

I will set up a recycling center at my workplace or school.

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?

jennifer tarentino 4/24/2019 6:56 PM
It’s been a great month focusing on th eco challenge and learning about all things sustainable. I’m super motivated to continue and engage people I know.

Read More
jennifer tarentino 4/23/2019 10:27 AM
I've loved doing the Eco Challenge this month!
I plan to continue with all my new habits and use all the new information I've learned on a daily basis.
There is so much more to learn!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation

Every dollar you put into solar or wind is a dollar not put into traditional financial institutions. You'll also be bolstering the fossil fuel divestment movement, too. Name some companies you know that invest in green energy. How can you support them?
jennifer tarentino 4/23/2019 10:25 AM
I know some of the big companies that invest in green energy - Google, IKEA, Starbucks, Apple... I can (and do) support them by using their products and choosing them over other less green companies.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

How can you take your commitment to sustainable living beyond yourself? How can you, personally, work toward broader change?
jennifer tarentino 4/23/2019 10:20 AM
I can teach my kids about sustainable living and I'm already influencing my coworkers to understand recycling.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
jennifer tarentino 4/22/2019 1:31 PM
I'm visiting Atlanta later this week with my kids, so I decided to look up the city of Atlanta. I was shocked to learn that the council had instructed the city staff to develop a plan to meet the clean power goal for city buildings and operations, including the world's busiest airport, by 2025, and then community-wide by 2035.
That means 100% renewable electricity! Very impressive.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?
jennifer tarentino 4/22/2019 1:26 PM
The extremely high cost of childcare is a barrier to women everywhere, including my community.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials

What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?
jennifer tarentino 4/22/2019 1:23 PM
I only run my washing machine when I have a full load of clothes and only run my dishwasher on the short cycle when it is full. I take quick showers and *try* to get my teenage daughter to do the same.

Read More
- Patrick Sieroslawski 4/24/2019 1:36 PM
  The non-showering son could trade his carbon credits with your daughter.
  
  Read More
jennifer tarentino 4/19/2019 1:10 PM
My challenge is going great! I thought I knew a lot about being eco-friendly, but I'm realizing that there is so much more to learn.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

What did you find out? What is the most interesting fact you learned?
jennifer tarentino 4/19/2019 1:09 PM
I assumed that a plant-based diet was best because eating less meat reduces the demand for livestock which contributes to emissions. Obvious I thought.
I was surprised to learn, really to think about, the reduced emissions from not having to clear land for livestock.
Earlier this month I learned about Silvopasture - adding trees to pastures to reduce emissions.
I also learned from Dr. Jonathan Foley that rice emits methane. I had no idea about this and I'm realizing how little I know overall about agriculture.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?
jennifer tarentino 4/19/2019 12:57 PM
The wasting of labor is probably motivates me more than the others to change my behavior regarding food waste. Time is the one thing that should never be wasted since ours is limited and can't ever be replaced. The wasting of water and energy are also huge motivating factors, both are costly and precious and shouldn't be wasted.

Read More