EcoChallenge.org

Drawdown EcoChallenge

April 3 - April 24, 2019

Ena Wong

WSP USA

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,171 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

155

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

220

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

1.0

tree

planted
UP TO

89

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

3.0

donations

made
UP TO

220

miles

not traveled by car

Ena's actions

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

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Try Carpooling

#75 Ridesharing

I will commute by carpool 10 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to 4.04 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Connect With A Nonprofit

#6 Educating Girls, #7 Family Planning, #62 Women Smallholders

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on womens' or girls' issues in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

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

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

Land Use

Plant Trees

#15 Afforestation

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

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

Action Track: Social Justice

Fund Family Planning

#7 Family Planning

I will donate to supply a community with reproductive health supplies.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Improve a Bus Stop

#37 Mass Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Donate

#21 Clean Cookstoves

I will donate to nonprofits that install clean cookstoves in low-income countries.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

#26 Electric Vehicles

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Explore Other Food Solutions

All Food Solutions

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching other Drawdown Food Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will donate to The Nature Conservancy, which works with Indigenous Peoples to secure land tenure and resource rights, support improved governance and local institutions, assist in natural resource mapping, planning and management; and strengthen livelihoods and sustainable economic development.

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

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?
Ena Wong 4/17/2019 4:36 AM
I refuse waste by bringing my own reusable bags to the grocery store and asking for mugs at coffee shops as opposed to to-go cups. It makes me feel like even though it's a small contribution, it's better than shrugging my shoulders and hoping that someone else is taking care of the world for me.

Read More
Ena Wong 4/15/2019 4:30 AM
Went to Brookside Gardens this past weekend and there was a couple of interesting recycle exhibits, including this sculpture of a plastic bag lady made completely out of recycled materials. Look at the rose! #arosebyanyothername #ifplastic #thenthepricksthesame

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Social Justice

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?
Ena Wong 4/12/2019 12:36 PM
I can raise awareness on the benefits of more effective public transportation systems to those that aren't directly affected by this issue.

Read More
Ena Wong 4/11/2019 6:00 AM
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2019/04/09/711181385/are-plastic-bag-bans-garbage

Know your facts! A plastic bag ban isn't necessarily the solution to all of our plastic problems.#butstill #bewareofplastics

Read More
- Meghan Jones 4/11/2019 10:55 AM
  This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing, Ena!
  
  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?
Ena Wong 4/10/2019 5:31 AM
I'm less likely to throw away foods just because I "think" it's been too long, or if the dates on the package have passed.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls

What are the most pressing issues for women and girls in your community?
Ena Wong 4/08/2019 1:11 PM
Accessible planned parenthood

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of eating smaller portions?
Ena Wong 4/05/2019 10:58 AM
Eating smaller portions ensures my food goes a longer way. #leftoversfordayz

Read More
Ena Wong 4/05/2019 10:24 AM
Mount Trashmore used to be a landfill for trash from all over the East Coast, until it was turned into an innovative waste disposal solution, disguised as a park!

Read More
- Taylor Lander 4/05/2019 10:37 AM
  That's awesome! We should do this everywhere!
  
  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?
Ena Wong 4/05/2019 10:19 AM
Walking as opposed to driving has made me more engaged in my community. I've found myself stopping at farmers's markets I didn't know existed, and participating in unexpected evens such as festivals that I probably wouldn't have stopped at if I were driving.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?
Ena Wong 4/05/2019 10:16 AM
Instead of spending $1500 on wasted food, families could contribute that to organizations that provide food for those who are starving

Read More