Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

October 1 - October 31, 2023

Olivia A.

Community Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
260 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

donations

made
UP TO

2.0

people

helped
UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

35

minutes

spent learning

Olivia's actions

Electricity

Contact Fossil Fuel Companies

Methane Leak Management

I will contact the fossil fuel companies that supply energy in my community and ask how they manage and reduce methane leakage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Research Cement Alternatives

Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Calculate My Household Carbon Footprint

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 5 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Advocate For More Packaging Options

Multiple Industry Solutions

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Choose Recycled Paper

Recycled Paper

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 20 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Cook With Seaweed

Seaweed Farming

I will use seaweed in a new recipe.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Food Waste

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation, and commit to reducing my food waste throughout the challenge.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Health and Education

Help Students Overcome Health Barriers

Family Planning and Education

I will donate 2 Femme Kits to help people who menstruate overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend 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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education

In what other ways could you help girls overcome health barriers to being able to attend school?
Olivia A. 10/31/2023 1:06 AM
I have been considering this since I checked out the Femme International website. I know that I can donate to fund a school class or even an entire school. I think that that will be something to think about next year--as the sum is a large one, I'm considering working on that goal with my neighborhood. I can also donate to organizations like UNICEF. Although UNICEF isn't specifically there for girls' education, it works to help all children.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but its carbon footprint may not be obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?
Olivia A. 10/14/2023 2:39 AM
I was surprised when I found out that concrete had such a large carbon footprint. I hope that alternative cement becomes more used. I'm sure that many everyday materials may have a higher carbon footprint than we know. I would guess that office shelf has a higher carbon footprint than expected because of the production of wood and the impact on forests. But I guess that metals for things like computers have to be extracted and refined...so I assume that computers have a high carbon footprint as well.
I can find out more with the help of the internet, because there may be some sites with studies and information. But if I had access to a specialist, I could learn more that way, too.

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- Olivia A. 10/14/2023 2:42 AM
  Wow! I found out that a laptop does have a large carbon footprint! Yikes!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?
Olivia A. 10/10/2023 10:47 AM
I hadn't heard of silvopasture before I selected this action. After immersing myself in this form of agriculture, I'm happy to say that that's not the case anymore. Although I prefer to not eat meat altogether, if there is any sustainable way to cultivate meat, then silvopasture is the way to go.
The biggest advantage of silvopasture is hard to say. In my opinion, the advantages are all connected in this awesome solution. However, I believe that it is the fact there are reduced greenhouse gases. Also, it's all a cycle. Everyone profits. A habitat is created and many crops are produced. I found a very interesting story about silvopasture in Italy that supports this.

Read More
Olivia A. 10/08/2023 7:01 AM
Thank you everyone for everything that you've done so far this EcoChallenge. So far, I've been off to a slow start, but I'm going to try to do better today. To raise money for Femme Kits, I'm planning on having a small sale this month and I'm preparing for that by making some crafts with materials (unfortunately not all too sustainable) that I have.
But I'll also take some time learning today.
Before I begin, I checked out our collective impact and I saw that we really have done some important work. I'm really proud of everyone who joined. I want to say thank you to you all!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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?
Olivia A. 10/06/2023 10:44 AM
Wow! When I saw this, I was really surprised. I didn't know that people spend so much money on the food that they throw out. That really surprised me and I can hardly imagine that. Saving that money would be saving a lot of money.
I would much rather use the money for something that we need. That would help families pay for things like heating and other necessary costs. I'd also much rather use the money for donations and charity. I think that I'd also much rather save it and use it to upgrade my family's sustainability. That would be a help when adding a eco-friendly energy to the house or insulating windows.

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Olivia A. 10/03/2023 12:54 AM
Hi there,
I hope that everyone is having a nice time during this EcoChallenge. Although I'm starting a little late, I'm excited to use the opportunities that this month will present so that I may grow and become more sustainable and so that I may be a more knowledgeable citizen. I joined this EcoChallenge because, after my first EcoChallenge a couple years ago, I am passionate about these fun and important challenges. I may not be ready or powerful enough to change everything that the EcoChallenge challenges me to change, but I can change something, and I can do it for the better.

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