Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

October 1 - October 31, 2023

Rosemary Bugbey

Oregon State University SUS 304

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
262 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

6.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

3.0

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

3.0

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

2.9

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

1.0

carbon footprint

calculated
UP TO

75

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

85

minutes

spent learning

Rosemary's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket

Refrigerant Management

I will explore the interactive map in the links below to find a supermarket that does not use HFC refrigerants near my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Family Planning and Education

I will spend at least 25 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org and download the app to commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Public Transit

Public Transit

I will use public transit 5 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-Waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meals with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Use Cloth Re-Usable Bags Grocery Shopping

I have been trying to only reusable bags when I grocery shop to reduce the cost and waste on disposable and paper grocery bags.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Family Planning and Education

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro Wind Turbines

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of micro wind.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Cook With Seaweed

Seaweed Farming

I will use seaweed in a new recipe.

UNCOMPLETED
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
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/23/2023 9:42 PM
The Willamette Valley region is advised to eat a maximum of four meals of fish per week, all resident fish. Seeing as how I eat fish a couple times a month, I fall within these guidelines.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/17/2023 12:22 AM
To reduce my carbon footprint I can use public transit or bike more often, and I can consume less meat.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/17/2023 12:06 AM
I would like to change the other lightbulbs in my bathroom and bedroom to LED. This will help me save energy and cut utility costs.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

How close is the nearest climate-friendly supermarket to your home? How could you encourage local supermarket to reduce or phase out their use of HFC refrigerants?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/11/2023 11:43 PM
The supermarket indicated on the map closest to me is Fred Meyer in Eugene, OR, where some low-GWP refrigerants are used. The closest supermarket classified as HFC-Free or GreenChill Platinum is Whole Foods in Lake Oswego, OR.
You can encourage your local supermarket to reduce HFC refrigerants by finding the label with a refrigerant number in a fridge at your local supermarket, taking a photo, and submitting the photo with the store information to Climate Friendly Supermarkets. The supermarket will be placed on the map and identified as a store that uses HFC refrigerants.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education

What did you learn about the need for family planning? How do the needs of different people in different places compare to each other?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/11/2023 11:24 PM
Millions of women in developing regions are not using safe family planning methods due to a lack of resources, education, and support. Different stigmas, cultural beliefs, and policies vary between countries and stand as barriers for proper family planning. This slows economic developing and prevents women from having the freedom to build a better future for themselves. The exponential growth of the global populations puts a strain on the environment (resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.). Providing education and resources for family planning slows birthrates, slowing population growth and benefiting the environment.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? How do they compare to other energy sources?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/11/2023 11:04 PM
Tidal energy is harnessed in tidal ranges and used to generate electricity. It can be captured by placing turbines in tidal streams, using barrages (large dams placed in tidal rivers, estuaries, and bays), or constructing tidal lagoons. Wave energy is captured through converters and generated into electricity. These energy sources have a lower environmental impact than others sources like fossil fuels, and they are renewable and rely on natural processes. The technology still has a long way to go as far a development for widescale use, but progress is being made.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/11/2023 10:29 PM
Use by, sell by, and best by dates indicate when foods are at peak quality, not when foods are unsafe for consumption. They are not federally required. Use by dates indicate when a food will have the best flavor/quality, sell by dates indicate how long a store should display a product, and best by dates indicate when a product should be used at peak quality. Knowing the meaning and difference between these labels allows consumers to choose when a food product should actually used by, leading to less food waste.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?
Rosemary Bugbey 10/11/2023 9:22 PM
Meat is more expensive to distribute and purchase, making it a more accessible protein in richer countries. It is a good source of protein, but excessive consumption can cause health issues. Meat production and farming has a large environmental footprint (releasing a massive amount of greenhouse gasses), requires many resources and can impact biodiversity. This causes resource competition and impacts global resource distribution.

Read More