Kathleen Gage

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.

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, trans people, and/or nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

I will spend 15 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

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

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

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

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

I will practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

I will spend 15 minutes learning about carbon offsets, and why they are a necessary solution in combating a climate crisis.

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

I will research and support local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

I will avoid buying and using 3 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

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.

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 3 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

I will spend 15 minutes researching cattle feed and manure management, or visiting a dairy farm to learn about their farming practices.

I will watch Drawdown’s Climate Solutions 101 and share what I learned with others.

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 90 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

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