Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

October 1 - October 31, 2023

Ellis Hill

Asheville High School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
456 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

5.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

505

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

16

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

170

minutes

spent learning

Ellis's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

Reduced Food Waste

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY 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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Tend A Garden

Conservation Agriculture

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro Wind Turbines

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of micro wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 45 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 40 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 25 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

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

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 13 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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
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?
Ellis Hill 10/31/2023 11:10 AM
I haven’t heard of this before now, but I think the biggest advantage of silvopasture is how you can be growing different kinds of plants and animals on the same land and increase productivity without increasing the amount of land that you are using.

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?
Ellis Hill 10/30/2023 11:14 AM
Taking into account that the dates aren’t a safety date, they are just a suggestion for when to eat a food to get peak quality

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?
Ellis Hill 10/30/2023 10:45 AM
I could try to reduce the products that were listed that have palm oil in them from my diet or use the alternatives.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?
Ellis Hill 10/24/2023 11:10 AM
For increasing the implementation of geothermal heat pumps, lawmakers could pass policies that give tax incentives to building owners.
For increasing the number of active geothermal power plants, lawmakers could earmark money for these large-scale projects.

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?
Ellis Hill 10/23/2023 10:33 AM
I think that people in richer countries maybe eat more meat than other countries because they can afford it. It could also be based on personal preference. Eating meat can have a negative effect on our bodies, especially if it is red meat and we are eating a lot of it. Meat farming can also have a really bad impact on the planet and the people living here.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

What did you learn about the climate impact of refrigerants? How do supermarkets contribute to this impact?
Ellis Hill 10/17/2023 10:53 AM
I learned about how refrigerants like CFCs and HFCs affect the environment and how they can trap heat. Supermarkets contribute to this impact because they use refrigerants to keep food refrigerated.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

Micro turbines can be placed on large structures to take advantage of stronger, steadier breezes. The Eiffel Tower now sports vertical axis turbines that produce electricity for use on site. Where could micro turbines potentially be installed in your city?
Ellis Hill 10/06/2023 10:53 AM
Maybe on top of some buildings.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

How does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?
Ellis Hill 10/05/2023 6:30 PM
It tastes good, and it is good for our planet because factory farming of animals is harmful for the environment so eating other things instead reduces that.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?
Ellis Hill 10/04/2023 7:08 PM
I had time to catch up with my family and talk about our days.

Read More