Noelle Schwartz

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.

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

I will support a community garden by volunteering, donating, or advocating for a new or existing one.

I will spend 30 minutes learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

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

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

I will enjoy 3 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin practicing it in my own life.

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 60 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

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

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, including electronics and metals.

I will spend at least 20 minutes finding out if anyone is working on perennial biomass projects in my region and how I can get involved.

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

I will spend 60 minutes finding out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

I will start a compost or worm bin where I live.

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 at least 30 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

I will contact 1 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.