Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

October 1 - October 31, 2023

Jacqueline Speirer

Heartland College EASC 111

"trying my very best to be environmentally aware while not going broke. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
541 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

47

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

880

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

45

minutes

spent learning

Jacqueline's actions

Industry

Plastics Audit

Reduced Plastics

I will complete a plastics audit to see where plastics show up in my life and determine how I can reduce the use of single-use plastics.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Buy Bamboo

Bamboo Production

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Communicate With My Elected Officials

Onshore Wind Turbines, Offshore Wind Turbines

I will write or call 3 elected officials telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 45 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME 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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/31/2023 9:53 PM
It is kind of a hit or miss for what's available. The best things I can find that are usually made of bamboo are cleaning supplies (brushes) and hygiene care (toothbrushes). That being said, if you know where to look it isn't as hard to find them. I do think there is a big problem in our community with green-washing though, especially in places that college students frequent like Target or Walmart. I have started to switch out sponges for bamboo brushes though, which works better for my health needs anyways.

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?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/31/2023 9:51 PM
So, the main thing with being completely gluten-free is in most cases a lot of the food I buy is USDA organic which implies it is at least healthier for the environment. That being said, gluten-free grains are not super sustainably sourced. That is usually because some of the grains that are grown specifically for gluten-free individually such as quinoa erode the soil quickly, making it harder to grow stuff their long term. This usually causes forests to be cut down for new farming land where they continue to erode the soil.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings

What are your next steps for saving energy?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/03/2023 10:06 PM
If I had the ability to switch out things in my apartment, it would be to replace the appliances with ENERGY STAR qualified models. It also suggests getting more power strips with timers to reduce the amount of excess energy used and to get my HVAC serviced.

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Jacqueline Speirer 10/03/2023 9:51 PM
I will say with my specific dietary needs, it is incredibly hard for me to go vegan. However, all my meals have been meatless and the next time I go grocery shopping, I am going to make an active effort to get some vegan substitutes for anything I don't already have that vegan (ie. cheese, sour cream and eggs, though eggs I've been cutting out). Should anyone be concerned about my protein intake, I've been mainly having tofu as well as using nutritional yeast and some legumes when I can.

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- Janet Beach Davis 10/04/2023 9:30 PM
  GreenTop grocery is an excellent place to find protein alternatives and you get 10% off with your student ID!
  
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- Jacqueline Speirer 10/03/2023 10:11 PM
  Also, not that I'm sure many are reading this, but if anyone needs help with figuring out what to eat or good places to start adjusting their diet. There are some cool apps you can get like Fig that help you avoid certain foods just by creating your personal diet and then scanning the barcode of foods.
  
  Read More
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?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/01/2023 9:27 PM
Probably just save it for school and other financial issues in the future as I want the money to go to what I would still consider a necessity.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/01/2023 9:21 PM
I already make a lot of diet changes and restrictions so I am not too worried. My only fear is that I love chocolate so it will be interesting to cut in out of my diet.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/01/2023 9:20 PM
I went to the Sugar Grove Nature Center today and it was beautiful as always. I also carpooled but I didn't count that as an action as I don't carpool frequently. However, it was nice to be able to enjoy nature with some friends and explore some more of Illinois' native plants.

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Jacqueline Speirer 10/01/2023 9:16 PM
Lowkey was a little underprepared to start doing this, however, I had a very eco-friendly day, to begin with without even being aware. That helps me feel confident that I can make changes as needed to try and be more eco-friendly.

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- Janet Beach Davis 10/03/2023 4:06 PM
  Kermit was wrong. It’s easy being green!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

What was the hardest item to reduce using or cut out that is plastic? Did you find a way to do it?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/01/2023 9:14 PM
Right now I need to figure out a way to cut out single-use water bottles as the water being used in my apartment is not safe to drink. My solution to trying to fix this is filling bottles up at refillable stations or doing it whenever I visit my parents.

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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?
Jacqueline Speirer 10/01/2023 9:11 PM
I think it is because it is easier to obtain meat through farms and also afford to keep the meat fresh. If you have money, you can afford the electricity to freeze or keep your meat cold. It also is presumably easier to pay cattle farmers to produce livestock for people to eat. Eating more meat means that while our bodies get more protein, it creates a need for more livestock to be created. This can lead to more greenhouse gases through cows and machinery being built.

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