Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

October 1 - October 31, 2023

Tina Summers

KEEN US

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,256 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

61

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

69

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

sustainable seafood meal

consumed
UP TO

8.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

547

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1,745

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

133

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

75

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

290

minutes

spent learning

Tina's actions

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 120 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Cook With Sustainable Seafood

Improved Fisheries

Using the Seafood Watch guide, I will feature a sustainable seafood ingredient in a new recipe.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Replace Manual Thermostats

Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 31
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

Buildings

Upgrade My Windows

Insulation

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

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-Waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn about Biochar

Biochar Production

I will spend 60 minutes learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Farm Irrigation Efficiency

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

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Research Heat Pumps

High-Efficiency Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 120 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

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
Buildings

Why is taking action on climate change important to you? Why do you care?
Tina Summers 10/31/2023 4:34 PM
There have been so many large scale climate events in the past few years (e.g.: massive wildfires, floods, heatwaves, etc) and that has really emphasized how urgent it is we address the causes of climate change before we see even more frequent and extreme climate events. This could potentially lead to rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity, and have negative effects on available food and water resources, and will (among many other things).

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Tina Summers 10/31/2023 10:50 AM
This challenge has been great for getting me back into some good habits that I had stopped practicing (e.g.: eating more veggies & reducing animal products in my diet) & gotten me to think more about small changes I can make in my daily routine...all the little changes add up!

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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?
Tina Summers 10/30/2023 4:57 PM
I hadn't known there was a difference between "best by" and "use by" dates, so if I saw something very close to either one of those dates in my fridge, & knew it was something I wasn't going to eat right away, I would get rid of it. Now I know that I don't need to do that & that will help eliminate some of my food waste.

Read More
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?
Tina Summers 10/30/2023 10:58 AM
I was not aware of the OHA provided guidance on fish and shellfish consumption for our area, but I'm shocked to see all of the fish in our rivers that are flagged for mercury or PCBs, dioxins and/or certain pesticides. For the most part, my diet choices do fall within the guidelines that they provide and I am working to cut back on the amount of seafood I do eat so the majority of my diet is plant-based (it's a work in progress!) I usually buy my seafood at New Seasons & do have their seafood marked as green, yellow, or red so it makes it easy to choose sustainable seafood.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?
Tina Summers 10/29/2023 7:09 PM
One big motivator is the cost savings - there is a local credit union offering lower interest rates for hybrid or fully electric vehicle purchases; the cost of gas is also lower; and federal tax incentives available for EVs. In addition, I think it's important to take steps to try to reduce my dependence on fossil fuels and to reduce my carbon footprint.

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Tina Summers 10/29/2023 6:59 PM
We replaced some old weatherstripping this weekend & also found some teeny holes where ants had been getting in our house this summer...so, it felt like a bonus to finally solve the mystery of where they were getting in & getting those holes filled!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?
Tina Summers 10/29/2023 6:56 PM
I think it helps to enhance my understanding of the local ecosystems & the changes that take place during the different seasons. This, in turn, helps to foster a deep appreciation for my local environment.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings

How does improving your home's (or office's) energy efficiency help you better live out your values?
Tina Summers 10/29/2023 6:26 PM
It helps to conserve resources (which can also help save money in the long run) and is just one of many things we can do to help decrease our carbon footprint.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings

How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for smart ones will positively impact your life?
Tina Summers 10/15/2023 12:31 PM
I definitely think it's going to help bring our electricity bill down since we can set it to turn down much lower at night while we're sleeping. I'm thinking it will also be nice when we are away for an extended periods of time since we'll to be able to maintain a lower temp in the house while we're gone, but can set it so it's warmed back up on the day we get home.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?
Tina Summers 10/13/2023 3:32 PM
Contaminated run-off is the first thing that stands out in my mind. I've seen cars left on the street for long periods of time that leak oil, which eventually finds it's way into the storm drains. Industrial waste leaking into rivers and other bodies of water (like the 11k gallons of sewage that leaked into the Willamette earlier this month).
One thing we plan to do within the next year or so is to pull up a big concrete patch we have and replace it with spaced out pavers and ground cover that doesn't require a lot of watering. We also have 1 water collection barrel & we plan to install another under our second downspout.

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