Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Valerie Autieri

ecoCaledon

"Conservation is the preservation of human life on earth - Rob Stewart"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,009 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

56

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

875

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2,010

minutes

being mindful

Valerie's actions

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

Tropical Forest Restoration

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

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn about Biochar

Biochar Production

I will spend 30 minute(s) learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Practice the 5 R's

Recycling

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 60 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

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

Methane Digesters

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

Indigenous Peoples' Forest Tenure

I will donate to Native American Rights Fund, which protects tribal natural resources and environmental rights and promotes Native American Human Rights.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 150 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will spend 120 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Calculate My Carbon Footprint

All Drawdown Solutions

I will calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce my negative impact on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

plawking for a greener outside space

"plawking" is the trend that brings together walking and litter picking.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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
Industry Practice the 5 R's

What are some more "R's" you could add to your daily practice to reduce your waste?

Valerie Autieri 4/30/2021 7:25 PM

I find it difficult to reduce the plastic of food packaging. I always try to buy food that is not packaged but I find a lot of organic produce comes packaged in plastic.

Read More
Valerie Autieri 4/30/2021 7:14 PM

During this challenge I have tried to eat more vegetarian meals. This week I have had vegetarian meals for 5 consecutive days. It has already been a few years that I have stopped eating red meat and pork almost completely.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?

Valerie Autieri 4/30/2021 7:10 PM

I realized that prior to this challenge I did not participate in mindful eating very much. This past month I have made an effort to practice mindfulness during my meals. One of the benefits I found that there was more conversation during our meals.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

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?

Valerie Autieri 4/30/2021 7:03 PM

The main reason I am choosing to purchase an electric car as my next vehicle is definitely because they are more environmentally friendly. However I also like the technology of electric cars. Other benefits are that they are low maintenance and there isn’t the cost of fuel.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Learn about Biochar

Can biochar provide additional benefits besides sequestering carbon?

Valerie Autieri 4/29/2021 7:02 PM

Yes, it improves the quality of the soil when it is mixed in with composte and makes it more nutrient rich.
Also, by using dead trees from forests not only will they be producing biochar and energy, but it will also reduce the risk of forest fires.

Read More
Valerie Autieri 4/29/2021 6:49 PM

I found two articles relating to recycling very interesting. The first was about the city of Kamikasta in Japan. They recycle 80% of their waste. The residents have to bring all their garbage to a depot and it is then sorted from there. The other article was about Christchurch in New Zealand where they introduced a public shaming and reward system for their recycling bins. They put a big gold star on your bin if you are recycling properly.

Read More
- Lucrezia Chiappetta 4/30/2021 7:13 AM
  
  I want a system that gives me a gold star :)
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Forest-Friendly Foods 2

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Valerie Autieri 4/29/2021 6:38 PM

At first I thought I didn’t have to make any changes regarding palm oil in my diet because I always read the labels to make sure that it doesn’t contain it. However after reading the articles I realized that it can be called many different names. There was also a list of products that contain palm oil which I found very helpful.

Read More
- Lucrezia Chiappetta 4/30/2021 7:14 AM
  
  Hey Val. When you have a minute, send me the list. I would love to see how companies are sneaking palm oil into our foods and other goods.
  
  Read More