Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Laura DeSimio

Deloitte Sacramento

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
849 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

donations

made
UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

270

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

290

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

125

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

490

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

3.0

people

helped
UP TO

1.0

tree

planted

Laura's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 20 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Become A Master Recycler/Composter

Recycling

I will sign up for a Master Recycler/Composter program in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings

Replace Manual Thermostats

Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Fix Leaky Faucets

Low-Flow Fixtures

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities. Fixing leaky faucets can save up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Support a Community Garden

Multiple Solutions

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Help Students Overcome Health Barriers

Health and Education

I will donate 3 Femme Kit(s) to help people who menstruate overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Tend A Garden

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 120 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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 Support a Community Garden

What are the multiple benefits of community gardens, including carbon sequestration? Why do these benefits matter to you?

Laura DeSimio 4/30/2021 7:53 AM

The local botanical gardens are terrific! They are a pleasant place to visit as well as being educational. I love that I have this resource so nearby!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Replace Manual Thermostats

How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for smart ones will positively impact your life?

Laura DeSimio 4/30/2021 7:45 AM

By being smarter about how we're using energy to control temperatures in the house, we are reducing waste. It's been helpful over the past month to look at this as the season changes so we can adjust and re-adjust. This practice will definitely help as we approach the summer months.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

Laura DeSimio 4/30/2021 7:42 AM

Exploring the area has led to a greater sense of connection. This connection enhances my daily experience - I see beauty in the space around me and feel both grateful and humbled.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Help Students Overcome Health Barriers

In what other ways could you help girls overcome health barriers to being able to attend school?

Laura DeSimio 4/30/2021 7:40 AM

This challenged made me re-examine things I take for granted. Hopefully the next generation will be more aware that this can be a barrier and is something that needs to be addressed.

Read More
Laura DeSimio 4/30/2021 7:38 AM

I loved the ecochallenge! I liked having a balance between learning opportunities, one-time actions and ongoing actions. I feel like I am in a good position to be more mindful about my actions and their impact on the planet and community. So glad I participated!

Read More
- Liz Zavodsky (EcoChallenge Staff) 4/30/2021 4:09 PM
  
  So great to see this! We sure do appreciate you participating.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Laura DeSimio 4/29/2021 6:27 AM

I love my daily walks! Especially as we get further into springtime. The landscape around me changes every day - seeing things come to life has been so refreshing and provides a sense of renewal. Having just moved to a new area, it has been a great way to explore my new surroundings as well.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Smaller Portions

While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?

Laura DeSimio 4/28/2021 12:36 PM

As I think about all of my actions over the past month, I think that this will be the one that will have the most lasting impact - I don't take food for granted any longer - whether its the volume of what I have or where it comes from. Being more mindful of food waste also. This was a good challenge!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Laura DeSimio 4/27/2021 7:26 AM

I got some great tips to help reduce my energy usage (or energy waste more specifically). There are some things I can change and some things I can't so for the things that I can change, spending a few extra dollars now will help save loads more money and energy in the long term. Every little bit helps!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Become A Master Recycler/Composter

What could you do differently to waste less?

Laura DeSimio 4/26/2021 3:38 PM

I was surprised at the dearth of resources there are out there - I found a lot of certification programs on recycling and sustainability, but very few community-specific resources. Luckily, I live in a very recycling-friendly community - I actually have 4 different bins for recycling plastic/metal, paper, organics, and non-recyclables. I have challenged myself to not only try to reduce how much is in the trash, but also that the balance of recyclables to non-recyclables is more eco-friendly.

Read More
- Bakita Abuodha 4/26/2021 4:36 PM
  
  My strategy to wasting less food is only shopping for the amount of food I need in a week. It is fantastic to not have groceries in the back of my fridge that have expired because I forgot about them!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Laura DeSimio 4/26/2021 3:34 PM

the distinction is very nebulous and I thought what I learned was interesting - even more interesting was a related conversation I had today with a colleague about medicine expiration dates.

Read More
- Bakita Abuodha 4/26/2021 4:38 PM
  
  As a synopsis -
  "Use by" marks the last date recommended for the use of the product. This is often printed on meat, poultry or egg labels and should be taken seriously.
  
  "Best by" indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality.
  
  "Sell by" is used by manufacturers to ensure proper turnover throughout the journey of the food product. This helps the food retain a long shelf life even after purchase.
  
  Read More