Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Fred Koshen

Comerica Michigan Green Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,252 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

6.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

990

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

20

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

480

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

80

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

30

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

262

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

3.3

pounds of paper

have been saved

Fred's actions

Industry

Choose Recycled Paper

Recycled Paper

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Go Paperless

Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Recycle Everything I Can

Recycling

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, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Advocate for Solar Installation

Distributed Solar Photovoltaics

I will create a plan to and advocate for solar installation at my business, apartment building, or campus.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Spread the Word about Energy Alternatives

All Electricity Solutions

I will research and tell 1 people each day about the benefits of alternative energy sources like wind turbines, solar energy, geothermal energy, and methane digesters.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

Buildings

Replace Manual Thermostats

Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Low-Flow Fixtures

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day or 450 gallons (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

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

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

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 20 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaics, Distributed Solar Photovoltaics

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in creating or purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Connect With A Nonprofit

Health and Education

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, and/or trans and nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Conduct Virtual Meetings

Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Stay on the Ground

Telepresence, High-Speed Rail

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will spend 30 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Transportation Stay on the Ground

What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?

Fred Koshen 4/30/2021 6:36 AM

While I support highspeed rail and alternatives for transportation I wonder if it will ever get off the ground (no pun intended) to the point where it can really make a difference.
During the pandemic our travel was curtailed 100%. It was refreshing during the morning and throughout the day NOT to hear traffic, including trucks, and airplanes (we live by an airport).

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?

Fred Koshen 4/30/2021 6:31 AM

I think by spending time outdoors and actually in an environment you're not familiar with can give you a newfound appreciation for the land/environment. We back up to a small lake and see the wildlife that depends on the vegetation and lake. It's really amazing some of the things we see during the day and raises the question of what we miss after dark.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Connect With A Nonprofit

What are the most pressing issues for women, girls, and trans/nonbinary people in your community?

Fred Koshen 4/30/2021 6:27 AM

I think the most pressing issues for women, girls, are to be taken seriously and given a chance in male dominated business. Too often I believe that "big business" doesn't always take them seriously therefore they don't get a fair shake, when in fact they bring fresh ideas to the table.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

Fred Koshen 4/29/2021 11:04 AM

As I pen countless items I buy at the store I often ponder if it could be packaged in a better, less wasteful manner. On a grand scale if you multiply that item by the number of people who might buy it, it seems the packaging becomes more wasteful. I try to use the "R's" whenever possible but I think business needs to be more accountable.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. What have you done in the past to support women-owned businesses? How can you better support communities by supporting women?

Fred Koshen 4/29/2021 5:37 AM

I regularly support any minority, including women-owned, businesses where it makes sense not only in my business life but also my personal life as well. Although I don't think someone should simply buy from a minority without performing due diligence, I try to be as supportive as I can and when all things are considered equal like to give business to a minority especially when they focus on their core business and not the fact they are a minority.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Resilience Learn More about Biomass

Had you ever heard of biomass technology before you took this challenge? What did you learn that surprised you? Share your new knowledge with your friends!

Fred Koshen 4/29/2021 5:32 AM

I've heard about biomass energy/fuels in the past but didn't realize that it was a result of crop, waste residues, wood debris, and algae. I always thought it was just a biproduct of products we use everyday. Hopefully with all of the various potential energy streams, including biomass, we can be less dependent on oil.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?

Fred Koshen 4/28/2021 5:15 AM

Very amazing that we have the ingenuity to develop these types of ideas into workable solutions for energy. As a society, we are amazing at what we do when we put our mind to it. Even the animals play a part in supplying energy.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Go Paperless

What do you want to prioritize over material 'stuff' in your own life?

Fred Koshen 4/28/2021 5:11 AM

It's really difficult to imagine a truly "paperless" society. While it sounds good and doable, I believe there are too many unknowns to really be able to get this over the finish line, similar to the "ELF" initiative of the 1980's; Eliminate Legal Forms, which had quite a bit of momentum then died out by the 90's.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Buy Bamboo

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

Fred Koshen 4/23/2021 8:31 AM

It is amazing how plentiful bamboo is and how rapidly it regenerates itself. I learned approximately 10 years ago that bamboo is actually a grass and is a strong alternative in a number of ways to textiles and building materials. Plus pandas love it!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Choose Recycled Paper

Good job on choosing recycled paper! How can you take your action a step further?

Fred Koshen 4/22/2021 10:47 AM

I'm very familiar from my work history with mass producing paper. When you see how the process works and the amount of water, electricity, and wood pulp go into papermaking it makes you think about all these main components and how they can't last forever, even if there is reforestation. "Mature wood" is quickly becoming a thing of the past. I always look for paper that is a minimum 30-50% post-consumer waste.

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