Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Andrea Phan

IVC SRM 95

""In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." -John Muir"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
492 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

10

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

80

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

85

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

15

zero-waste meals

consumed

Andrea's actions

Electricity

Explore Other Electricity Solutions

All Electricity Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Solutions.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Choose Better Wood Products

Forest Protection

I will only purchase wood and paper products from ecologically certified sources like Forest Stewardship Council.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

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

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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Rooftop Solar Consultation

Distributed Solar Photovoltaics

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Tend A Garden

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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?

Andrea Phan 5/01/2021 4:37 PM

I really enjoyed being a part of the Earth Month Ecochallenge! It is super cool to see the impact our team made and I definitely would like to be a part of this again! I strongly feed this challenge raises awareness and accountability. Thank you, Professor Blythe and team!

Read More
Andrea Phan 4/27/2021 9:30 AM

I enjoyed a delicious meatless lunch! :)

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Andrea Phan 4/24/2021 9:33 PM

I am proud of President Joe Biden, working hard trying to transform our infrastructure into sustainable innovation, calling for renewable energy as the norm, and genuinely caring about our future living on this planet! He is a beacon of hope!

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Andrea Phan 4/22/2021 1:45 PM

Happy Earth Day, class! I hope everyone is finding the time to do something today that honors the Earth! I picked up a bunch of cigarette butts that painters working on my neighbor's house left all over our alley, sidewalk, and gutter! Gross. Not on my watch! Or the ocean. What did you do today?

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Andrea Phan 4/15/2021 8:20 PM

We have a solar rep coming out next week to discuss potential panels on our home! Excited! :)

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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!

Andrea Phan 4/12/2021 2:39 PM

I have heard about biomass tech before, but after watching a few youtube videos that interview people running biomass converting farms, I learned a lot more. One thing I learned that surprised me is not only the wide range of electricity produced but also the tremendous capacity of people that can be fed through utilizing this clean energy!

Read More
Andrea Phan 4/11/2021 6:00 PM

Hi team! Here is my collection of castings from my vermicompost thus far! Sadly, my worms finished their cycle after a 2 month period and decomposed, but I'm grateful for the goods! There are some eggshells and tiny pieces of paper leftover, but I still have some decomposing critters in here to hopefully finish the job! The next step, fertilizing my plants and ordering a deeper bin so I can restart my worm cycle. :)

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Andrea Phan 4/11/2021 12:29 PM

Why did I join this challenge? To hold myself accountable and to be a part of a team effort in doing good for our planet!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products

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?

Andrea Phan 4/11/2021 12:27 PM

People in richer countries can afford the luxury of eating meat. Eating too much red meat can raise your blood pressure, clog your arteries with saturated fats, and causes your liver to work much harder. I very rarely eat red meat. I have never enjoyed steak and as a kid, I remember getting reprimanded by my Greek grandmother for not eating the meat on my plate. Meat = Cow burps leading to large amounts of methane into our atmosphere. It is also very labor-intensive for farmers and uses a lot of resources to raise cows for meat.

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Andrea Phan 4/05/2021 6:30 PM

I will continue to Vermicompost and visit my bin weekly to check its progress.

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