Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Scott Royael

SUNY Adirondack (individual participants)

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,232 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

31

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

780

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

315

minutes

spent learning

Scott's actions

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Research Heat Pumps

High-Efficiency Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

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

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 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

SUNY ADK CAMPUS TREE PLANTING - 4/27 @ 9am

SUNY ADK CAMPUS TREE PLANTING - DATE TBD In coordination with the Adventure Sports program, Clint McCarthy and friends have made it a regular occurrence to remove honeysuckle and plant trees and shrubs, that help foster a healthy ecosystem on SUNY ADK property. Join this year's planting and connect with fellow faculty, staff, and students.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

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

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 30 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

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

Land Sinks

Buy Bamboo

Bamboo Production

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Keep Track of Wasted Food

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Earth Month Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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

SUNY ADK Campus Tree Planting - Date TBD

In coordination with the Adventure Sports program, Clint McCarthy and friends have made it a regular occurrence to remove honeysuckle and plant trees and shrubs, that help foster a healthy ecosystem on SUNY ADK property. Join this year's planting and connect with fellow faculty, staff, and students.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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 12
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
Land Sinks Support a Community Garden

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

Scott Royael 4/30/2021 7:43 AM

We are at a time when we are digitally connected in so many ways, yet it feels as though our ability to connect with the earth and other people is diminishing. One of the big benefits of a community garden is to allow individuals to connect with food in a way that is lost with our large scale processed food society.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions 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?

Scott Royael 4/28/2021 12:02 PM

I utilized the NYS M/WBE directory to see which companies in our area are minority business enterprises or women business enterprises. One of the businesses listed JMZ, who we current use (and have so in the past) for our facilities master plan. https://ny.newnycontracts.com/FrontEnd/SearchCertifiedDirectory.asp?XID=8535&TN=ny

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?

Scott Royael 4/22/2021 8:44 AM

The area I live is a "walking school district". In addition to the exercise, I am glad to have the time to walk my son to school each day. During cold/rainy weather it can be more of a struggle to get out the door, but overall I think the walk to and from school is a positive way to start and end the school day.

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?

Scott Royael 4/22/2021 8:44 AM

The area I live is a "walking school district". In addition to the exercise, I am glad to have the time to walk my son to school each day. During cold/rainy weather it can be more of a struggle to get out the door, but overall I think the walk to and from school is a positive way to start and end the school day.

Read More
Scott Royael 4/22/2021 8:37 AM

Thanks to the college's farm manager Toni! It was great to be able to help out at the college farm, connect with the earth, and appreciate the hard work involved. I hope to get out there again as volunteer opportunities arise.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Keep Track of Wasted Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. How would you rather use this money?

Scott Royael 4/15/2021 12:12 PM

Aside from the ecological costs, the $1500 dollar figure is new to me. I wonder if this figure would help more people think about the amount of food waste they generated?...it's got my attention!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Calculate My Carbon Footprint

What stood out to you most about your carbon footprint? What surprised you or sparked curiosity? Where can you take most immediate action?

Scott Royael 4/15/2021 12:06 PM

One of the questions was about public transit. Living in an area where public transit is minimal, had me wondering if there are any areas with a similar population/geography that have a well used public transit system. I also thought the "overshoot" day was an interesting way to view my impact. I use as much from nature that the earth can renew by the end of May! I've got some work to do.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

What did you learn about the climate impact of refrigerants? How do supermarkets contribute to this impact?

Scott Royael 4/12/2021 9:27 AM

Wow....I didn't realized that HFCs have 1,000 to 9,000 times greater capacity to warm the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. For such a big potential to impact climate change, I am surprised how little attention this seems to get publicly.

Read More
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?

Scott Royael 4/12/2021 9:18 AM

At least in the US, meat and especially beef seems to be tied to part of our national identity (burger and fries!). I don't think it was until I learned about trophic levels that I had a greater appreciation for the impact of meat vs plant diets. Eating lower down on the food chain requires significantly less energy and resources, since there is about a 90 percent loss in each step up the food chain.

Read More