Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Lily Severance

Asheville High School Spring 2021!

"I want to make a change."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
666 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.9

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

5.0

miles

traveled by bike
UP TO

20

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

357

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

35

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

40

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Lily's actions

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 25 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

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

Industry

Bioplastics

Bioplastics are a promising solution to plastic waste and climate change… but they aren’t necessarily sustainable. Find out why!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn about Temperate Forests

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 15 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 40 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go by Bike

Bicycle Infrastructure

I will commute by bike 4 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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 1
DAILY ACTION

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 30 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

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 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
Buildings Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Cities and towns need to plan for climate change. How can your city or town make its climate action plans equitable and socially just?

Lily Severance 4/30/2021 9:05 AM

My city can make sure that before they make a major change to take climate action, that it will benefit all social classes.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

Lily Severance 4/29/2021 7:37 AM

I can invest in geothermal energy by bringing awareness to the topic and learning more about the topic.

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?

Lily Severance 4/28/2021 7:23 AM

I think a sustainable community would use absolutely no fossil fuels, they would rely on renewable and more efficient energy sources (like biogas). In order for this to happen, we would all have to come together and be determined to make this change.

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!

Lily Severance 4/27/2021 7:23 AM

It's surprising to me that using biomass as fuel instead of fossil fuels is a less damaging greenhouse gas, as it has been used for thousands of years. The earth's atmosphere is used to the carbon that it emites because the caveman have been using this process and the carbon that fossil fuels emit is newer. It's also surprising to me that we have not tried to adapt fully to this idea, at least some of the bigger and more developed countries.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Research Peatlands

Much of Indonesia's peatlands have been drained so they could be replaced with palm oil or pulp and paper plantations. How can you make choices that help to protect peatlands, even if you live far away from one?

Lily Severance 4/26/2021 7:28 AM

I could research and learn more about peatlands as well as getting other people to become familiar with them. Eating and buying healthier foods that don't contain stuff that is grown from drained peatlands.

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?

Lily Severance 4/23/2021 7:42 AM

I learned the refrigerants affect the environment in a negative way. The CFCs were previous things we used in refrigerators and air conditioning that was harmful to humans and the ozone layer. After we realized that we switched to HFCs, which were still bad but they were less harmful to humans and the ozone. HFCs are also a greenhouse gas that affects climate change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Bioplastics

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Lily Severance 4/22/2021 7:00 AM

It concerns me with how fast we are consuming and using up the natural resources that the planet has to offer.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Learn about Temperate Forests

As you learn more about the scope and seriousness of the environmental challenges we face, what impact does that have on your thinking and actions? What are the parts that feel overwhelming? What parts help you feel hopeful?

Lily Severance 4/20/2021 8:46 AM

Because we are learning more about the severity of what's happening to our environment, my thoughts are starting to get more concerned and I'm wanting to take action. The overall severity and mass amount of these problems is a bit overwhelming. I know lots of people are working to solve these problems so I feel hopeful that these groups are making a change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Forest-Friendly Foods 1

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?

Lily Severance 4/19/2021 7:28 AM

My family and I are vegetarian so we don't eat meat, our diet contains lots of plant based products. We also have our own chickens so we get our eggs from them, rather than a company. To decrease my negative impact I could try to get my parents to buy substitutes for palm oil products as well as better coffee products.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

Lily Severance 4/16/2021 7:01 AM

I have never heard the word Silvopasture. I think the biggest advantage of silvopasture is the variety of products you get from it, such as fruits, nuts, timber, eggs, meat, and dairy.

Read More