Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Rebeca Barrios-Torres

CLEAResult Consulting Inc.

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
658 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

donation

made
UP TO

720

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

15

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

23

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

840

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

70

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

210

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

182

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

73

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Rebeca's actions

Buildings

Plan to Insulate

Insulation

I will find out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

COMPLETED
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

Buildings

Donate

Improved Clean Cookstoves

I will donate to nonprofits that install clean cookstoves in low-income countries.

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 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 9
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

Support Nutrient Management

Nutrient Management

I will research and support local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Tour a Green Roof

Green and Cool Roofs

I will set up a visit or a virtual tour of a green roof in my city, and ask about the codes and process for installing a green roof.

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

Industry

Practice the 5 R's

Recycling

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

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 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 60 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

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will spend 15 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

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

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Conduct Virtual Meetings

Telepresence

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 1 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 15
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 16
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?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/30/2021 8:31 AM

The more I do and learn...the more I want to do and learn!

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?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/30/2021 8:18 AM

This month I have started making daily walks a habit. I enjoy the time in outdoors, but also, I enjoy that I have begun to meet my neighbors. The infrastructure in my neighborhood is pretty good. We have well lit areas and great sidewalk space...not sure that I would change too much.

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?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/30/2021 8:15 AM

Smaller portions is not only beneficial for food waste, but also beneficial for mindful eating. This has helped me reduce the amount of calories I intake as well as has me focused on what foods I put into my body.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/30/2021 8:14 AM

Having fresh foods supplied by local farmers inspires me the most. I love that I am both supporting my community and making healthier choices at the same time.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/30/2021 8:12 AM

Mindful eating helps me focus on what I eat. It keeps me eating healthier as I pay closer attention to what it is I put in my mouth.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/30/2021 8:11 AM

Sustainable water future in the Great Lakes Region would mean taking care of the Great Lakes. Keeping them clean and not wasting the precious commodity we have. We need to keep dumping into them, quit allowing others to profit from taking out of them, and quit wasting it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Resilience 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?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/30/2021 8:10 AM

I think one of the biggest things we can do is research. Women owned businesses are often overlooked because we don't know that they are women owned. One thing I have done is found local women owned businesses and keep an index card by my computer so as I am doing research, I am writing them down, and then remembering to go them first.

Read More
- Courtney Groszhans 4/30/2021 11:46 AM
  
  That is a great idea!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Fix Leaky Faucets

What are other easy and low-cost ways to reduce your water usage at home?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/28/2021 9:37 AM

Fixing the faucet was fairly easy. I watched a YouTube video and purchased a cartridge and I was good to go. Another low-cost way I found was to turn off my icemaker and use ice trays. We don't use ice that often, and the icemaker was spilling ice all over the freezer and I kept throwing it out. Using trays ensures I only use the water needed to fill the two tray and keeps me from having an abundance of ice.

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- Courtney Groszhans 4/28/2021 10:15 AM
  
  That is a great idea, I have the same issue.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Composting

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?

Rebeca Barrios-Torres 4/28/2021 9:10 AM

At first, I was motivated by the waste of money. But as I am composting, I am learning that what we waste is more than just $'s. The resources of water, energy, land, fertilizer, etc. are much more of a motivation to keep composting.

Read More