Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Sydney Covington

Asheville High School Spring 2021!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
516 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

320

minutes

spent learning

Sydney's actions

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 35 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

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 25 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!

UNCOMPLETED
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 35 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 30 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 45 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 40 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
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?

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?

Sydney Covington 4/30/2021 8:17 AM

Before researching Geothermal energy, I didn't know that it was an option for a renewable energy source. I can advocate for geothermal energy by writing to elected officials, urging them to invest money in finding ways to expand and improve the technologies for active geothermal energy. These could technologies for making drilling less costly and more effective, and technologies that allow geothermal energy to be less location-specific.

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?

Sydney Covington 4/29/2021 7:44 PM

In order to have a more sustainable community, I think that everyone needs to spread awareness and be better educated on the ways that their actions and decisions are impacting the world as a whole. Many people probably don’t know that they can make multiple decisions each day that get us closer to a more sustainable community such as what products you buy at the grocery store, not wasting that food, conserving electricity, or recycling properly.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity 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!

Sydney Covington 4/28/2021 4:46 AM

I had never heard of biomass technology before researching it now. I learned that biomass technology trades in carbon that is already in circulation, producing no new emissions. I was surprised that biomass can also include animal waste or trash from landfills, where the methane is taken and burned to heat water, which produces steam that turns the rotor of a generator.

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?

Sydney Covington 4/26/2021 1:18 PM

I can make choices to help protect peatlands by buying palm oil-free products or products from companies that use more sustainable practices (Such as products that have been Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified). People could also ensure they purchase peat-free compost or soil.

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?

Sydney Covington 4/21/2021 6:43 PM

As I learn more about the environmental challenges we face, I’ve grown aware of the numerous choices I can make each day to address them. I had never thought that one person would make much of a difference when it comes to large-scale environmental problems, but now I realize that a small effort can make a huge impact. It feels overwhelming to learn about the massive consequences that are caused by most of the human population but I am hopeful because of the ability I have to make better choices each day.

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?

Sydney Covington 4/19/2021 10:44 AM

More often than I would have thought, I consume foods that contain palm oil, a product that causes mass deforestation to produce, like Cheerios and Wheat Thins. To decrease the negative impact my diet has on tropical forests, I can look for foods that don’t have palm oil. I can also limit my chocolate consumption and look for chocolate that is shade-grown or has the Rainforest Alliance emblem. I already eat a lot of plant-based options to replace meat, like Beyond products, but I can try to do the same for other animal products like cheese.

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?

Sydney Covington 4/16/2021 1:55 PM

I had never heard of the term “silvopasture” before learning about it now. I think the two largest advantages to silvopasture might be the increase in animal productivity and health, and the benefit of trees sequestering methane and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Sydney Covington 4/15/2021 11:18 AM

Knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empowers me to judge if a product needs to be thrown out. By making better-informed decisions, I can save resources like money, energy, and water.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

Sydney Covington 4/14/2021 5:41 PM

In my community, women and girls are prevented from sharing equal participation and representation because of poverty, tradition, and unequal distribution of wealth and power. Many women suffer from work-related inequalities like wage gaps and lower-level positions. Poverty can also prevent women from pursuing their careers for reasons such as not having access to family planning services or being unable to get childcare.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Learn about the Need for Family Planning

What did you learn about the need for family planning? How do the needs of different people in different places compare to each other?

Sydney Covington 4/01/2021 5:57 PM

I learned that better family planning helps women make an informed decision about when and if they want to have children. Family planning also empowers women, allowing them to achieve a higher level of education and advance in their careers. Supplying women with long-acting contraception such as IUDs and implants at very low prices and better sex education largely contributed to decreases in the number of women unintentionally having children and abortion rates, globally.

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