Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Jake Dutt

Team ESR!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
493 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

36

miles

traveled by bike
UP TO

100

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

60

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

135

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

55

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Jake's actions

Industry

Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket

Refrigerant Management

I will explore the interactive map in the links below to find a supermarket that does not use HFC refrigerants near my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 45 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go by Bike

Bicycle Infrastructure

I will commute by bike 12 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions Support Companies Leading in Green Energy

Every dollar you put into solar or wind is a dollar not put into traditional financial institutions. You'll also be bolstering the fossil fuel divestment movement, too. Name some companies you know that invest in green energy. How can you support them?

Jake Dutt 4/20/2021 1:43 PM

Apple is the main company that comes to mind, I think they want an all-renewable supply chain by the end of the decade. I've already given way too much money to Apple and I will probably continue to do so for the future, but its an added benefit that I can spend my money on climate-concious companies. Most larger corporations are seeing the advantages of divesting from fossil fuels, even traditional fossil fuel companies. One example is how GM plans to totally stop selling gas powered cars and only sell electric cars by 2035.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket

How close is the nearest climate-friendly supermarket to your home? How could you encourage local supermarket to reduce or phase out their use of HFC refrigerants?

Jake Dutt 4/20/2021 1:38 PM

The closest supermarket on the map provided was in Lake Oswego, about a 10 minute drive from my house. On a personal level, it could be hard to convince a large company to change their current ways on my own but if I and others write/complain enough to other grocers such as fred meyer, it might convince them that enough consumers care about this issue.

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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?

Jake Dutt 4/19/2021 10:14 AM

The amount of carbon emissions from just using my car a modest amount really stood out to me. I try and limit my car use already, it makes me wonder what the average American could save if we would just prioritize less carbon intensive modes of transportation like biking and transit like other countries have. It was also interesting to see how much carbon emissions are associated with meat compared to other types of food. I think that is one area I can easily change to eat less carbon-intensive foods.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

How does city planning and design relate to equity and climate change?

Jake Dutt 4/13/2021 11:04 AM

We must acknowledge past harms done by previous city planners and governments when outlining and planning future policy. Having everyone at the table is important to bring multiple perspectives on how a project may impact different groups in different ways. If one project will hurt current residents, mitigation or anti-displacement policies need to be incorporated to keep it equitable. The way our cities are built directly impact our carbon emissions, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods are much better for the environment compared to sprawling suburbs.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

Jake Dutt 4/07/2021 1:26 PM

Spending more time outdoors helps keep our built environment in context with what was here before and how we should not take all our modern luxuries and infrastructure for granted.

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?

Jake Dutt 4/07/2021 1:24 PM

Some other benefits of reducing food portions is reducing calorie intake and increased health. If I have a huge plate filled with food, I will tend to eat more than if I start with one smaller plate. This can help manage overeating and can provide ling term health benefits.

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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?

Jake Dutt 4/05/2021 10:42 AM

Portland has a not very distant history of extreme segregation and has specifically harmed minority communities in the past with large infrastructure projects such as in albina and south portland. With these past harms, the city must emphasize building back the trust of residents by being more inclusive in the planning and development of future projects and taking input and actually using resident feedback in the future.

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