Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Gabriela Lopez

Stan State Eco Challenge Earth Month Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
184 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

30

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

25

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

60

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced

Gabriela's actions

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Start a Social Media Campaign

Health and Education

Through social media, I will raise awareness about gender inequity in education by sharing the information found in the links below.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn about Biochar

Biochar Production

I will spend 15 minute(s) learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn About Ocean Mammals

I am really concerned about the impact of rising ocean temperatures and plastics on whales, sea turtles, and other ocean mammals.

UNCOMPLETED
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 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

Methane Digesters

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

UNCOMPLETED
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 30 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

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
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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?
Gabriela Lopez 4/30/2021 9:28 PM
Other benefits that come from eating/ serving smaller portions are eating healthy and not wasting as much food. Another benefit is saving money since we are eating smaller portions. I also learned that when we go grocery shopping we tend to buy more food than we need. Just because shopping carts are big and we want to fill them up with food and because we can just push them instead of caring for them.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?
Gabriela Lopez 4/30/2021 9:10 PM
When I practice mindful eating I don't tend to rush and eat fast. I also notice what I have been eating more because I'm usually eating while I'm using my phone, computer, or watching something on TV.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Gabriela Lopez 4/30/2021 9:04 PM
I was really impressed by the benefit of using LED bulbs. The next step I would take toward energy efficiency is to get all my family members to all switch to LED bulbs and infomr the benefit of doing so. I would also unplug unused chargers and install a low-flow showerhead to save water.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?
Gabriela Lopez 4/30/2021 8:54 PM
By spending more time outdoors made me realize how grateful I am for nature. I also lean the important roles they are part of. For instance, I learn how wetlands are very important and play a big part in the ecosystem. Wetlands are natural water filtration, provide nurseries for fishes, and are the first line of defense from floods. One of the pulses of being outdoors in nature is that it can reduce stress and improve ones mental health,

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Gabriela Lopez 4/30/2021 8:31 PM
By knowing the difference between the date phrase I will no longer be wasteful of my food. I will no longer throw everything out of my pantry that has a date we already passed. Before learning about the diffusion of the at the phrase I would throw a lot of things out because I thought they were no longer good. Now next time I am cleaning my pantry I will not be wasteful and I would decide if the food is still good to eat.

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Gabriela Lopez 4/30/2021 8:06 PM
I am really glad that i learned a lot about the truth about operation dates. I am also sad because I did not know the definitions of the date phrases which resulted in me throwing a lot of food away. I would clean my pantry and see that the date would past on some of my food and throw them away. I am really glad that I know the definitions of the date phrases and am going to be able to not waste food any more. I am actually going to keep the deifintons of the dates in my pantry so i don't forget them. One thing i learn and was shocked is I have been placing my eggs in the wrong spot.

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Gabriela Lopez 4/30/2021 12:05 AM
I was really impressed that if one reduces their plate size by 9% one can almost reduce food waste by a lot. I never really notice till now how much food I have been wasting by buying the meg paks of food. I would most definitely be more considerate when of the quantity of food I'll be buying.

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Gabriela Lopez 4/28/2021 11:56 PM
I had a really good experience eating all of my three meals mindfully. I notice that I did eat slower than usual and also ate less. I was shocked to learn that when people eat while being distracted by electronics they tend to eat more.

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Gabriela Lopez 4/28/2021 11:56 PM
I had a really good experience eating all of my three meals mindfully. I notice that I did eat slower than usual and also ate less. I was shocked to learn that when people eat while being distracted by electronics they tend to eat more.

Read More
Gabriela Lopez 4/28/2021 11:43 PM
I am impressed by the many benefits of switching to LED lights. I love how they are eco-friendly and how they will reduce utility costs.

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