Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Robin Novotny

Team ESR!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
96 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted
UP TO

50

minutes

spent learning

Robin's actions

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Communicate With My Elected Officials

Onshore Wind Turbines, Offshore Wind Turbines

I will write or call 1 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

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

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

Industry

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

Multiple Industry Solutions

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Improve a Bus Stop

Public Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings

How does city planning and design relate to equity and climate change?
Robin Novotny 5/01/2021 11:19 AM
I was very ignorant of the history of redlining before doing my research on the subject. I feel like green gentrification and redlining are interconnected as well. Separating districts into categories of desirable housing and using that to create affluent versus low income neighborhoods is one of the basics of institutional racism. Interesting that the lower income neighborhoods end up being next to industrial districts, which of course effect the health of its residents. Without parks, gardens, and walking paths, the overall climate of the city or district suffers as well.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Resilience

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!
Robin Novotny 5/01/2021 11:12 AM
I think I had heard of biomass in passing but did not really grasp what it meant and assumed that it was a form of producing energy that does not use fossil fuels but produces less energy. While energy production is somewhat less, I was surprised to find out how many countries are integrating this technology and how truly "circular" the energy production is. Taking the waste from other industries and turning it into fuel is the epitome of sustainable energy! I think electric cars garner far too much attention, especially since their own issues have yet to be addressed fully (such as how best to dispose of the dead batteries.) It is disappointing to know that in order to receive the waste from other industries, these companies still have to rely on fossil fuels to power the vehicles that bring the waste. But there is research and development on creating biomass powered vehicles, so I see hope of an actual sustainable replacement for oil and gas.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Resilience

Cities and towns need to plan for climate change. How can your city or town make its climate action plans equitable and socially just?
Robin Novotny 5/01/2021 11:00 AM
Portland on its surface seems to be very green but gentrification is clearly one of its institutional issues. For 11 years I have watched neighborhood all over the city change from the classic and beautiful old homes to condominium buildings. I've had the opportunity to explore some of these new developments and at the time was impressed with the community gardens they built either on their roofs or in their common areas. However, learning that these areas are built for more affluent residents while pushing lower income people into neighborhoods that severely lack in parks, gardens, and walking trails. I was very shocked to learn that in many cities, the poorer neighborhoods actually have consistently higher temperatures due to the lack of these amenities.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?
Robin Novotny 4/26/2021 12:30 PM
Having already lived in a "sustainable" minded city of Portland, it is important that with all the urban growth I've observed over the years that my city does not forget its original mindset. Electric and hybrid cars are common here but I do not see much growth in the ways of charging stations. I always enjoyed how well the public transit system works but with the pandemic I fear more people are driving rather than get on a crowded bus or train. It is also a bike friendly town, but that is weather dependent for most people. But the biggest point I tried to make in my letter to our senator was that we continue to move away from our dependence on natural gas for power. With a city surrounded by rivers, there must be hydroelectric options in addition to wind and (sometimes due to weather again) solar power.

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