Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Benjamin Solomon

Asheville High School Spring 2021!

"Be cool and do good stuff"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
825 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

450

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

13

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

358

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

250

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

70

minutes

being mindful

Benjamin's actions

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

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

Land Sinks

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 10 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 20 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn about Temperate Forests

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

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!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 10 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 17 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 32 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 67 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

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 8
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 7
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 13
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?

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?

Benjamin Solomon 4/29/2021 10:28 AM

I believe that the most feasible investment towards geothermal energy would definitely be sponsoring developments in developing areas where needs are low, so that we can begin the efforts before we need to convince developed areas to adopt this technology.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

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

Benjamin Solomon 4/29/2021 6:23 AM

A sustainable water future in my region would be a great alternative to our current system of water use, and would be highly beneficial to our society. We need to make low-flow faucets and showerheads more easily available so that everyone can put them in and use them to decrease the load of water in their homes.

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?

Benjamin Solomon 4/28/2021 11:17 AM

I can support organizations dedicated to preserving the peatlands in Indonesia, and write to corporations establishing palm oil plantations or government officials, requesting that peatlands not be disturbed and removed.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

What did you learn about the climate impact of refrigerants? How do supermarkets contribute to this impact?

Benjamin Solomon 4/28/2021 10:34 AM

Refrigerants deal a great deal of damage to the environment, towards ozone in the form of CFCs, and towards global warming in the form of HFCs. Supermarkets heavily contribute to this through their heavy use of refrigeration and emissions of refrigerants. However, the Kagali accord is working to mitigate this and establish natural refrigerants

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?

Benjamin Solomon 4/28/2021 10:06 AM

People in richer countries likely eat more meat because it is more frequently available and marketed much more often. Eating meat is a good source of protein, but poorly prepared meat, which is highly common, can be a rapidly accumulating source of fat and cholesterol.

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?

Benjamin Solomon 4/28/2021 8:40 AM

Eating smaller portions of food can also help us to live healthier and budget our food intake more easily, as the cognitive aspect of plate size affects how we see portion sizes comparatively!

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!

Benjamin Solomon 4/28/2021 6:13 AM

Before this I had heard very little about biomass, save for natural gases and the use of methane gas given off by decomposing landfills. However, I now understand much about biomass and how it aims to become a new form of energy that employs decomposing or exhausted natural materials as makeshift fossil fuels and sources of heat while we transition from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Bioplastics

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Benjamin Solomon 4/27/2021 7:26 AM

The most concerning this about how we are affecting the planet is the sustainability of our production cycle. I believe that consumerism is a much larger issue, but if we can make it greener we can heavily reduce the damage that it causes to society without getting our hands dirty with trying to mitigate consumerism at the same time.

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?

Benjamin Solomon 4/27/2021 6:32 AM

This gives me a larger sense of scale when looking at the problem of deforestation and tells me how the problem manifests and how solutions can mitigate it. The fact that 99% of deciduous forests have been interfered with by humans is crazy to me, and tells me that virtually all forest land has been tampered with by humans. The fact that restoration efforts are taking off and that there is a way for us to reverse deforestation fills me with hope and lets me know that there are things being done and that we can make a difference.

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?

Benjamin Solomon 4/21/2021 7:15 AM

My diet is impacting forestation negatively. I do eat quite a bit of meat, so I’m going to try and decrease my consumption so that I can lower my impact and be more sustainable.

Read More