Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Josh Bates

Asheville High School Spring 2021

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
405 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

85

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

15

lightbulbs

replaced

Josh's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 15 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 25 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 10 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 15 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro Wind Turbines

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of micro wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Explore Other Electricity Solutions

All Electricity Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching other Drawdown Electricity Solutions.

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
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?

Josh Bates 12/08/2020 8:30 AM

I have heard of the term “silvopasture” but I never knew what it was or what this process was. Now that I am aware of what silvopasture I think the greatest benefit is how it helps the productivity and health of livestock, forge, and trees.

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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?

Josh Bates 12/07/2020 9:35 AM

I learned that these things used in refrigerants (CFCs) can be toxic and leaked from these refrigerant and can toxin it's surroundings so there are ways that this problem is being resolved. Supermarkets sell a lot of refrigerated-able items and refrigerators.

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?

Josh Bates 12/04/2020 8:32 AM

If I wanted a sustainable community I would have a better energy system such as the one in the video or renewable, a place where everyone would recycle and trash things correctly and not use as many things that need to be recycled and trashed, a better water system and I would have a place where people would clean up this trash that was here before. I think these would be the main things to get a better and more sustainable community started.

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?

Josh Bates 12/03/2020 9:11 AM

I learned that family planning is so important so that the thought of a future for a family being safer, better protected, and happier can become a reality. These needs of different people in different places all compare to each other because I imagine they all want a healthier and brighter future for their family no matter where they are or the struggles they are going through. If this place and time would be bad for a child or family I think it is vital that this family can grow in a healthy space so this needs to happen so that this family will be happier and have a brighter future.

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?

Josh Bates 12/02/2020 7:58 AM

As I learn more about this, I do get more scared and I feel like I need to do something to contribute but then again I can’t do very much because of the lack of money I have to go towards this process of helping the environment. It is overwhelming thinking about how we are running out of things like natural resources or will in the future and how our world will become so unhealthy. I am hopeful because of these solutions to these problems such as using more renewable energy.

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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?

Josh Bates 12/01/2020 8:57 AM

I think I can help protect peat-lands by protecting the environment they are in so that things like trash and people don’t mess up any progress this peat-land has and damage it.

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?

Josh Bates 11/30/2020 1:39 PM

Some of these obstacles for women's equal precipitation in communities that I sometimes see are the stereotypes, negativity and the act of treating them or thinking of them like anyone but human.

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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?

Josh Bates 11/24/2020 11:59 AM

Because of how greatly my diet affects the process of deforestation such as the dairy, meat and palm oil that I eat or consume, I will try to stop eating these as much. I didn’t know palm oil was in so much of the foods I eat and how much is wasted for the process of this dairy, meat and palm oil. I barely eat cocoa and coffee so that does not affect me very much.

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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?

Josh Bates 11/23/2020 12:36 PM

The best by tells us which date the product should be consumed by for the best quality. The sell by tells the retailers which date the product should be removed from the shelf and no longer be sold. The use by dates tell us which date this should be eaten by for best quality as it may go bad afterwards.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Explore Other Electricity Solutions

What is the most exciting solution you explored? Why is it exciting to you?

Josh Bates 11/21/2020 9:22 PM

The most exciting energy solution and most interesting solution I found was the solar panels. I find it so interesting because of how helpful and how much it can attend to. I chose this because I went to my grandpa's house and saw these panels and my grandpa and his brother don't pay for bills having to do with their house and they use this electricity for things in their home which I found really fascinating.

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