Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Julian Bessenger-Vose

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POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
310 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

12

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

lightbulb

replaced

Julian's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Intro to the Carbon Cycle

In Earth Science this year, we're going to be talking a lot about climate change and the carbon cycle. Take a minute to read the article/video linked below and answer the reflection question.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Stop over chemical reacting!!: Intro to the Carbon Cycle

Climate change is occurring because of a phenomenon that is also a very basic chemical reaction. When fossil fuels burn, carbon dioxide is produced. Usually, this reaction balances out as carbon dioxide is then used during photosynthesis. However, the amount of carbon being produced currently, due to our overuse of fossil fuels, is tipping this delicate balance. We'll talk more about the effects later on...in the meantime let's learn about how to reduce the ways WE start chemical reactions that create carbon. Use the link below to measure your carbon footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Climate Change Skepticism

Visit the link below and read about a common misconception about climate change and Earth's cycles. Answer the reflection question.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 3 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 200 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 5 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 2 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Buildings

Explore Other Buildings Solutions

All Buildings Solutions

I will spend at least 1 minutes researching other Drawdown Buildings Solutions.

UNCOMPLETED
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: Building Resilience

1. Summarize the argument people are making about global warming and it's causes 2. What is incorrect about this information/argument? 3. What would you say to someone who is skeptical?
Julian Bessenger-Vose 1/21/2021 7:29 AM
People believe that the climate has changed before, so this isn't a big deal. While it is true that the climate is always changing, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is increasing quickly, as it has in events of great loss of life on Earth, and this event might be the most catastrophic of them all, at least for humans.

Read More
- Jess Norris 1/21/2021 12:08 PM
  Nice, succinct reply. Yes, the climate goes through cycles of warming but the current warming is human behavior-induced and increasing rapidly over a shorter period of time.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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?
Julian Bessenger-Vose 1/07/2021 7:59 AM
I think that people in richer countries eat more meat because it is expensive to raise and feed, say, cattle, till their slaughter than to just plant grains, wait for them to grow, then pick them. Red meat is obviously not that great for your heart, and when cows poop, the poop releases gases which go into the air, and if you keep the cattle in an enclosed space, they will destroy the grass there, which leads to less plants to absorb co2 from the air.

Read More
- Jess Norris 1/07/2021 8:14 AM
  Excellent post! And correct, meat is not a luxury in wealthier countries. This has many benefits but also increases our carbon footprint. I wonder how much meat (or protein?)we need in our diet vs how much most people actually consume...
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

1. Where does carbon originate? 2. How is carbon released? 3. Where does carbon go once it's released? 4. What is the connection between carbon change, fossil fuel use, and the carbon cycle?
Julian Bessenger-Vose 1/07/2021 7:42 AM
it is in our atmosphere and key parts of the body. carbon is released when things storing carbon die and when we breathe. carbon goes into the atmosphere when released. Using fossil fuels is actually kind of fueling the carbon cycle. However, it is also skewing it, because even though there is always a set amount of carbon on the Earth, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

What's one way you can either offset or limit the amount of carbon you are producing?
Julian Bessenger-Vose 1/07/2021 7:34 AM
I think the main things my family needs to do is to travel without using cars or planes and switch to wind and solar power.

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