Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Rachel Johnson

CincyNature Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
284 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

75

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

8.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

30

minutes

spent outdoors

Rachel's 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

Industry

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bioplastics

I will avoid buying and using 3 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Tend A Garden

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Research Cement Alternatives

Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Research Businesses Owned by Women, POC, or Immigrants

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will spend 15 minutes each day researching businesses owned by women, people of color, or immigrants that I can support when shopping.

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 1
DAILY 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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Support Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

Indigenous Peoples' Forest Tenure

I will donate to Native American Rights Fund, which protects tribal natural resources and environmental rights and promotes Native American Human Rights.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Connect With A Nonprofit

Health and Education

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, and/or trans/nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Keep Track of Wasted Food

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Support Nutrient Management

Nutrient Management

I will research and support local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Transition to cricket based dog food

Insects are a low impact alternative to mammals and fish for protein.

COMPLETED 0
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
Action Track: Building Resilience Support Nutrient Management

How does environmental quality influence your sense of community?

Rachel Johnson 4/23/2022 1:09 PM

Not sure how I feel about my sense of community. I have so many emotions regarding this issue. It may have started when I watched "Biggest Little Farm" (a documentary I highly recommend). I feel that many farmers have been deceived. Large scale farming is a bad idea. I know about cover crops, natural fertilizers and what herbicides do to everything and everyone around them. I've learned about "victory gardens". These seem a fabulous idea. And I feel that if more of us did this kind of thing, I would feel much more connected with my community (My grandfather, a WWII veteran had one for as long as I could remember. We always had fresh vegetables when I visited). I could keep writing (or answering any questions), but will share that my recently discovered knowledge (of old ideas) has made me want to start a small scale farm of my own. One where I can maybe even teach others, make food and goods from what I grow to sell...share with the rest of the community not only my goods, but a good experience and a new way of looking at all of this. Maybe some day.... :)

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- Tammy Alverson 4/24/2022 4:22 PM
  
  Have you ever read, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"? Great book. Barbara Kingsolver, I believe.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal Tend A Garden

Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.

Rachel Johnson 4/14/2022 12:39 PM

My garden has already been going for a few years now. Messy, but self sustaining. Filled primarily with native plants and a few herbals. And unfortunately, a few invasives. Spent a bit of time today and over the weekend removing honeysuckle and pear and some mint (It was in a container, but decided to jump ship. Dang.). Also have a few that aren't invasive, but I didn't choose them, so they gotta go, too. I have a bit of work to do, but it gets me outside and that is its own reward. Thank you Mother Nature!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Research Businesses Owned by Women, POC, or Immigrants

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. What have you done in the past to support women-owned businesses? How can you better support communities by supporting women?

Rachel Johnson 4/07/2022 1:35 PM

Just found out about this business. They purchase fair trade products made by women from around the world and then give a portion of their profits to local nonprofits benefiting women and children. A wonderful circle. Just wish I could afford to buy more of their stuff. But, every little bit counts, right? https://sohzasister.com/

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Reduce Single-Use Disposables

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Rachel Johnson 4/06/2022 2:31 PM

I always bring my own bags to stores. Always. If I don't, I will carry it or put it in the cart and take it to my car sans bags. I've long ago switched to compostable floss in a metal container and bamboo toothbrushes (dang bristles) and never accept straws or plastic utensils when eating out or ordering delivery. My shower curtain is washable hemp...looking at this list, I'm not doing too bad, huh?

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- Rachel Johnson 4/07/2022 1:28 PM
  
  It started when I was living in second story apartments (About 20 years ago. Yikes!). Getting my purchases up the stairs in plastic bags sometimes meant picking up my purchases as they fell down the stairs. As soon as I came across my first canvas bags, I purchased a few (I still have them!). At first it was just to make my life easier. Now I know the impact my decision has. I unload the stuff and take the bags back to my car the next time I go out. Like any good habit, it now sticks.
  
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- Connie O'Connor 4/07/2022 4:13 AM
  
  I'm so impressed that you aways use your own bags. How did you develop the habit of not forgetting?
  
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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?

Rachel Johnson 4/05/2022 1:30 PM

I only have two people to cook for. Often, just one. Getting better at adjusting ingredients in a recipe to accomplish this. It is a challenge, but certainly doable. And I like a challenge. Now, if I could just get restaurants to offer smaller portions. Hmmm...

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- Rachel Johnson 4/07/2022 1:29 PM
  
  Love that and don't know why I never thought of it before. I'll be bringing my own containers the next time I eat out. Thank you!
  
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- Tammy Alverson 4/06/2022 5:33 AM
  
  I too wish I had an answer to that one. Portions in restaurants seem huge these days! My husband and I often get an appetizer and one entree and split everything or we bring home half our meals and have it for lunch the next day. We have been known (thinking ahead which doesn't always happen) to bring a reusable take-home container of our own for leftovers. Yes, it sometimes raises eyebrows but most servers think it's a good idea.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Keep Track of Wasted Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?

Rachel Johnson 4/05/2022 1:29 PM

I have been more conscious of what is in my fridge and pantry. If it can be used, I've been finding creative (and delicious) ways of using it. I'm not perfect, but definitely getting better. The cheese sauce I made with some older cheese was delicious. I made a new potato dish with it and have some left over (and in the freezer). Looking forward to the next "experiment". :)

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