Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Amy Longhi

AlixPartners

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
861 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

people

helped
UP TO

235

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

8.0

zero-waste meals

consumed

Amy's actions

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 30 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Give a Microloan

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will give 2 microloan(s) to women who need help starting a business.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Women and Girls

Research Businesses Owned by Women, POC, or Immigrants

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will spend 30 minutes each day researching businesses owned by women, people of color, or immigrants that I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Buy Bamboo

Bamboo Production

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

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 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Recycle Everything I Can

Recycling

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Farm Irrigation Efficiency

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

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
Food Zero-waste Cooking

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?

Amy Longhi 6/17/2020 4:06 AM

We often eat the skins and tops of vegetables, for maximum nutrition. They can make soup stock, be used in stir fry, etc. For parts of a vegetable that we might not eat (rare), we then compost or use scraps to feed our farm animals.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transport Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Reducing (or eliminating) exhaust emissions and improving public health are two benefits of green vehicles. What other motivators inspire you to consider switching to a more fuel-efficient vehicle?

Amy Longhi 6/16/2020 4:27 AM

In addition to the sustainability impact, our local energy company is promoting EV purchases highlighting significant economic incentives in tax credits and rebates.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Buy Bamboo

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

Amy Longhi 6/15/2020 6:40 AM

Now that I am more aware about Bamboo as a sustainable alternative to many products, I can begin to take notice to how readily available Bamboo might be in my community, and consider finding either local sources or ordering Bamboo alternative items when not immediately, locally, available.

Read More
- A Mangai 6/15/2020 4:30 PM
  
  Nice job, Amy! Good luck on finding nice bamboo alternatives!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food 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?

Amy Longhi 6/10/2020 5:33 AM

Aside from environmental benefits of eating/serving smaller portions, it also offers health benefits from less calories consumed, to increased energy/activity.

Read More
- Anna Colombo 6/10/2020 1:54 PM
  
  This is so true, especially in these days when there are restrictions to go to the gym or do group exercise.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use 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?

Amy Longhi 6/09/2020 5:02 AM

Currently my diet appears to have a small impact on deforestation. I don't consume many processed foods (where Palm Oil can be found) and I farm all of my own meat/eggs on property, hunt, and source what I don't farm/hunt from local farmers. The largest impact my diet has on deforestation is coffee. I, like many, drink quite a bit of coffee throughout the day. Now that I am aware of how coffee harvests are contributing to deforestation, I will begin to scale back my coffee drinking through the day and introduce other beverages into my diet.

Read More
- Paula Day 6/09/2020 8:26 AM
  
  Thanks for bringing up the impact of coffee growing. I'm down to two cups a day and aiming to get to one!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? How do they compare to other energy sources?

Amy Longhi 6/08/2020 6:39 AM

I learned that wave and tidal energy is an emerging sustainable energy source with minimal impact to the environment to harness.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Amy Longhi 6/04/2020 4:42 AM

I have already completed many of the Energy Star recommendations listed here (https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/waysToSave). However, two immediate next steps for me include installing a programmable thermostat and adding ceiling fans to a few key rooms in my house, to reduce use of the furnace/AC unit.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food 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?

Amy Longhi 6/03/2020 4:39 AM

As long as my food has been properly handled and stored, I can consider my food "safe" past any printed date. By using food items beyond an indicated date, assuming look/smell is appropriate, I can minimize the amount of food that is wasted in our household.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use 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?

Amy Longhi 6/01/2020 6:47 AM

I can become aware of peatlands near me, and support groups who are working to conserve these areas, locally. As well, reducing the use of paper reduces the reliance on pulp farming from peatland areas; I can certainly do my part to reduce my own use of paper.

Read More