Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Joe Mathieu

Mace East Coast

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,762 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

368

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

3.4

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

85

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

12

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

171

minutes

spent outdoors

Joe's actions

Electricity

Calculate the carbon footprint of my household

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 5 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 28
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 28
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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Replace Manual Thermostats

Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

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 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn about Biochar

Biochar Production

I will spend 35 minute(s) learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 25 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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?

Joe Mathieu 3/31/2021 10:29 AM

This has been a fun event and helped to bring daily awareness to environmental issues; helping to solidify habits with repetition.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?

Joe Mathieu 3/31/2021 10:28 AM

Allowing lawn fertilizer to run off into street storm drains is the biggest observable impact on my local watershed. Being in Florida, this in turn flows out to sea impacting ocean waters as well. Improvement will come from education and informing neighbors about where those street drains lead to ultimately.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Calculate the carbon footprint of my household

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?

Joe Mathieu 3/31/2021 10:25 AM

Yes, bundling and scheduling errands to make the most efficient use of driving.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Choose LED Bulbs

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?

Joe Mathieu 3/31/2021 10:23 AM

Continuing down the path of light bulb conversion as existing ones burn out. Also, use of more timers so nighttime lighting doesn't stay on whilst almost everyone is sleeping.

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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?

Joe Mathieu 3/26/2021 8:24 AM

I hadn't heard of silvopasture before this exercise, but it is a concept that seems very old and forgotten until recently. Only very rarely in the distant past did humans clear-cut areas, seems only logical that the shade provided would only help the grazers and overall ecology.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Composting

Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?

Joe Mathieu 3/26/2021 6:10 AM

Although each of the listed resources plays a roll in the need to reduce food waste, for me, the greatest reason is opportunity loss. When throwing away food that could have gone to a food bank or other place to help fulfill a basic need, an opportunity has been squandered.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

Joe Mathieu 3/26/2021 5:57 AM

My wife just reminded me that we've been eating vegetables from the "farm box" we bought at the farm of a local group - they pivoted from mainly supplying restaurants to selling boxes directly to people during COVID (when most restaurants were closed or at minimal capacity). They still sell boxes directly, but only on certain weekend days now. Quality was incredible.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How does your eating experience differ when practicing mindfulness?

Joe Mathieu 3/26/2021 5:52 AM

Eating without electronic distractions gives a moment to pause and reflect. Sometimes about work, more often about a broader topic of interest. It is like a mini-reset that allows me to re-imagine the possible solutions to items I'm working on.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Practice the 5 R's

What are some more "R's" you could add to your daily practice to reduce your waste?

Joe Mathieu 3/25/2021 8:24 AM

There are quite a few additional R's I use, just about daily:

Repair - First try to repair something before replacement.

Rot - I compost all kitchen scrap plant matter and egg shells, been doing this for years.

Recover - I use the composted matter for soil when planting adding those rich nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Read More
Joe Mathieu 3/11/2021 6:29 AM

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