Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Elizabeth Sieburg

Asheville High School Spring 2021

"I am here to learn the ways in which we are destroying the plant and find ways to change those ways."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
542 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

public officials or leaders

contacted
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

270

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

12

zero-waste meals

consumed

Elizabeth's actions

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Help Students Overcome Health Barriers

Health and Education

I will donate 10 Femme Kit(s) to help people who menstruate overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Communicate With My Elected Officials

Onshore Wind Turbines, Offshore Wind Turbines

I will write or call 3 elected official(s) telling them not to support fossil fuel subsidies and instead support wind energy generation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 33 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 21 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

Bioplastics

I will spend at least 40 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 5 friends, family and/or colleagues.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 60 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

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

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Women and Girls

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 26 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

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

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 3 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro Wind Turbines

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of micro wind.

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
Materials Research Cement Alternatives

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but its carbon footprint may not be obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/27/2020 8:40 PM

Other materials that might have a large carbon footprint are bricks and metals. I can do more to find out by researching these materials.

Read More
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?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/27/2020 8:37 PM

In my family, we freeze the remains of cut-up vegetables (carrot peels, parts of lettuce or cabbage, the tops of bell peppers etc.) and later boil them to make broth. We also compost.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Communicate With My Elected Officials

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/26/2020 9:37 PM

My main inspiration is The Story of More by Hope Jahren, her book is very informative and has opened my eyes so much to Environmental issues.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Smart Seafood Choices

Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/23/2020 10:05 PM

In the United States it is advised to eat at least 8 ounces of seafood each week. I am vegetarian so I don't eat fish, and I haven't seen any health issues so far :)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Women and Girls 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?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/20/2020 9:15 AM

I learned that Family Planning is one of the main solutions for eliminating poverty. It reduces unplanned pregnancies which lower abortion rates and helps women have a more promising future. In first world countries, women have access to birth control and more advanced technology. However, 45% of pregnancies each year in the United States are still unplanned. In developing countries, the percentage is much higher.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation 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?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/15/2020 11:30 AM

I envision a small community with small houses and yards filled with gardens and thin dirt roads with bike/walk paths everywhere. The little amount of energy we do use comes from renewable sources like biogas, wind energy, or hydropower. Some of the changes to accomplish this vision are easier, like building more sidewalks and bike paths or having a large garden, and others will take much longer to change, like switching to renewable energy.

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?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/12/2020 11:48 AM

I can help protect peatlands by writing to government officials about their protection and how important they are and making sure to not buy products containing palm oil.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Share Bioplastic Disposal Tips

What concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/08/2020 11:13 AM

My greatest concern for our environment is land use and deforestation. The main thing I can help change these things is by cutting palm oil, cocoa, meat, and dairy products from my diet.

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?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/06/2020 11:40 AM

My diet is impacting deforestation through my consumption of dairy products, Palm oil, and Chocolate. I love chocolate and eat it on a daily basis and I also consume a lot of dairy and eggs as protein sources since I am vegetarian. Ways that I can decrease my negative impact is by making sure the chocolate that I eat is apart of the Rainforest Alliance and by cutting down on my dairy intake and finding alternatives like Flax milk.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food 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?

Elizabeth Sieburg 5/05/2020 9:51 AM

I don’t recall ever hearing the term “Silvopasture” before, but I think there are a lot of advantages to it. The biggest positive impact is how many trees will get planted if this style of farming becomes popular. There are so many giant fields that are raising livestock, and if even just half of them panted trees all over the place, that would be so many trees.

Read More