Charlene Silveira

PlanetCon

"Keep Learning Changing and Progressing toward a healthier and eco-friendly lifestyle"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
367 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

180

minutes

spent learning

Charlene's actions

Materials

Support pollinators

Take an action to support our planet's pollinators. Learn about bees and butterflies. Make your yard more attractive to pollinators by planting native plants or reducing chemicals. Sign up for the Backyard Habitats Certification program. Share what you've learned.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

Onshore Wind Turbines, Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaics

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

High-Speed Rail

I will spend at least 120 minutes researching and advocating for a comprehensive high speed rail network in my country/region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLASTICS IN THE WASTE STREAM

The history of recycling programs is complex. Much of the confusion about what is and isn't recyclable started decades ago. Take some time time to learn about the evolution of plastic recycling efforts. Click 'learn more' for suggested videos and articles.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Protect our watershed - learn and do

The Tualatin watershed is crucial to our community's well-being. Learn more about the conservation and restoration activities of the past and present that are ensuring the health of our watershed. Pick an action from the following options: 1) Switch to organic or slow-release fertilizers, 2) Replace a non-permeable surface with a permeable one, 3) Always pick up after pets (if you notice a location, park, or greenspace with a pet waste problem, find a way to improve the disposal infrastructure), 4) Plant tough/hardy plants that require little or no extra water/fertilizer, 5) Use roof water or greywater in the garden instead of having it run directly to the street or down the drain.

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
Transport Research and Advocate for High-Speed Rail

What are the factors that influence your choice of transportation? These can include things like money, time, and convenience, as well as perceptions of danger or safety. What would need to change for you to regularly choose more climate-friendly options?

Charlene Silveira 5/22/2020 3:00 PM

Factors that influence my choice of transportation:
1. Access e.g. will driving to location X be faster than walking to the max and taking a train there, and pick either option.
2. I extend the above to >1 person e.g. carpool, that helps me make a better choice
3. Do I want an exercise out of it e.g. light grocery shopping prefer biking over driving

What would need to change for me to pick climate-friendly options more regularly:
Access - the ability to get from point A to point B with a 10min walk and Max, greater frequency of public transportation

What I love about where I am: bike friendliness. I should be able to make this choice without any change.

Read More
- Jane Burch-Pesses 5/22/2020 5:56 PM
  
  For me, convenience includes the weather. Walking, biking or any other muscle powered transportation does not include protection from the rain. I have good rain gear, but that only does so much.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials LEARN MORE ABOUT PLASTICS IN THE WASTE STREAM

Did you learn anything with this challenge action that changes your perspective on recycling? What about plastics specifically?

Charlene Silveira 5/22/2020 2:51 PM

Plastics are complicated but they don't have to be. If we can create more awareness of the kinds of plastics around us and what is/isn't recyclable we create opportunity for better choices.

Read More
Charlene Silveira 5/22/2020 2:37 PM

I've decided to plant some hellebores and hosta in the front garden :)

I am excited to see how they do in the shady spots and hope they take good root this year!

Read More
- Jane Burch-Pesses 5/22/2020 5:59 PM
  
  Those are very nice plants. Have you considered any native plants? I like duck foot, which will take a lot of shade, and beach strawberry will take some shade.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your ZIP code, region, and/or state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?

Charlene Silveira 5/08/2020 1:05 AM

Firstly - PGE makes it so easy to enroll online. Green and clean options available and it allows you to engage in PNW Habitat support through The Nature Conservancy of Oregon :)

There is a program of peak time rebates, I'm interested in learning how they give incentives to folks adopting better energy usage habits.

Read More
- Jane Burch-Pesses 5/08/2020 8:35 AM
  
  I would love to hear about that when you have the information. We have the alternative energy option, too. (Would be silly not to when I am getting the energy for my electric car from them.)
  
  Read More
Charlene Silveira 5/04/2020 2:54 PM

Hi Team,

I joined this challenge because I think it is a great way to keep in touch with different eco goals I can take.

However I am struggling to understand how this really works. Is the mail goal the one that is decided for the team and we take actions toward that? Is there a duration for the challenge? This site also allows me to take other challenges and I am not sure if this applies to the team activity. Additionally there are points for checking in on days. Does this matter?

Just looking for inputs on how to do this as expected.

Read More
- Roberta Sommer 5/04/2020 3:40 PM
  
  Thanks for asking Charlene. Our EcoChallenge runs until May 22. However, Drawdown EcoChallenge is open all year long. Meaning that after our PlanetCon effort comes to an end, you can certainly join another team, such as the EcoChallenge Community Team. Or, you can create your own team and ask folks to join if you wish. Thirdly, you can just continue to work on solutions without being on a team. Any one of these options will serve Momma Earth nicely. You are free to select any of the solutions or create custom ones in any of the challenge sections. It's your choice whether to complete solutions that are presented to the entire team by a Captain, such as the Support Pollinators one. Yes, please check in daily, if you can, to click the buttons on solutions that are daily efforts you are successful with. Our individual efforts toward the solutions that we choose earn the team points and contribute to our combined impact in averting carbon use or getting it sequestered.
  Here's the URL to a page that describes the points: https://drawdown.ecochallenge.org/about/points
  Please let me know if you have more questions or if things aren't cleared up - thanks and May the Fourth be with you!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

Charlene Silveira 4/29/2020 10:13 AM

During this period of quarantine I am working on incorporating more repair into my lifestyle. I recently fixed a leak in the toilet bowl (darn flush valve!) and parts of my outdoor gas grill (now I don't need to replace it!)
Implementing repair and re-purpose always make me feel empowered in our collective resourcefulness.

Read More