Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Darren Williams

Asheville High School Spring 2021

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
277 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

20

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

6.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

105

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

15

lightbulbs

replaced

Darren's actions

Health and Education

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 5 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

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 2
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

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

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro Wind Turbines

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of micro wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Improve a Bus Stop

Public Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 20 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity

Rooftop Solar Consultation

Distributed Solar Photovoltaics

After researching the incentives at the federal, state, utility, and local levels, I will contact a local installer/distributor for a solar panel installation consultation on my house.

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
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use 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?

Darren Williams 12/07/2020 6:45 PM

I do not like wasting money. By understanding the dates on food, I can save money and make the most of what i have.

Read More
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?

Darren Williams 12/07/2020 6:43 PM

Pet waste is a point source pollution, that turns into a non-point source of pollution. This is easy for us to fix by cleaning up after our pets. A larger problem is construction run-off. City inspectors require silt fences reinforced with metal wire to be installed before construction starts. Some areas do not require metal reinforcement which results in ripped fencing and extra sediment in streams and rivers. Since I am no longer building a house, I can focus on the landscaping by using plants that reduce runoff and help to filter out surface and ground water.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?

Darren Williams 12/04/2020 6:44 AM

People in richer countries eat more meat because it is more accessible and seen as a necessity. For example, many restaurants serve "meat and three," which means one meat and three vegetables. This gives people the understanding that a meal is not complete unless it contains at least one meat. I also wonder how much of this mindset was established by the department of agriculture and meat industry. We need to change our thinking. We can have healthier bodies, a cleaner planet, and a more sustainable planet for everyone by eating less meat. We are trying to eat meat twice a week, instead of every day.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Choose LED Bulbs

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

Darren Williams 12/04/2020 6:37 AM

Duke Energy provides a summary of electricity use. Lighting is our number one energy use. We will try to reduce the number of lights we have turned on and try to use natural light as much as possible. Christmas will have an increase in light use, but we have switched all of our Christmas lights to LED.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Learn More about Biomass

Had you ever heard of biomass technology before you took this challenge? What did you learn that surprised you? Share your new knowledge with your friends!

Darren Williams 11/27/2020 7:37 AM

I grew up with wood heat. When I first learned about biomass heating, this is what I think about. Cutting, splitting, hauling in the wood, keeping it covered and dry, and cleaning out the ashes. It was warm heat that made our expensive to use baseboard electric units obsolete. That is what I used to think about it. Now after researching more about biomass heating units that use waste wood, take away fuel for forest fires, and are environmentally friendly and efficient, I see a future for biomass that is warm and bright.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

Darren Williams 11/18/2020 8:11 AM

These are actions that I can do to invest in geothermal. Look into how geothermal energy could be used in our city. Discover ways that new homes could be constructed with geothermal units. Research how other countries are using geothermal energy to reduce their need for fossil fuels. Find out what companies can install geothermal units and how many are installed in our area.

Read More