Ecochallenge.org

Youth Climate Ecochallenge: A Drawdown Solutions Race

April 15 - May 15, 2020

Sasha Lovell

Head-Royce School Eco Challenge

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
800 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

4.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

23

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

86

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

237

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

2.0

public officials or leaders

contacted

Sasha's actions

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Youth Climate Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 15 minute(s) watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Start or Tend a Garden

Plant-Rich Diet

I will start or tend a garden at my home, whether in my yard or in containers on a porch or windowsill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Activism

Youth Climate Organizations

All Drawdown Solutions

I will volunteer with or join a local youth-focused or youth-led climate activism organization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diet

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass, as well as the pros and cons of this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings and Cities

Find a Local Net-Zero Building

Net-Zero Buildings

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching a net-zero or near net-zero building in my area and find out what it took to achieve the project goals.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate Change

Organize A Virtual Earth Day Event

All Drawdown Solutions

I will organize a virtual Earth Day event for my school or community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Social Justice

Start a Social Media Campaign

Educating Girls

Through social media, I will raise awareness about gender inequity in education by sharing the information found in the links below.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Climate Activism

Express My Support

Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Global State of Recycling

Household Recycling

I will spend at least 20 minute(s) researching the global state of recycling and how we might move to circular (cradle to cradle) manufacturing systems.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Explore Other Transport Solutions

All Transport Solutions

I will spend at least 15 minute(s) researching other Drawdown Transport Solutions.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Use

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 21 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land.

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
Action Track: Social Justice Start a Social Media Campaign

How are people responding to the statistics you're sharing on social media? What else can you do to motivate people to take action?

Sasha Lovell 5/15/2020 1:12 PM

I have not heard back from many people (because I don't really have social media). The statistics about just how much we could help the world's climate by educating women is amazing. After hearing a ted talk about the potential benefit of that, I learned that educating woman and girls could have the same worldwide impact as recycling everywhere. It makes since, when educated girls are likely to have less kids, be more productive farmers, and have greater capacity to cope with shocks from natural disasters and extreme weather events. A club at our school talked about what we learned, and it was especially interesting for the male student who did not know about this at all. Altogether we agreed that education for girls was not something people talked about enough when discussing mitigating (and stopping) climate change.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Global State of Recycling

How would our world benefit from a manufacturing industry that is based on circular (cradle to cradle) cycles rather than linear processes?

Sasha Lovell 5/14/2020 8:20 AM

The planet would greatly benefit from circular waste cycles if they were implemented. With cradle to cradle cycles, less fossil fuels would be spent shipping trash and recycled waste across the world. Food could be composted and end up back in the soils of communities. Developing countries with little infrastructure would not be overwhelmed by the huge influx of waste coming from other parts of the world. If people were forced to see directly what happens to their waste, maybe they would waste less, and have empathy for those who had to deal with it before. Linear processes often involve production, use (sometimes very limited), and waste management. A lot of times the waste gets buried in the ground or burned in dirty factories. With a circular waste cycle, there would be much less trash, more compost, and more (maybe sustainable) recycling.

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Sasha Lovell 5/14/2020 7:22 AM

I am so sad eco challenge is ending!!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Activism Express My Support

How could better walking infrastructure make your city both more enjoyable and more equitable?

Sasha Lovell 5/09/2020 5:51 PM

A city that is more walkable has numerous benefits. It allows higher accessibility for people who may not be able to drive or afford a car. Highly walkable cities often lead to thriving small businesses, as well as healthier people with reduced disease rates.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-29/walking-isnt-just-good-for-you-its-good-for-the-economy/10558742

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings and Cities Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Sasha Lovell 5/07/2020 9:29 PM

As I go on walks, I notice pollinators everywhere. Honey and Bumble bees buzz. When you walk around on sunny days where I live, it is easy to forget that in the US, beekeepers have lost around 30% of their colonies every year since 2006. And many types of pollinators are disappearing. Buy organic!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate Change Organize A Virtual Earth Day Event

What did you do to organize a virtual Earth Day event? Who helped or participated?

Sasha Lovell 5/03/2020 7:07 PM

I created an email for Ms. Felt to send out to middle-schoolers. It listed things you could do for Earth Day, including make an activism sign or make your own natural cleaning product. On Friday the 24, I organized a silence strike for the climate. Not many people joined, and my efforts weren't the greatest, but I think it would have been better if I procrastinated less and had more help from others.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Keep Track of Wasted Food

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?

Sasha Lovell 5/01/2020 9:39 AM

Americans and people in general waste massive amounts of food every year. Precious resources are spent on food which ends up down the drain. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. This money could be spent on numerous other things. For example, you could donate money to organizations helping people around the world with debilitating, yet easy to cure diseases. $1,500 could be put into savings, I would much rather donate this money then spend it on food which will just end up in the compost or landfill.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Generation 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!

Sasha Lovell 4/28/2020 1:54 PM

I have only vaguely heard of biomass as an energy source before I took part in this challenge. Biomass technology has a wide range of uses and effects. Using biomass can sometimes have very positive effects if the technology is managed carefully. All of biomass energy is derived from the sun. The most common biomass is sourced from trash, wood, and other plants that can be produced into ethanol, such as corn. The energy from these organisms can be transformed into usable energy through direct and indirect means. Biomass can be burned to create heat, converted into electricity, or processed into biofuel. Biochar, pyrolysis oil, and a material called "black liquor" are some of the most promising materials created from biomass technology.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Start or Tend a Garden

How is working in a garden or on a farm good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?

Sasha Lovell 4/27/2020 7:53 AM

Just being outside and around nature is proven to calm you down and promote emotional well being. Gardening and farming often can involve some physical work, which is good for the human body. This can be very beneficiary, especially in this day and age when many people lack enough physical stimulation and a meaningful connection to the food they eat.

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Sasha Lovell 4/26/2020 6:18 PM

We need more Head-Royce students to join this Eco challenge!

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