Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Andrea Amoruso

Lindy Library Earth Love

Points Total

0 Today
0 This Week
3,500 Total

Participant Impact

up to

78

minutes

spent learning
up to

14

lightbulbs

replaced
up to

93

locally sourced meals

consumed
up to

3

pounds of paper

have been saved
up to

178

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
up to

540

gallons of water

have been saved
up to

114

zero-waste meals

consumed

Andrea's Actions

Food

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 81
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

Reduce Single-Use Disposables

Bioplastics

I will avoid buying and using 2 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

COMPLETED 91
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 114
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 114
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown 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 55
DAILY ACTIONS

Materials

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

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

Completed
One-Time Action

Materials

Go Paperless

Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

Completed
One-Time Action

Transport

Conduct Virtual Meetings

Telepresence

I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.

Completed
One-Time Action

Buildings and Cities

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

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

Completed
One-Time Action

Materials

Fix Leaky Faucets

Low-Flow Fixtures

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

Completed
One-Time Action

Materials

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

Completed
One-Time Action

Materials

Choose Recycled Paper

Recycled Paper

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

Completed
One-Time Action

Transport

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 8 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

Completed
One-Time Action

Feed

Reflection Question
Food Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are just three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons? How could/does regenerative agriculture positively impact you and your community?

Andrea Amoruso 5/21/2020 5:32 AM

regenerative agriculture practices help us fight the climate crisis by pulling carbon from the atmosphere. One of the most positive impact could be the sequester more then 100% of current annual CO2 emissions with a switch to regenerative organic agricolture.

Read More
- A Mangai 5/21/2020 5:54 PM
  
  Cleaner and healthier sanitation is another reason that regenerative agriculture should be implemented in farming practices.
  
  Read More
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!

Andrea Amoruso 5/06/2020 6:56 AM

I've heard of biomass in the past. And reading the research I confirmed my knowledge of how to use wood and agricultural products, solid waste etc. Biofuels. Converting biomass into liquid fuels for transportation. Biopower. Burning biomass directly, or converting it into a gaseous fuel or oil, to generate electricity. Bioproducts. Converting biomass into chemicals for making products that typically are made from petroleum. This would not be a surprise, but a hope that they can be used often.

Read More
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?

Andrea Amoruso 5/04/2020 3:53 AM

$ 1,500 a year is a lot of money, which in my opinion should be used in small vegetable crops that, where possible, we make on our property.

Read More
Andrea Amoruso 4/26/2020 6:15 AM

I joined the challenge and chose these actions that I did and continue to do every day, because the environment in which we live is the main resource for our health. The healthier the resource, the better our standard of living. If we eat expired ingredients, or drink non-drinking water, or sow in polluted soil, the outcome of our lives are only medicines, cancer and other incurable diseases.

Read More
Reflection Question
Materials 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?

Andrea Amoruso 4/24/2020 5:40 AM

There are specific human activities that impact on the health of the water system: throwing sewage and industrial waste into rivers and oceans, using harmful fertilizers, and even littering. To improve the healt of water system is important to do:
vegetation management, managing stormwater, clean the headwaters and save water.

Read More
- A Mangai 4/24/2020 6:37 AM
  
  You can also volunteer to help out a local watershed.
  
  Read More
Reflection Question
Electricity Generation Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? How do they compare to other energy sources?

Andrea Amoruso 4/15/2020 5:02 PM

Tidal energy is produced through the use of tidal energy generators. These large underwater turbines are positioned in areas with large tidal movements and, by capturing the movement of the tides, they produce electricity. Tidal energy is a new resource, it is clean.Tidal energy is more efficient than wind energy thanks to the density of water and more efficient than solar energy due to its high conversion efficiency of 80%. Tides are also more predictable than wind and solar energy, therefore more reliable.

Read More
Andrea Amoruso 4/08/2020 7:13 AM

it is not yet the ideal season, but as soon as the temperature is favorable, I will start the cultivation of my favorite vegetables, including tomato, chicory, zucchini and eggplant

Read More
Reflection Question
Food 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?

Andrea Amoruso 4/08/2020 7:11 AM

one of the best advantages of reliable fresh food is undoubtedly safety on personal health, in the knowledge of the origin of the food.

Read More
Reflection Question
Food 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?

Andrea Amoruso 4/01/2020 7:25 AM

Every day we waste a lot of resources from food that is not consumed, for example as fertilizer, produced by left over in general. I use it for my vegetable garden, where I grow tomatoes and vegetables in general, with excellent savings.

Read More
Reflection Question
Materials Reduce Single-Use Disposables

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Andrea Amoruso 3/27/2020 9:11 AM

certainly the most used items in the home are plastic shopping bags. But for about a year already, I have been using bags of different materials that I carry with me when I go shopping. also my wife and I use glass containers to store leftover food

Read More

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