Drawdown Ecochallenge 2026

Ecochallenge.org

"understanding my impact on myself, my community, and my planet"

Mark's points

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
251 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

sustainable seafood meal

consumed
UP TO

2.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

3.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

1.0

carbon footprint

calculated
UP TO

25

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

60

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

75

minutes

spent learning

Mark's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Tend A Garden

Conservation Agriculture

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

Multiple Industry Solutions

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin practicing it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-Waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meals with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 3 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Practice the 5 Rs

Recycling

I will practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 45 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Calculate My Household Carbon Footprint

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Choose Recycled Paper

Recycled Paper

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

COMPLETED
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

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Cook With Seaweed

Seaweed Farming

I will use seaweed in a new recipe.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Cook With Sustainable Seafood

Improved Fisheries

Using the Seafood Watch guide, I will feature a sustainable seafood ingredient in a new recipe.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost or worm bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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?
Mark Bussell 5/07/2026 11:21 AM

I think the idea of seeds being wasted motivates me a lot. As well as hours of labor. I love going around in nature and looking at plants, plants are one of my favorite things. It is sad to know that a lot of foods that are grown will not be used to create new plants. There is also a lot of labor that goes into producing food. People work their whole lives to grow food and it's sad to know that a lot of that work will end up in landfills.

Read More
- Anna Kluzik 5/08/2026 1:38 AM
  
  For many people, the most motivating waste is water. It feels immediate and concrete: throwing away food also means wasting the water used to grow it, which connects everyday choices to a scarce resource.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Mark Bussell 5/07/2026 11:15 AM

Understanding that the vast majority of foods are still good, even past the dates on it, is very interesting. It helps me understand that you should be relying on your sense more than the dates on the package.

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- Anna Kluzik 5/08/2026 1:39 AM
  
  Knowing the difference helps you avoid throwing away food too early and reduces waste.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

What did you cook and how did it turn out? Can you share a recipe on the feed for others to try?
Mark Bussell 5/07/2026 11:09 AM

I cooked shrimp rice bowls with seaweed last night and it turned out really good. It was very simple, just grilled shrimp, steamed rice, seaweed sheets, and sauces.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

Good job on choosing recycled paper! How can you take your action a step further?
Mark Bussell 5/07/2026 10:58 AM

I can make sure that I properly utilize any paper that I have as well as recycling it after I do not need it anymore. I could also buy recycled paper for others that I know use paper a lot, like teachers and peers.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?
Mark Bussell 5/05/2026 5:32 AM

Yes, my family heavily relies on the use of cars to get us places because of where we live. We are moving to Montpelier at the beginning of next school year, so we will won't be relying on cars nearly as much.

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- Kamila Karbowy 5/06/2026 1:16 AM
  Yes — after calculating my carbon footprint, I looked at a few practical choices that could help reduce it. The biggest ones were:
  
  using public transportation or carpooling more often
  
  eating less meat and dairy
  
  reducing energy use at home
  
  buying fewer new products and reusing things longer
  
  choosing local or low-emission options when possible
  
  What stood out to me is that small daily habits can add up a lot over time. For example, even just turning off lights, lowering heating a bit, or taking fewer short car trips can make a noticeable difference.
  
  Read More
Mark Bussell 5/05/2026 4:52 AM

This challenge is going well! I find it very interesting to learn about how my actions have an impact on the planet, as well as what those around me do. I also like learning about all of the different ways I can change my actions to change my impact on the planet.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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?
Mark Bussell 5/05/2026 4:50 AM

Usually when I cook with vegetables, especially things like carrots, celery, and onions, I will save as many scraps as I can to use in a vegetable broth. The scraps that I cannot save, I compost. I do a similar thing with chicken, where I will use the remaining parts of the chicken, like the bones, for a stock.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.
Mark Bussell 5/05/2026 4:42 AM

The other day I was going around my property cleaning up trash and I found an old glass bottle. Inside, I found a well contained mini-ecosystem with moss, dirt, insects, and other plants. I found it somewhat sad that there was litter, but also beautiful the way that nature was able to take it over and create life inside of it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?
Mark Bussell 5/05/2026 4:39 AM

Thrifting and making clothes out of recycled or thrifted materials is a very good way to have new clothing that also keeps clothing and materials out of landfills. Trendy and fast fashion produces a lot of waste that often will ultimately end up in a landfill. Donating clothing that you are not using anymore to shelters and other foundations can help keep clothing out of landfills while providing clothing for those that are unable to buy it for themselves.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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?
Mark Bussell 4/30/2026 11:37 AM

Meat tends to be more expensive and harder to provide than plant products are. Richer countries have more money and resources to purchase and take care of animals safely than poorer countries do. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is put into the atmosphere through livestock, which affects the environment. Red meat and processed meat tends to be higher in fats and cholesterol, which can impact the body.

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