Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Janice Foltz

OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
396 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

396

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

396

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

5.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

131

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

story

shared
UP TO

250

minutes

spent learning

Janice's actions

Industry

Research Cement Alternatives

Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to properly dispose of my refrigerator, freezer, and other refrigerants at the end of their useful lives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn about Biochar

Biochar Production

I will spend 30 minutes learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Building With Carbon Storing Waste Products

Engineered Sinks

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how people can build with carbon-storing materials - including agricultural byproducts - and discuss it with my peers or post to social media.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 30 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 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of micro wind.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 5 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Try Carpooling

Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 20 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Industry Research Cement Alternatives

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but its carbon footprint may not be obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:43 AM

I learned that steel, aluminum, glass and insulation materials can have a significant carbon footprint. I found some articles that can help me learn more about carbon footprints. One of them is dezzen.com has an article highlighting ten materials that store carbon, including bioplastic cladding and mycelium insulation. It provides solutions as well that I found interesting.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:36 AM

I think trying new mix-matching of clothes brings out new creativity in fashion. I have three daughters who are all adults now. On occasion when one of us needs a dress jacket or a cardigan, we ask each other if we have something that will work. Sometimes one of us has one that we don't really use much anyway to give to each other or simply borrow.

Read More
- Marionna Cane 4/28/2024 1:02 PM
  
  That's great! I personally love to thrift clothing, and recently I learned how to sew. I have been able to rework old/used clothing into new items in a way that is completely waste free!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Properly Dispose of Refrigerants

How do you address your own feelings of concern, fear or despair about climate change?

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:27 AM

I focus on what I can do. These challenges are sometimes depressing to participate in because you feel like your contribution is too tiny to matter. But seeing the summaries of our collective efforts keeps me going.

Read More
- Libby Hayes 4/28/2024 9:34 AM
  
  I bet that if we weren't preparing for AZA inspection this past month, there would have been even more participation and a larger collective effort to see. I know I rarely logged in to report things I've been working on for that reason. Just wait to see what the plastic free July impacts are!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

What did you learn about the climate impact of refrigerants? How do supermarkets contribute to this impact?

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:24 AM

I found videos on YouTube as well as articles online that explained the impact of refrigerants. Supermarkets rely on hydrofluorocarbons, to keep food cold or frozen, which are potent greenhouse gases. The refrigeration systems in supermarkets are leak-prone which contributes to emissions.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Choose LED Bulbs

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

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:20 AM

What is next is to research energy efficient products before making a purchase. Specifically, appliances.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

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

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:18 AM

I learned that tidal energy is highly predictable. In comparison to other energy sources , wave energy is more consistent however can be costly as well as it may impact marine ecosystems. Tidal energy is highly predictable but again may make an impact on local habitats and fish migration in comparison to other energy sources.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Learn More about Micro Wind

Micro turbines can be placed on large structures to take advantage of stronger, steadier breezes. The Eiffel Tower now sports vertical axis turbines that produce electricity for use on site. Where could micro turbines potentially be installed in your city?

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:12 AM

Because of the size and low noise levels, it seems they could be installed in a lot of places. The ones that come to mind first are places like schools, hospitals, big box stores and public buildings with large rooftops. They would be out of sight and at a distance you probably wouldn't hear them.

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!

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:06 AM

I had not heard of biomass technology before. What surprised me was that biomass serves as a renewable resource for liquid biofuels used in transportation.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Building With Carbon Storing Waste Products

How feasible do you think it is for society to build with agricultural waste products?

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 9:03 AM

It is really feasible once you consider the advantages such as reducing the need for traditional building materials which can have a high environmental impact, incorporated agricultural waster into construction materials which can sequester carbon, the residues are inexpensive and abundant, and waste from local farms supports the local economy. Just like this challenge and the plastic free challenge, small repetitive changes make big impacts and habits that you soon feel natural and easy to maintain.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Learn about Biochar

Can biochar provide additional benefits besides sequestering carbon?

Janice Foltz 4/28/2024 8:58 AM

I learned that biochar is a carbon-rich product derived from organic matter through a process called pyrolysis that offers several benefits besides carbon sequestration. So there is an environmental benefit like soil enhancement. For gardening and agriculture, biochar enhances soil fertility.

Read More