Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Amaryn Howie

Asheville High School Spring 2024!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
611 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

meatless or vegan meal

consumed
UP TO

69

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

69

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

32

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

6.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

19

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

3.0

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

323

minutes

spent learning

Amaryn's actions

Industry

Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket

Refrigerant Management

I will explore the interactive map in the links below to find a supermarket that does not use HFC refrigerants near my home.

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

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY 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 1
DAILY ACTION

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Plan to Insulate

Insulation

I will spend 20 minutes finding out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 6 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Family Planning 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

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Family Planning and Education

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

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 Micro Wind

Micro Wind Turbines

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

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

Transportation

Try Carpooling

Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 5 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 30 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

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

Industry

Research Local Waste and Recycling Depots

To learn more about what is and is not recyclable in our area as well as how to properly dispose of hard to recycle materials to reduce my harmful impacts on the local environment AND learn how indigenous peoples and POC are more likely to be impacted by waste sites and pollution on a global scale.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 3 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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

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 Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket

How close is the nearest climate-friendly supermarket to your home? How could you encourage local supermarket to reduce or phase out their use of HFC refrigerants?

Amaryn Howie 5/29/2024 6:52 PM

It's 2.8 miles from my home. I could start a local petition or have many people from our neighborhoods around it sign it. I could also start making people aware, by creating websites or informational articles.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation 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?

Amaryn Howie 5/29/2024 11:27 AM

I have noticed that not many people actually take walks. I have enjoyed being outside on warm days. I think that there could be more sidewalks in my neighborhood because I cant walk most ways safely.

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?

Amaryn Howie 5/29/2024 11:13 AM

people in rich countries eat more meat because of two things; first, meat is overall more expensive, so they can afford to eat more, and two, because they can buy the food they really want, which is meat, most of the time unhealthily made. eating more meat is bad for our planet, because of the animals, and it is unhealthy for someone to eat so many calories without enough veggies.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Forest-Friendly Foods 1

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?

Amaryn Howie 5/28/2024 1:54 PM

I was a vegetarian for nearly 4 years, but I had to start eating meat again for my personal health. I could make some diet changes, like not eating out so often, especially fast food meat, like Chick-fil-A chicken. I could eat more nutrient-based plant foods.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Smaller Portions

While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?

Amaryn Howie 5/28/2024 1:42 PM

personal health is very important, smaller portions help you eat fewer calories and stay healthy and happy.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

How does city planning and design relate to equity and climate change?

Amaryn Howie 5/28/2024 1:37 PM

Sustainable land usage plans help cities control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to climate change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Cities and towns need to plan for climate change. How can your city or town make its climate action plans equitable and socially just?

Amaryn Howie 5/24/2024 9:54 AM

I think our city can make its climate action plans socially just by considering all of the possible outcomes before putting something in place. For example, if expanding parks could cause low-income residents to lose their homes, we should think about ways to protect everyone, and still make our city a more environmentally friendly place.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Plan to Insulate

What are some of the benefits of making your home more energy efficient?

Amaryn Howie 5/24/2024 9:53 AM

it will decrease the amount of energy waste and provide benefits to the environment such as cleaner air.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Choose LED Bulbs

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

Amaryn Howie 5/22/2024 4:19 PM

when I turn 16, my parents are going to buy me an electric car. it saves money on gas, and it's better for the environment!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

Amaryn Howie 5/17/2024 11:07 AM

Women have so many barriers they must face when it comes to human rights and equal participation. In many countries, woman lack access to land, and can't even manage their own finances and bank accounts. There is also much gender-based violence that goes on globally. Women have trouble obtaining abortions in a lot of places, including my community.

In North Carolina, abortion rights have become restricted, and a woman can only obtain an abortion from 20 to 12 weeks of being pregnant. Women's rights have gotten less restrictive in some places, but we still have a long way to go.

Read More