Hariraj Kandasamy

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

I will test drive an electric bike at a local distributor to see if it makes sense to use one in place of my car, or to extend the area I can cover by bike.

I will plant 10 trees in my community, public parks, or backyard.

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by participating in a training, workshop, or presentation.

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water a day or 330 gallons (1,230 L) a month by installing a toilet tank bank.

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day or 450 gallons (1,680 L) a month by installing a low-flow showerhead.

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

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, and commit to reducing my food waste throughout the challenge.

Each day, I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about sustainable aquaculture.

I will set up or join a recycling program at my workplace or school.

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.

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how to properly dispose of bioplastics in my city and share this information with 4 friends, family, and/or colleagues.

I will avoid buying and using 1 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

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

Using Drawdown's Job Function Action Guide, I will learn about climate actions I can take at work.

I will contact a local installer/distributor to see if a solar water heater makes sense for my house.

I will replace 1 incandescent lightbulbs with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

Through social media (LinkedIn or Instagram), I will share what I've learned about gender inequity in education and tag Ecochallenge.org.