Sophia Keller

Community Team

Points Total

35 Today
35 This Week
5,378 Total

Participant Impact

up to

4,929

minutes

spent exercising
up to

60

minutes

spent learning
up to

45

public officials or leaders

contacted
up to

3

trees

planted

Sophia's Actions

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 147
DAILY ACTIONS

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 149
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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 149
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

Completed
One-Time Action

Electricity

Calculate the carbon footprint of my household

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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Express My Support For Walkable Cities

Walkable Cities

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact neighborhood walkability and express my support for better walking infrastructure.

Completed
One-Time Action

Action Track: Building Resilience

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 3 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

Completed
One-Time Action

Action Track: Building Resilience

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

Uncompleted
One-Time Action

Feed

Reflection Question
Action Track: Building Resilience Plant Trees

How is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?

Sophia Keller 6/19/2021 3:34 PM

Those of us who grew up in tree-lined shady neighborhoods often took trees for granted. As life has become more urbanized and trees have disappeared to make more lanes for traffic, trees have become more important. Planting our own trees opens a whole new world. What kind of tree, what needs for light and shade, what climate,.. These considerations brought a sense of harmony and beauty which is mentally restful, physically stimulating, and spiritually nourishing. There's a sense of personally connecting with an open space. Also a sense of contributing to the larger community by providing shade, oxygen, fragrance and shelter for insects and birds.

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Sophia Keller 6/19/2021 3:15 PM

After several weeks of planning I finally planted two of my three trees today. The third one will go in on July 4 so I'm counting it as good as done. planting, Today in honor of Juneteenth I planted a magnolia. It stands 5 feet already and looks like it will thrive. In the back yard I planted a young lilac. And on Independence Day I'll plant a Japanese maple. So nice to add to both the health and the beauty of the environment.

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Sophia Keller 4/30/2021 6:39 PM

Got myself organized (finally) with the warm weather this week. Got all my plants transp;anted out into containers, and they're much happier. Have two small raised beds and got them ready yesterday with compost and fresh soil; will bed out my root starts tomorrow (carrots, beets, onions). It feels so good to get into the dirt again. Happy Beltaine, everyone! Enjoy the weekend!

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Reflection Question
Electricity Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

Sophia Keller 4/20/2021 6:28 PM

I didn't understand geothermal energy before reading the links that are posted on this site. We'll be needing to update our heating system within 1-2 years, and geothermal looks like the ideal way to do it. Meanwhile, I'm involved in learning about which companies provide those services in my area, and encouraging people to consider it as an option. My state of Washington has committed to reduced fossil fuel use, so the community is likely to be receptive to discussing geothermal.

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Sophia Keller 3/08/2021 1:39 PM

I did a lot on my own to live more mindfully and support community well-being. But having a program to track and being part of a bigger group has helped me expand my information base and discover new ways to keep our people nourishing and our planet green

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Reflection Question
Electricity Calculate the carbon footprint of my household

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?

Sophia Keller 3/06/2021 5:13 PM

Yes. I've already cut down considerably on driving, especially since one of my goals is to increase my daily walking. I've decided now to go without the use of my vehicle for the next 7 days entirely. It will only require a small amount of planning. The one place I still need is to shop for garden supplies, but with organization that can be done just once a month.

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Reflection Question
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use 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?

Sophia Keller 2/27/2021 6:50 PM

There are so many other uses for money that we waste on food. The most direct and obvious one is buying plants or seeds to grow our own. A whole crop of spinach costs only the amount I spend at the grocer for 2 or 3 bunches. While I'm glad to support farmers, I can also save a lot by planting my own.
$1500 would almost pay for a year of electricity in my small home. It would also pay a month of rent. Some things to think about.

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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?

Sophia Keller 2/27/2021 6:44 PM

Those of us who can afford to feed ourselves often eat more than we need. Food can be a way of entertainment (especially treats or party food) or a social time when we share fun with friends and family. When we load up our plates we instinctively try to eat everything we've taken. Overeating is bad for us in many ways. So taking smaller amounts is a good form of self care. It can also reserve what's been prepared for another meal, reducing the need to cook at a later time. Casserole meals make great frozen dinners on a busy night. So we give ourselves a break on meal prep and have a quick entree ready to go.

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Reflection Question
Action Track: Healing & Renewal 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?

Sophia Keller 2/25/2021 10:44 PM

I've noticed two things about comfort. When I walk on the main road there's a lot of traffic and noise, without any screening from exhaust. If there were plantings between the sidewalk and the traffic, it would be both more breathable and more relaxing. On side roads there's less traffic and more trees and bushes, but there's no sidewalk. I think a footpath would add to safety and walkability.

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