Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge 2025

Josie L'eglise

Asheville High School/SILSA

"AHS"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,082 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

516

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

516

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

0.0

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

4.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

0.0

donations

made
UP TO

31

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

3.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

60

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

536

minutes

spent learning

Josie's actions

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 30 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 Biomass

Biomass Power

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn About Aquaculture

Improved Aquaculture

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 35 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn About Cattle Farming

Improved Cattle Feed; Improved Manure Management

I will spend 30 minutes researching cattle feed and manure management, or visiting a dairy farm to learn about their farming practices.

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Farm Irrigation Efficiency

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn about Temperate Forests

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 60 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Try Carpooling

Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 15 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Support a Community Garden

Multiple Solutions

I will support a community garden by volunteering, donating, or advocating for a new or existing one.

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 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 25
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 180 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 16 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 17 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

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
Electricity

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?
Josie L'eglise 4/29/2025 6:34 AM
Microturbines could potentially be installed on the tallest buildings in downtown, like the Arras Hotel, or implemented on buildings being built currently during the construction process.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

What was the most interesting thing to learn about sustainable aquaculture practices?
Josie L'eglise 4/29/2025 6:04 AM
The most interesting thing to learn about was how sustainable aquaculture can actually help to restore ecosystems.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

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!
Josie L'eglise 4/23/2025 8:08 AM
I hadn’t heard of this technology before, and it surprised me that it is so abundant and easy to find, even if it isn't always the most glamorous.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

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?
Josie L'eglise 4/23/2025 6:13 AM
My family and I can invest money in funding this expansion, because it is a reliable, efficient, and most importantly, very abundant resource that will continue to renew itself, unlike our shrinking supply of fossil fuels.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?
Josie L'eglise 4/02/2025 6:01 AM
I had not heard of the term silvopasture before, but after learning about it I think the biggest advantage is that it helps our farmers be resilient as the Earth continues to heat, and it also helps sequester a LOT of carbon.

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?
Josie L'eglise 3/28/2025 6:32 AM
It empowers me to not throw out food just because its “expired,” because most of the time it hasn’t actually gone bad.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Josie L'eglise 3/25/2025 6:29 AM
Whats next for me is remembering to shut off all the lights in my room and around my house before I leave everyday, and also turning off my air conditioning unit when I'm not using it or not going to be around for a couple days.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

As you learn more about the scope and seriousness of the environmental challenges we face, what impact does that have on your thinking and actions? What are the parts that feel overwhelming? What parts help you feel hopeful?
Josie L'eglise 3/25/2025 6:26 AM
As I'm researching more about the environmental challenges we face, I'm realizing how deep we're in. If things don't start to change soon, and fast, and are facing the very real possibility of our planet no longer supporting human life. However, I do feel hopeful that as the younger generation comes to age, we will begin to fight for our futures and the future of Mother Earth

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

What are the multiple benefits of community gardens, including carbon sequestration? Why do these benefits matter to you?
Josie L'eglise 3/23/2025 6:21 PM
Some benefits of community gardens are bringing the community together, access to fresh, healthy fruits and veggies, and doing our part to help the butterflies and honey bees. These matter to me because they help keep community engagement high, and mainly because getting out and being surrounded by beautiful nature makes people happy.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Clean air, clean water and healthy food are just three reasons to care about regenerative agriculture. What are some other reasons? How could/does regenerative agriculture positively impact you and your community?
Josie L'eglise 3/23/2025 6:18 PM
Some other reasons to care about regenerative agriculture are that it improves soil health, which over time contributes to the overall health of an ecosystem, and it can increase biodiversity in an area. This is especially important for us here in the mountains, because so much food is grown here.

Read More