Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge 2025

Yuxin Liu

Asheville High School/SILSA

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,236 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

19

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

145

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

145

miles

traveled by bus
UP TO

82

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1,247

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

363

minutes

spent learning

Yuxin's actions

Transportation

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 38
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Use Public Transit

Public Transit

I will use public transit 6 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 37
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Buy Bamboo

Bamboo Production

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 23 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-Waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meals with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Family Planning and Education

I will spend at least 30 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

Industry

Learn about Carbon Offsets

I will spend 30 minutes learning about carbon offsets, and why they are a necessary solution in combating a climate crisis.

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

Plastics Audit

Reduced Plastics

I will complete a plastics audit to see where plastics show up in my life and determine how I can reduce the use of single-use plastics.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

What was the hardest item to reduce using or cut out that is plastic? Did you find a way to do it?
Yuxin Liu 4/16/2025 9:56 AM
The hardest part about reducing plastic is that plastic is everywhere in our lives, such as packaging, bags, bottles, etc. Many stores and products rely heavily on plastic because it is cheap and convenient. To reduce the use of plastic, we can bring our own reusable bags, water bottles and lunch boxes, and try to reduce the use of disposable plastic products.

Read More
- Danielle Werrell 4/16/2025 12:01 PM
  I have found you can purchase laundry detergent, bathroom cleaners in strips that dissolve (and come in paper packaging). This lets me not purchase the big plastic jug the detergent comes in.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?
Yuxin Liu 4/10/2025 1:46 PM
For vegetables like cucumbers, we can wash them and eat them directly with the skin; coriander roots and lettuce leaves can be put into the soup to enhance the flavor; cauliflower can be cut into small pieces with the stems and stir-fried.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

What did you learn about the climate impact of refrigerants? How do supermarkets contribute to this impact?
Yuxin Liu 4/10/2025 1:36 PM
Refrigerants contain HFCs, which are powerful greenhouse gases. If leaked, they will exacerbate global warming. Their destructive power to climate change is thousands of times that of carbon dioxide. Supermarkets use a large number of refrigeration equipment such as refrigerators and air conditioners. If they are not properly maintained, a large amount of HFC gas will leak, causing serious climate change.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

What are some attributes of an offset that you should consider before purchasing them?
Yuxin Liu 4/09/2025 9:21 AM
Before buying carbon offsets, we should consider multiple attributes to ensure that the offsets are real and can effectively reduce emissions. First, we need to consider the quality and impact of the project and evaluate the cost used. Secondly, we also need to consider the durability of the project to ensure that the emission reductions are long-lasting and irreversible. Then, we can also evaluate the social value benefits of the project, such as whether it will create jobs and improve livelihoods. Finally, we need to find reputable sellers and verify the standard of the project to ensure the availability and good source of the project.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education

What did you learn about the need for family planning? How do the needs of different people in different places compare to each other?
Yuxin Liu 4/08/2025 9:35 AM
Family planning can slow population growth, increase women's empowerment and reduce poverty. It affects family size, spacing and overall well-being, and has a major global impact on health, development and sustainability. Globally, different regions have different contexts and needs vary greatly, with some regions facing challenges such as unmet need for contraception and others facing challenges such as low fertility rates.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?
Yuxin Liu 4/07/2025 9:43 AM
In my opinion, women around the world face many obstacles in gender equality, such as workplace bias and suppression, unpaid family service, unequal educational opportunities, and sexual violence. For example, they cannot get promotion or salary increase opportunities at work because of their gender.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?
Yuxin Liu 4/07/2025 6:43 AM
My family uses bamboo toothpicks and chopsticks, which are biodegradable and durable. Using bamboo products can reduce deforestation and is economical and a good alternative.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings

Cities and towns need to plan for climate change. How can your city or town make its climate action plans equitable and socially just?
Yuxin Liu 4/04/2025 9:58 AM
For a city to start thinking about climate action, it must first consider local conditions and priorities. It is necessary to put people at the core of planning, always consider the groups that may be affected by climate change, and think about countermeasures. The key is to build amenities without making them too advanced to avoid green gentrification.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

Much of Indonesia's peatlands have been drained so they could be replaced with palm oil or pulp and paper plantations. How can you make choices that help to protect peatlands, even if you live far away from one?
Yuxin Liu 4/03/2025 9:29 AM
To protect peatlands from deforestation and drainage, we can make conscious consumption choices, boycott businesses that drain peatlands, and protect them by supporting sustainable practices and advocating for policies that protect these important ecosystems.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

How is your diet currently impacting deforestation? What can you do to decrease your negative impact and increase your positive impact?
Yuxin Liu 4/02/2025 9:43 AM
I am a meat lover, but the meat industry causes deforestation and has a strong impact on global warming. I hope to reduce the negative impact by eating less meat or adopting a vegan diet. I am shocked that my daily tea, shampoo, shower gel, etc., can affect deforestation, but I will try to reduce my tea consumption.

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