Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Derius McCovy

Derius's Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
227 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

50

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

50

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

3.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

20

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

8.0

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

35

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

65

minutes

spent learning

Derius's actions

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

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about green gentrification and how it relates to city planning for climate action.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Plan to Insulate

Insulation

I will spend 10 minutes finding out how to make my home more energy efficient through better insulation and weatherization.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org and download the app to commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Visit the Coast

Macroalgae Protection and Restoration

I will visit a coastal or ocean site to experience the ecosystem and look for the presence of macroalgae/seaweed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 15 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

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

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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Try Carpooling

Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 22 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Recycle Everything I Can

Recycling; Recycled Metals; Recycled Plastics

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, including electronics and metals.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Industry

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

Multiple Industry Solutions

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin practicing it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

Refrigerant Management

I will spend 5 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Practice the 5 Rs

Recycling

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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
Land Sinks Learn about Temperate Forests

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?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 10:58 AM

The fact that there are so many challenges that we face environmentally is very worrying. The fact that they are continuing to worsen as time goes on makes me want to take more action and also encourage others to do the same. Sea levels rising feel the most overwhelming to me because San Diego is so close to the coast and it might be in potential danger in the future. The fact that there are many organizations and people attempting to make a positive change makes me feel hopeful.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Plan to Insulate

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

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 10:50 AM

Some benefits of making your home more energy efficient is that it can save you money and help protect the environment, Making your house able to maintain temperatures whether hot or cold would make the need to use electricity a lot less. Also if you switch out your lightbulbs it also utilizes less electricity. This benefits you and the environment by saving you money and not taking a toll on the environment with excessive electricity use.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "Rs" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "Rs" make you feel?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 10:01 AM

Like I mentioned in another question, I feel that my lifestyle lacks the reuse and repurpose aspect. Considering implementing these R's makes me feel good as I know it will have a positive impact on the environment and it does not take much of a toll on my lifestyle.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Practice the 5 Rs

What are some more "Rs" you could add to your daily practice to reduce your waste?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 9:59 AM

I feel like I could Reuse and repurpose more. I feel that many things in my house like containers and bottles could be used for many other things. We kind of end up throwing them away or if they are recycle friendly we are recycling them, I just feel that we could do more in the reusing and repurposing aspect.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Visit the Coast

What coastal site did you visit and what did you learn while there?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 9:56 AM

I visited Marine Street Beach and I learned that there is an immense amount of seaweed the volume and location of it change as the tides change.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 9:52 AM

They have empowered me to make sure I am not throwing away food at the wrong date, and also to purchase food that I am sure will not go bad before I get the chance to finish it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants

What did you learn about the climate impact of refrigerants? How do supermarkets contribute to this impact?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 9:51 AM

Refrigerants are very strong greenhouse gases that pose lots of negative effects to the environment. Supermarkets contribute to this due to the fact that they use an immense amount of refrigerants because they have so many refrigerators.

Read More
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?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 9:48 AM

There is one under 10 minutes from my home. I feel that it would be difficult to completely convince my local supermarket to do so since it may cost too much, but I could attempt to reassure them by telling them it could bring in more customers that support the change.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Buy Bamboo

Are bamboo alternatives readily available in your community? If not, what are other sustainable alternatives?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 9:46 AM

There are some bamboo alternatives in my community, I am able to utilize bamboo forks and other utensils. There is also lots of paper straws being put into use within my community which are also very sustainable.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

Derius McCovy 6/03/2024 9:44 AM

Spending more time outdoors can make me feel more at home in nature. This would give me incentive to maintain it and encourage others to do the same.

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