Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Rosemary Peterson

Asheville High School Spring 2024!

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
517 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

11

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

99

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

255

minutes

spent learning

Rosemary's actions

Buildings

Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 20 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

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 20 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 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

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 10 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

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

Research Local Waste and Recycling Depots

To learn more about what is and is not recyclable in our area as well as how to properly dispose of hard-to-recycle materials to reduce my harmful impacts on the local environment AND learn how indigenous peoples and POC are more likely to be impacted by waste sites and pollution on a global scale.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 37 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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
Buildings Learn about 'Green Gentrification'

Cities and towns need to plan for climate change. How can your city or town make its climate action plans equitable and socially just?

Rosemary Peterson 5/24/2024 9:36 AM

Asheville can take steps to make its climate action plans more equitable and just by financing affordable housing, strengthening rent stabilization, and raising the minimum wage. Other measures can be taken to tackle this problem, such as keeping low-income or at-risk communities at the forefront of climate plans, and advocating for citizen voices.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

What are some of the barriers that exist to women's equal participation and/or representation in your community?

Rosemary Peterson 5/17/2024 11:41 AM

Both on a global scale and in my own community, there are many barriers that prevent women’s equal participation and representation. For example, in many cultures, women and girls are seen as “unclean” or “disgraceful” when they are in public while on their periods. This can prevent many young girls from going to school and getting an education, which in turn leaves them at a societal disadvantage compared to men and boys. In Asheville, gender equality has progressed much further compared to many places worldwide, however, there are still barriers that women have to face. For example, workplace discrimination is still a prominent issue. Women almost always face discrimination while in the workplace, whether it’s witnessing an equally-or-less accomplished male coworker get promoted rather than a woman, or penalization for pregnancy leave or parental responsibilities. These barriers exist due to long-standing old-fashioned ideas about gender, and it may seem difficult to address them. However, by providing quality education, empowerment, protecting reproductive rights, and much more, we can challenge these gender-discriminatory issues.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Learn about the Need for Family Planning

What did you learn about the need for family planning? How do the needs of different people in different places compare to each other?

Rosemary Peterson 5/16/2024 11:57 AM

Family planning is very important because it allows individuals and couples to control their reproduction timing and more, which can lead to better health outcomes and economic stability. However, family planning isn’t widely available, especially in low-income or undeveloped countries. Two aspects are very important when it comes to family planning - education and access. 12 years of quality education is very important for women especially in low-income countries, and these areas tend to have less access to medical assistance, specifically reproductive or sexual help. The needs of people in low-income or undeveloped countries are very different from those in other, more developed places. In low-income countries, there is less access to education and medical assistance compared to high-income countries, and there tends to be more violence especially on the basis of gender. These aspects perpetuate a cycle of poverty in these areas.

Read More
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?

Rosemary Peterson 5/14/2024 11:31 AM

Because I am too young to vote, I could invest in writing a letter to my elected officials to endorse the use of geothermal energy in my community. I would describe how this source of energy can save money and help the environment while also providing enough energy to power my community. Alternatively, the next time my family, my loved ones, or my friends are constructing a house, I could tell them about geothermal energy and suggest it as a source of energy for their house.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Learn More about Micro Wind

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?

Rosemary Peterson 5/13/2024 11:17 AM

Microturbines could be used to generate electricity for many places in downtown Asheville. Tall buildings such as hotels, S & W, or the Asheville Art Museum would be perfect places to install microwind turbines.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Learn More about Biomass

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!

Rosemary Peterson 5/10/2024 10:43 AM

I had never heard of biomass technology before and was shocked that such an environmentally friendly source of energy wasn’t as well-known as I would’ve expected.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation 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?

Rosemary Peterson 5/06/2024 10:24 AM

I've enjoyed going on daily walks. I've begun to notice plants, buildings, paths, and animals in my neighborhood that I haven't noticed before. However, the infrastructure in my neighborhood is not suited for walking. There are no sidewalks, so I have had to walk on the street, and when the road becomes narrower it is dangerous. I wish my neighborhood had sidewalks and bridges so that I could walk safer and more efficiently.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Research Peatlands

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?

Rosemary Peterson 5/03/2024 10:41 AM

I can help protect the peatlands by spreading the word about their endangerment on social media. I can also reach out to my government officials about it and ask them to take more steps to preserve the peatlands, because they hold more power than I do and have the opportunity to take action.

Read More
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?

Rosemary Peterson 5/02/2024 10:30 AM

I learned that refrigerants such as CFCs are released into the atmosphere, they break down the ozone layer, which protects Earth from UV rays. The Montreal Protocol Agreement in 1987 banned the use of CFCs. These chemicals were most often used when storing food in supermarkets, which was a major contributor to the issue.

Read More
Rosemary Peterson 4/29/2024 11:32 AM

I found that most items that can’t be recycled in curbside bins can be disposed of safely by dropping them off at recycling centers. Most landfills or other waste sites are located near communities that are low-income or with a population of color. This can lead to significant health problems.

Read More