Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Julian Rosenblum

Julayphitra

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
280 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

15

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

15

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

1.1

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

0.0

stories

shared
UP TO

240

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

105

minutes

spent learning

Julian's actions

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 More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 20 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 5 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Try Carpooling

Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 5 miles per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Buildings

Replace Manual Thermostats

Smart Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with smart ones.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

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

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Building With Carbon Storing Waste Products

Engineered Sinks

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching how people can build with carbon-storing materials - including agricultural byproducts - and discuss it with my peers or post to social media.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn about Biochar

Biochar Production

I will spend 20 minutes learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

Onshore Wind Turbines, Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaics

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

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 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

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 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Industry

Learn about Carbon Offsets

I will spend 20 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 20 minutes learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.

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 the Legacy of Redlining

How does city planning and design relate to equity and climate change?

Julian Rosenblum 5/05/2024 9:34 PM

Practices such as redlining that lead to socioeconomic segregation worsen the effects of urban heat islands (less vegetation), and put marginalized communities in a cycle that often makes it much harder for them to build generational wealth, essentially locking them in hot, inequitable areas.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

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?

Julian Rosenblum 5/05/2024 9:30 PM

Supporting local farms that practice regenerative agriculture builds a sense of community, and puts economic pressure on larger corporations to make the change necessary for a better world. I also think it looks better, probably because of the more diverse life, another benefit.

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?

Julian Rosenblum 5/05/2024 9:24 PM

It's important for its contributions in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the amount of people each year whose growing needs need to be met. It also greatly helps areas achieve equal rights for women, by educating women and girls and empowering them to make their own decisions regarding their bodies and lives. People need to be met where they are, and this can look different depending on location. You can't expect people know what they haven't been taught.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

Your utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your ZIP code, region, and/or state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?

Julian Rosenblum 5/05/2024 9:18 PM

According to the electricity company, our energy usage is considered "fair." This is worse than average. Some ways to reduce this could be to make sure my lights and computer are off to not waste energy, and even unplug chargers or other devices that use vampire power. Since my mom works from home though, it might not be a very easy fix apart from what's listed above.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Learn about Carbon Offsets

What are some attributes of an offset that you should consider before purchasing them?

Julian Rosenblum 5/05/2024 9:13 PM

You should make sure you are purchasing a certified carbon offset that meets the requirements, and that it wouldn't just be easier to stop whatever climate net-negative impact activity that you are partaking in. It's also important to remember that many pollutants that occur alongside GHG emissions *do* have a localized effect.

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?

Julian Rosenblum 5/04/2024 8:15 PM

CFC's and other related gases used in refrigeration not only contribute greatly to the greenhouse effect but also resulted in the hole in the ozone layer. Thanks to regulation, the hole has gone away, but there's still work to be done. Supermarkets, having more, larger freezers that are also prone to leaks, should be especially sure to watch their CFC emissions.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Building With Carbon Storing Waste Products

How feasible do you think it is for society to build with agricultural waste products?

Julian Rosenblum 5/04/2024 8:09 PM

I think if it can become as strong, affordable, and easy to produce as our current building materials, it could be feasible, but that doesn't seem super likely. More awareness could be raised for people building houses who are interested in being more sustainable, but on its own it doesn't seem like something that will pick up quickly.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

Julian Rosenblum 5/04/2024 8:02 PM

I hadn't heard about it before now. It seems pretty crazy that farms don't do this already, but I guess it has higher maintenance cost. The biggest advantage seems to be the environmental benefits of more carbon sequestration, but the economic benefits for farmers aren't negligible.

Read More
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?

Julian Rosenblum 5/04/2024 7:59 PM

Whenever I'm out on a trail, like in Tecolote Canyon, it's pretty calming and I just feel more fulfilled with my life. Bad things seem more manageable and life doesn't seem as crazy anymore. It's a pretty rare feeling, with many things getting in the way of actually spending time in nature, so it makes me appreciate those moments more.

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!

Julian Rosenblum 5/04/2024 7:51 PM

I'd heard of it but didn't realize that it had net-zero new carbon emissions. Although it's not a permanent solution, it's pretty interesting as a bridge between fossil fuels and clean renewables.

Read More