Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge 2025

Carena Sawicki

Asheville High School/SILSA

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
467 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

24

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

388

minutes

spent learning

Carena's actions

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 Biomass

Biomass Power

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

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 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

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 Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 20 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 60 minutes researching cattle feed and manure management, or visiting a dairy farm to learn about their farming practices.

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

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 70 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 18 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 45 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
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?
Carena Sawicki 4/30/2025 6:35 AM
Most women in less developed countries don’t have access to resources. They end up using unreliable resources to protect themselves from having children. In more developed areas, women have more resources for protection, but in less developed areas, women don't have resources.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

What did you learn about wave and tidal energy? How do they compare to other energy sources?
Carena Sawicki 4/30/2025 6:01 AM
I learned that tidal energy is a very reliable energy source, unlike other renewable energies like solar and wind.

Read More
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?
Carena Sawicki 4/29/2025 6:28 AM
I think putting wind turbines in places like downtown Asheville would work, that is where we have the biggest buildings and the smallest amount of trees to interfere.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

What was the most interesting thing to learn about sustainable aquaculture practices?
Carena Sawicki 4/29/2025 6:05 AM
I've learned that most aquaculture isn't sustainable and actually takes a ton of resources.

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!
Carena Sawicki 4/23/2025 7:45 AM
I have never heard of biomass technology before. It surprises me all of the different things able to be used to create energy.

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?
Carena Sawicki 4/23/2025 6:11 AM
Maybe creating awareness and educating others on how amazing geothermal energy is. I think the government should also invest in geothermal energy, I think they should be responsible for putting these energy systems in.

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?
Carena Sawicki 4/03/2025 2:22 PM
I have never heard of silvopasture before. I think the biggest advantage of silvopasture is that it helps reverse climate change. The trees take in a lot of carbon and methane which are some of the worst GHG’s for climate change.

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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?
Carena Sawicki 3/28/2025 6:38 AM
It makes me more educated and now I know when I should actually throw out food instead of seeing a date and automatically throwing it out especially when it comes to best by dates.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

How does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?
Carena Sawicki 3/26/2025 6:49 PM
It makes me feel more healthy and nourished. It helps the environment by emitting a smaller footprint than if I ate more meat.

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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?
Carena Sawicki 3/18/2025 6:28 AM
I’m not a big red meat eater and usually prefer vegetarian options. I do eat quite a lot of chicken but overall I think that’s better than eating a lot of beef. My family likes to stay away from palm oils and we usually opt for other oils like sunflower oil, coconut oil and avocado oil. I also don’t drink coffee. I think overall I do pretty good but I could cut back on chicken and make sure to always check for the special labels symbolizing sustainability.

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