Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

olivia battistoni

Slow Food

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
628 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

18

conversations

with people
UP TO

205

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

28

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched

olivia's actions

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Learn More about Food Deserts

I will spend 20 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Take Control

Both system and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Heat and Cool Naturally

I will naturally heat and cool my house, office, or dorm room by opening or closing my windows, curtains, and blinds, and by using fans.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

I will spend 20 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Forage for My Food

I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Replace Manual Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Learn More and Talk to My Friends

Access to public transportation is a social justice issue! I will learn about the need for public transportation in my community and tell 3 friends each day about the issue.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Choose Organic Ingredients

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.

COMPLETED 7
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
Food Choose Organic Ingredients

Can organic farming feed the world? Which side of the argument do you fall on? Why?

olivia battistoni 10/24/2018 11:52 AM

I believe that a large-scale shift to organic farming will actually increase the world's food supply and it provides a way to eradicate hunger. This is not some crazy idea though it's actually supported by research. Some people think that since organic farmers don't use pesticides, their crops might suffer from bugs, disease, and weeds and their dependence on rotating crops to control pests would limit them to not be able to grow staple foods such as wheat and corn as often. However, research has proven that organic crops are just as capable of producing as much if not more productive than conventional farms. One such study looked at 154 growing seasons and studied various crops in the United States, University of California-Davis agricultural scientist Bill Liebhardt found that organic corn yields were 94 percent of conventional, organic wheat yields were 97 percent, organic soybean yields were 94 percent, and organic tomatoes showed no yield difference. This shows that it is possible for organic farming to feed the world and organic farming has the additional benefits of restoring the land used to farm and often crops containing more nutrients as the soils used to have more natural vitamins and nutrients in them which are transferred to the crops.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Heat and Cool Naturally

What are other ways you could use the power of the sun to reduce your own environmental footprint?

olivia battistoni 10/22/2018 10:54 AM

Solar power can be expensive to start out, but it pays for itself when using it to power your household, I hope to eventually be able to have solar panels on my roof to power the majority of my household energy usage to reduce my environmental footprint

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Weekly Meal Planning

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?

olivia battistoni 10/22/2018 10:50 AM

These statistics are upsetting yet not all that surprising, as this is my first year cooking all my own meals I've recognized how easy it can be to let food go bad or make too much of something, Instead of spending this money on food that goes to waste, it could be spent to buy slightly more expensive food products that are more nutritious or created in more sustainable ways such as local and organic produce versus the cheaper options at your local supermarket.

Read More
- Marianne Greco 10/22/2018 11:49 AM
  
  So true, Olivia. When you spend more on quality food, you probably will buy only what you need and be more mindful of waste when you prepare it. When I started to buy organic pastured meats, I became more mindful of the living beings that comprised my food. With that awareness becoming ingrained (so to speak!), I actually started to prefer more meatless meals.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Plant an Herb Garden

Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?

olivia battistoni 10/22/2018 10:44 AM

We started with just a few basil plants an hope to extend our new herb garden in my apartment, the basil smells delicious and we hope to be able to grow our plants enough to use it in our meal prep and cooking!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

What do you think contributes to people in North America eating more meat than in other places, and what does this say about North American values and ways of living? How do we start shifting a meat-focused food culture?

olivia battistoni 10/22/2018 10:38 AM

I think people associate meat with strength and view it as the most filling way to eat a meal- may people don't consider meatless meals to be a full meal even. I think to redirect this we need to work on shifting peoples mindsets to recognize how we can eat strongly balanced protein filled meals that are plant-based and not only are good for our bodies but are also good for the environment. Food is more than just caloric fuel for our bodies and we need to be more aware of the impact it makes on our communities and environment.

Read More