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October 7 - October 28, 2020
Joanna Drewniak's avatar

Joanna Drewniak

HP Wrocław Eco Heroes

"Stay Eco!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,760 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    3.0
    community events
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    6.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    730
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    120
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    3.7
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    299
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    public official or leader
    contacted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    tree
    planted
  • UP TO
    22
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Joanna's actions

Water

Conserve Toilet Water

Do at Home

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Replace Manual Thermostats

Do at Home

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Organize a Course

Do at Home

I will organize one of Ecochallenge.org's discussion courses, such as 'Reconnecting with Earth', with my family, friends, coworkers, or classmates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Forage for My Food

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Plant Trees

Do at Home

I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Advocate for Greener Vehicles

Do at Home

I will spend at least 30 minutes assessing the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on fuel-efficient vehicles.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Launch a Recycling Program

I will start a recycling program at my workplace or school. If a recycling program exists, I will advocate for ways to improve and expand it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install Greywater Catchment

Do at Home

I will install a greywater catchment system in my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Install a Toilet Tank Bank

Do at Home

I will reduce the amount of water flushed and save up to 11 gallons (41 L) of water each day by installing a toilet tank bank.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Car Share

I will sign up for a car-sharing service, or organize car sharing with my neighbors, to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Install Alternative Energy

Do at Home

I will install an alternative energy system, such as solar electric systems or solar water heaters.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Upgrade My Windows

Do at Home

I will upgrade the windows or weatherstripping in my home or office to reduce air leaks and save on energy costs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Ditch the Lawn

Do at Home

I will replace my lawn with a drought-tolerant landscape and save the water, money, and time I used to spend cutting the grass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater

Do at Home

I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Organize a Course

Do at Home

I will organize one of Ecochallenge.org's discussion courses on food sustainability, Menu for the Future or Hungry for Change, with my family, friends, coworkers, or classmates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Organize a Course

Do at Home

I will organize Ecochallenge.org's discussion course A Different Way: Living Simply in a Complex World with my family, friends, co-workers, or classmates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Research My Investment Portfolio

Do at Home

I will find out what stocks and bonds are in my investment account portfolio to determine if they align with my values (e.g. environmental, social responsibility, community).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Research Impact Investing

Do at Home

Using the links provided below, I will research impact investing and determine if it is right for me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Carry my Trash

Do at Home

I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

Do at Home

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Stay on the Ground

Do at Home

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Improve a Bus Stop

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or some other small improvement.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Be Active

Be Active. Stay fit & reduce the power consumption by daily activities like running, walking, gym, bike ride.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Install a Low-Flow Showerhead

Do at Home

I will save up to 15 gallons (56 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow showerhead.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

Do at Home

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day.

COMPLETED 21
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
    Water Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater
    How do you think climate change will affect your region’s water supply? Think about the effects of weather, storms, salinity, and sea level rise, among other changes. How can you find out more about climate change’s impact to your region's water?

    Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/28/2020 7:26 AM
    The most serious danger in my region is drought and local floods in the summer.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Install a Toilet Tank Bank
    Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?

    Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/28/2020 7:24 AM
    To improve health of water systems we can for example:
    Improve sanitation facilities by providing toilets and latrines that flush into a sewer or safe enclosure.
    Promote good hygiene habits through education. Proper hand washing with soap and water can reduce diarrhea cases by up to 35 percent.
    Implement rainwater harvesting systems to collect and store rainwater for drinking or recharging underground aquifers. Build wells to extract groundwater from underground aquifers.
    Provide home water-treatment capability through the use of filters, solar disinfection, or flocculants, to make drinking water safe.
    Promote low-cost solutions, such as chlorine tablets or plastic bottles that can be exposed to sunlight, to improve water quality.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Install Greywater Catchment
    What are some of the needs that water meets or benefits that water provides for you?

    Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/28/2020 7:21 AM
    Fresh water provides benefits to the body, such as:
    Keep your temperature normal. 
    Lubricate and cushion joints. 
    Protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues. 
    Get rid of wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.
    That's why we need to keep in mind that without clean water we won't be able to survive.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Ditch the Lawn
    What is the main water source in your region? How does that water get to you?

    Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/28/2020 7:17 AM
    In Wrocław, we drink water from the river Oława, that is mainly powered from the Nysa Kłodzka river, whose sources are located in the Śnieżnik mountain.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Forage for My Food
    People are motivated to forage for many different reasons: as a source for food, a means of income, to connect with nature, to participate in cultural tradition, transmitting specific ecological knowledge, or as a means of stewarding local and native plant populations are just a few examples. What is your chief motivation for foraging?

    Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/28/2020 6:18 AM
    My motivations would be similar to mentioned above - as a source of food or to connect with nature.

  • Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/28/2020 12:54 AM
    Today is the last day of the challenge. Many thanks to all who participated, especially the ones that were most active - I was following the posts you shared every day and I gained a lot from them, both knowledge and motivation. I hope we will do it again next year!

  • Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/27/2020 11:57 PM
    Today is the last day of the challenge. Many thanks to all who participated, especially the ones that were most active - I was following the posts you shared every day and I gained a lot from them, both knowledge and motivation. I hope we will do it again next year!

  • Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/27/2020 1:20 AM
    Have your food shop delivered. Home delivery is like the public transport of groceries. Instead of having 20 odd cars make their way to the supermarket – one van drives around delivering to everyone in the area. Additionally, it means you’re less likely to impulse buy which can help to reduce any waste food. And especially now, during the epidemy, it also can help to reduce unnecessary contact.

  • Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/26/2020 3:06 AM
    Use Eco-Cleaning Products to Clean the House! A lot of mainstream cleaning products contain various ingredients that are harmful to the environment. In fact, a lot of chemicals used to clean our clothes, dishes, and house end up causing damage to our planet and its biodiversity. Chemicals such as detergents, preservatives, or foaming agents are the ones that cause the most harm to nature. Switching to products that contain sustainably grown or raised ingredients that do not deplete the ecosystem, nor harm it when expelled back out. People should ideally opt for products that contain no synthetic ingredients if they want to go for eco friendly household products.


  • Joanna Drewniak's avatar
    Joanna Drewniak 10/25/2020 1:38 AM
    Try  to use bulk purchases - avoid products that are packaged for single use (i.e., drinks, school lunches, candy, cat and dog food, salad mixings, etc.). Instead, buy in bulk and transfer the products to your own reusable containers. Many health food stores have bulk bins where they sell everything from grains to cereal to cleaning products.