Day 2

Footprint

SPONSORED BY GUAYAKI YERBA MATE

OVERVIEW

“The way we harm the earth affects all people and how we treat one another is reflected in how we treat the earth.”
~ Paul Hawken, Environmentalist, Activist, Entrepreneur, and Author

Everywhere we go and everything we do has an impact on our planet. This impact is our ecological footprint.

An ecological footprint measures the amount of resources we use, either directly or indirectly. Sometimes our ecological footprint can be obvious: the amount of water you use while taking a shower, is one example. But more often than not, our ecological footprint is harder to see, like the fossil fuel used to transport your food to your plate. When you add up the resources each of us consumes directly and indirectly, the collective impact is much bigger than you’d likely imagine.

One piece of our ecological footprint is our individual carbon footprint which represents the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) we use. Activities like driving cars, heating and cooling homes, and turning on lights all contribute to our carbon footprint and to the greenhouse gas effect. Why does that matter? As more CO2 accumulates in the atmosphere, more heat is trapped, and that exacerbates climate change. The effects of climate change are already occurring before our eyes. For the past two years, each month has been recorded as the hottest month in history.

How can you make a difference? The conversation around environmentalism usually leaves people with the assumption that we can’t have much of an impact as one person. But, we fail to recognize the power of our human handprint. Unlike your footprint, your handprint reflects the positive environmental impacts you create at an individual level.

As PGC continues, you’ll accumulate more resources to help reduce your footprint and grow your handprint. Becoming informed and educating others is a monumental step in the right direction. In today’s challenge, you’ll explore the real impact and implications of your daily actions.

CHALLENGE

Green

20 POINTS

Think

Small changes in your daily habits and consumption patterns may not seem significant in a world of nearly 8 billion people. But every decision you make contributes to the well-being of humans, other species and the planet. Consider what the world would look like if each person simply consumed less stuff and demanded more ethically produced goods. Those small changes start to add up and make a massive difference.

Challenge

Calculate and record your footprint using the Global Footprint Network’s calculator.

What are your results? How many planets does it take to support your lifestyle?
Share the three activities in your life that you learned are most carbon-intensive.
Tell us two or three things you could change about each activity to make them less carbon-intensive.
Now, go back and re-calculate your footprint based on the changes you identified for your three most carbon-intensive activities. How did that affect your final results?
Spread the word. Share the link to Global Footprint Network’s calculator with your friends and family on Facebook or Instagram and challenge them to calculate their carbon footprint as well. Share one step that you’ll commit to and tag three people to make the same change in their own lives for the rest of the week (or longer). Show us a screenshot of your post with at least one response from someone you tagged. Make sure to tag @TurningGreenOrg and include #PGC2018.

Deliverables

Upload your responses and screenshot in a PDF document. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.

Submission Guidelines

If you do not see an upload button, you need to log in
Please submit all entries as PDFs – no word or pages docs.
Please save filenames using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf
(ex: kasie_shils_day1_green_2018.pdf)
Do not include # or spaces in filenames
Please be sure to include all content for your submission in one doc
Do not upload a file bigger than 5 MB
You will get a confirmation on screen that your submission uploaded correctly (green) or that it failed (red) and to try again.
If your total points do not change, your submission did not load correctly and you will have to try again. You can see your points total by logging out and back in again.
If you are having trouble uploading, try using a different browser
Send any questions you have to info@turninggreen.org
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2018.

The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greener

40 POINTS

Think

Earth Overshoot Day refers to the date in which humans have used more from nature than what Earth can naturally replenish in the entire year. Earth Overshoot Day was on August 1 in 2018, August 3 in 2017, and August 5 in 2016. In 1970 it fell on December 29. Even though this year’s overshoot day has already occurred, it’s not too late to join the movement to help #movethedate back in 2019 to ensure the health and wellbeing of our future!

Challenge

Watch the video here and become familiar with Global Footprint Network’s Earth Overshoot Day campaign by browsing through their webpage here.
Choose one of their 10 steps to help #movethedate and take the step.
Please answer the following questions:
- Which step did you take?
- What is your plan to follow through with that step?
- Show us evidence of your first step in following through with your pledge (e.g. photo or video)
- Share your step on your social media platform of choice. Don’t forget to tag @turninggreenorg and @EndOvershoot, and hashtag #PGC2018 and #movethedate.

Deliverables

Upload your responses in a PDF document including photos or a link to your video (be sure to make it public so we can view it). Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.

Submission Guidelines

If you do not see an upload button, you need to log in
Please submit all entries as PDFs – no word or pages docs.
Please save filenames using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day1_greener_2018.pdf)
Do not include # or spaces in filenames
Please be sure to include all content for your submission in one doc
Do not upload a file bigger than 5 MB
You will get a confirmation on screen that your submission uploaded correctly (green) or that it failed (red) and to try again.
If your total points do not change, your submission did not load correctly and you will have to try again. You can see your points total by logging out and back in again.
If you are having trouble uploading, try using a different browser
Send any questions you have to info@turninggreen.org
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2018.

The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greenest

60 POINTS

Think

As you might expect, every person’s ecological footprint is different, especially when you compare consumption around the world. Consider this, only ⅓ of the world’s people consume ¾ of the global resources. This means that 1/3 of all humans are placing immense pressure on the rest of the world to produce a high number of goods. This unequal consumption creates and reinforces a critical imbalance in our global society. Given this all of this information, what do you believe our leaders should be doing to make an impactful change?

Challenge

Ever dreamed of being the President? Here’s your chance! As your country’s President for the next 24 hours, how would you counteract humanity’s growing footprint?

Get creative! Show us your best problem solving skills.

Design a brilliant plan for your day as President.
How would you create the greatest impact in 24 hours? What issue(s) in which sector(s) would you take on and why?
Show us how you would use your newly acquired power. Example: come up with a new policy, change an old one, propose a new constitutional amendment, write an executive order, or implement another impactful change.

Deliverables

Upload your responses in a PDF document. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.

Submission Guidelines

If you do not see an upload button, you need to log in
Please submit all entries as PDFs – no word or pages docs.
Please save filenames using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day1_greenest_2018.pdf)
Do not include # or spaces in filenames
Please be sure to include all content for your submission in one doc
Do not upload a file bigger than 5 MB
You will get a confirmation on screen that your submission uploaded correctly (green) or that it failed (red) and to try again.
If your total points do not change, your submission did not load correctly and you will have to try again. You can see your points total by logging out and back in again.
If you are having trouble uploading, try using a different browser
Send any questions you have to info@turninggreen.org
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Facebook @TurningGreen, on Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2018.

The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

TODAY’S PRIZES

up to 10 winners from the greener challenge will receive:

Guayaki Yerba Mate Organic Cotton T-Shirt
Guayaki Yerba Mate Traditional Mate Bags
Guayaki Yerba Mate Energy Shots (2)
Klean Kanteen Reflection Water Bottle

Rodale Books Global Warming Survival Handbook
Dr. Bronner’s Rose Bar Soap
Everyone Hand Soap
NaturOli Soap Nuts

up to 10 winners from the greenest challenge will receive:

Guayaki Yerba Mate Pre-Colombian Gourd and Bombilla
Guayaki Yerba Mate Organic Loose Leaf Mate
Guayaki Yerba Mate Organic Sparkling Mate
Guayaki Yerba Mate Organic Revel Berry
Grosche Terra Sustainable French Press

Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Toothpaste
Radius Source Toothbrush + Floss
Equator Coffee Turning Green Blend
Project Drawdown Book