Do you need more activities during your shelter-in-place life? Do you want to reduce your impact on the planet? Take part in the Online Sustainability Scavenger Hunt organized by the City of San Rafael and Partners, so you can learn strategies for being more sustainable while connecting with local organizations working for climate action.
Rules:
This virtual contest will start June 15th and end July 20th, and we will release two challenges every week on Monday through partner Facebook and list-serves. Each challenge will be worth five points, and the participant with the most points will win. The winner will be recognized as a San Rafael Sustainability Superhero and featured as a Climate Action Role Model on the SanRafaelClimateAction.org website!
All challenges that require research can be answered by doing some scavenging on the website included in the challenge description. Responses should be sent to Scavenger Hunt Referee Katia Carranza at katia.carranza@cityofsanrafael.org. Remember many websites have a handy dandy search option where you can type relevant terms!
If you join the Scavenger Hunt late, no worries! You can still participate and complete all the challenges released prior to your participation. However, all challenges are due by the July 20th.
Challenges:
Visit this page for more details and to see all the challenges, including the first challenge released this upcoming Monday, June 15th!
Week One Challenge: Renewable Energy
In order to reduce our carbon emissions, we have to stay up to date with the latest sustainability strategies. Switching to renewable energy is an important step to mitigating climate change because when compared to coal-powered energy, wind energy releases up to 70 to 180 times less carbon dioxide and solar energy releases up to 20 to 50 times less carbon dioxide according to the Union of Concerned Scientists .
Week Two Challenge: Sea Level Rise
According to the BayKeeper, the sea level could rise between 16 to 66 inches in the Bay Area. The time to take climate action and reduce our carbon footprint and sea level rise is now!
3. From Drawdown Marin: Make a Pledge with DearTomorrow at https://www.deartomorrow.org/drawdown-marin to take action on climate change for the next generation. Submit a screenshot of your pledge.
4. From SanRafaelClimateAction.org: Find out if your home is vulnerable to sea level rise. Submit your response.
Week Three Challenge: REFUSE, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Changing our consumption patterns can have significant impacts on climate change by purchasing and throwing away less products. According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, zero waste strategies can efficiently mitigate climate change as they could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 406 megatons CO2 eq. per year by 2030, or the equivalent of closing 27% of USA coal plants
5. From Marin Sanitary Service (MSS): Visit this MSS link and write a short blurb identifying two ways you can reduce waste during the pandemic based on the recent blog posts. Submit your response.
6. From SanRafaelClimateAction.org: Take a picture of yourself composting, and submit it.
Week Four Challenge: Clean Transportation
According to the EPA, transportation is the largest contributor the greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 39% of them, and over the past 30 years, it has increased the most.
7. From Drive Clean Marin: Identify an Electric Vehicle charging station in San Rafael and take a picture next to it or write its location. Submit your picture or response.
8. From Green Committee San Rafael Chamber of Commerce: Ride your bike to pick up your take-out food instead of driving. Submit your picture.
Week Five Challenge: If Not Renewable, Energy Efficiency
You can save money when you save energy and reduce your electricity consumption! According to Cornell University, a phantom load that uses energy when appliances are on standby can cost the average home $200 per year.
9 . From City of San Rafael: Write a short blurb explaining a Green House call. Extra five points if you schedule one online and send us proof. Submit your response.
10. From City of San Rafael: Write a short blurb explaining two methods for reducing phantom load. Submit your response.
Extra Credit:
Invite five Facebook friends to like the City of San Rafael Green Initiatives FB Page. Submit a list of people (first and last name) that ACCEPTED the invitation to LIKE the FB page. You will get a point for every person that accepted the invitation, with a 15 point limit on the Extra Credit.
