Peter Collinge

ECO UU Open Team

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
698 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

270

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

51

minutes

spent learning

Peter's actions

Materials

Research Cement Alternatives

Alternative Cement

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching cement alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity Generation

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 12 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings and Cities

Research Heat Pumps

High-Efficiency Heat Pumps

I will spend at least 12 minutes researching heat pumps to see if installing one makes sense for my home/building.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Fix Leaky Faucets

Low-Flow Fixtures

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Materials

Recycle Everything I Can

Recycling

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Use

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 12 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

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
Materials Research Cement Alternatives

Concrete is a good example of a material that most of us encounter every day, but its carbon footprint may not be obvious. What other everyday materials might have a large carbon footprint? How can you find out more?

Peter Collinge 5/30/2020 11:06 AM

In researching the carbon impact of concrete, I was surprised to learn that the cement industry releases 3 times as much CO2 as the aviation industry. Do other materials have this kind of impact? Of course, steel production involves high heat, of produced by fossil fuels. Beef has a high greenhouse effect due to methane released by cattle (mostly via belches). We can't avoid these items totally but can reduce their use while science finds ways to produce them with less impact. I'm not ready to give up beef completely, but we've been trying to have it as an very occasional treat rather than a regular part of our diet.

Read More
- Theresa Almanza 7/12/2023 12:42 AM
  
  There are many everyday materials that may have a large carbon footprint. For example, plastic is a material that many of us encounter every day, from water bottles to packaging. The production of plastic requires a large amount of energy and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Another example of a geometry dash is aluminum, which is used in many products such as beverage cans and building materials. The production of aluminum requires a significant amount of energy and contributes to carbon emissions.
  
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Peter Collinge 5/18/2020 8:23 AM

We recently drove on the NYS Thruway (for a volunteer activity). So many vehicles are going 75 MPH or faster! I Googled and found a claim that an average vehicle uses almost 20% more gas at 75 mph than at 65 mph. Do drivers realize that? Sure, gas is cheap right now, but climate change will be expensive! Of course, we could have used even less gas by staying home, but our trip was for a good cause. But maybe that's what everyone says to themselves.

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Peter Collinge 5/11/2020 6:18 AM

I just spent some time researching air-source heat pumps, which are an excellent way to switch from heating with fossil fuels like natural gas to heating with electricity, which can be (though isn't currently mostly) made using renewable sources. But one article I read reminded me that the simplest, most cost-effective way to reduce use of fossil fuels in heating is to insulate and seal your house better. We've added a lot of insulation, but I can do more.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Use Research Peatlands

Much of Indonesia's peatlands have been drained so they could be replaced with palm oil or pulp and paper plantations. How can you make choices that help to protect peatlands, even if you live far away from one?

Peter Collinge 4/29/2020 7:08 AM

I didn't realize that fires in Indonesia's peatlands in 2015 released more CO2 per day that the entire US economy! Since the fires are connected with draining peatlands to replace them with palm oil or paper/pulp plantations, we can reduce the incentive to drain peatlands by reducing our use of palm oil (especially) and paper. I also learned that peatlands make up 3% of the Earth's land but store 30% of its carbon - wow!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Materials Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

Peter Collinge 4/26/2020 11:29 AM

Our economic system seems to push us toward buying lots of cheap disposable items, so I try to consciously look for better quality, repairable items with minimal packaging when possible. I know that I have the luxury of adequate time and money to do this, and not everyone does, but maybe if more consumers make these choices then the options in the marketplace will gradually shift as well. What I don't do enough is to look for used items when I need something, so I'll try to work on that. Meanwhile, I'm happy whenever we can put out our trash toter (every other week) less than a third full. And I have a stash to go to the county's Ecopark whenever it reopens.

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- Peter Collinge 4/30/2020 6:38 AM
  
  Thanks for the tip, Cyndi. I'll check out "Buy Nothing."
  
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- Cyndi Moolekamp 4/29/2020 6:06 PM
  
  Peter, a great alternative (if you haven't heard of it already) are groups called "Buy Nothing". For example, I live in Penfield so I am a part of the Buy Nothing Penfield group. People exchange things they don't want or need anymore. I see people getting tools, electronics, household items, etc for free from their neighbors. This is a great post and a good reminder to me to not buy so much junk (especially plastic) that we don't need.
  
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