Matthew Strasser
"To develop routines of lessening my impact, expand my knowledge, and not let George beat me."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 981 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO11conversationswith people
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UP TO1.0donationmade
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO39locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO8.0meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO10milestraveled by bike
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UP TO170minutesspent exercising
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UP TO25minutesspent learning
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UP TO60minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO1.0personhelped
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UP TO2,333pounds of CO2have been saved
Matthew's actions
Buildings
Online Energy Audit
Multiple Solutions
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Composting
Composting, Reduced Food Waste
I will start a compost bin where I live.
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions
Conduct Virtual Meetings
Telepresence
I will encourage my office to hold meetings virtually whenever possible instead of requiring travel.
Electricity
Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits
Onshore Wind Turbines, Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaics
I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.
Industry
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.
Electricity
Learn More About Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Power
I will spend at least 5 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions
Advocate For Greener Vehicles
Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars, Efficient Trucks
I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on electric and fuel-efficient vehicles
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions
Spread the Word about Energy Alternatives
All Electricity Solutions
I will research and tell 10 people each day about the benefits of alternative energy sources like wind turbines, solar energy, geothermal energy, and methane digesters.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Reduce Animal Products
Plant-Rich Diets
I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.
Land Sinks
Explore My Area
Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 30 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.
Action Track: Accelerating Solutions
Support Local Food Systems
Plant-Rich Diets
I will source 15 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
Smaller Portions
Reduced Food Waste
I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.
Industry
Find a Local Climate-Friendly Supermarket
Refrigerant Management
I will explore the interactive map in the links below to find a supermarket that does not use HFC refrigerants near my home.
Industry
Research the Climate Impact of Refrigerants
Refrigerant Management
I will spend 10 minute(s) learning about the climate impact of refrigerants and what climate-friendly refrigerants are by using the links below.
Electricity
Calculate My Carbon Footprint
All Drawdown Solutions
I will calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce my negative impact on the environment.
Action Track: Climate Resilience
Learn More about Silvopasture
Silvopasture
I will spend at least 10 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.
Transportation
Go for a Daily Walk
Walkable Cities
I will take a walk for 15 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.
Transportation
Go by Bike
Bicycle Infrastructure
I will commute by bike 10 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
Health and Education
Help Students Overcome Health Barriers
Health and Education
I will donate 1 Femme Kit(s) to help people who menstruate overcome health and sanitation barriers to being able to attend school.
Transportation
Purchase a Carbon Offset
Efficient Aviation
If I buy a plane ticket, I will purchase a carbon offset.
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONBuildings Online Energy AuditWhat are your next steps for saving energy?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 1:35 PMI was surprised to find my house was a 9.3 out of 10. Most recommendations were incremental or really big. I may look at a water heater replacement, moving to tankless when my current traditional atmospheric vent tank style water heater dies. That'll save me about 24 therms of gas per year. Not much, maybe $300 over the life of the unit, but I'm just one dude. Who loves long showers. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood, Agriculture, and Land Use CompostingProducing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 1:19 PMMy motivation to compost comes from the fact that our landfills function as a long term storage for food waste and not a place where it breaks down. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Accelerating Solutions Conduct Virtual MeetingsHow can you ensure that your virtual meetings honor your values and your company's culture?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 1:18 PMWe can ensure our virtual meetings honor the company's culture by adhering to the recommendations on virtual meetings posted on Square1. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONElectricity Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy CreditsYour utility company is able to tell you your average energy usage. Ask them how your energy usage compares to others in your ZIP code, region, and/or state. What other steps can you take each day to reduce your electricity usage?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 11:13 AMI need to get better about turning off my phantom loads - mainly chargers that are plugged in but unused. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONIndustry Research the Climate Impact of RefrigerantsWhat did you learn about the climate impact of refrigerants? How do supermarkets contribute to this impact?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 11:12 AMI looked into the evolution of refrigerant usage and Montreal, Kyoto, and Kigali amendments/protocols for reducing ozone depletion and GWP. The commercial HVAC market is still all topsy turvy . -
REFLECTION QUESTIONElectricity Learn More About Geothermal EnergyGeothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 9:07 AMAs a mechanical engineer, I can always float out Geothermal as a possible HVAC system. However building type and location can play a limiting role in its application. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONIndustry Recycle Everything I CanHow 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?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 8:45 AMI'm really cheap/frugal - so reduce/reuse/refuse is kinda second nature, but I could always be better. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Accelerating Solutions Spread the Word about Energy AlternativesWhat inspiration and wisdom can you gather from your family, faith, or community traditions that would help you in both communicating about and addressing our most pressing energy issues?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 8:44 AMA gallon of gas is about 19 lbs of CO2 (not including drilling, refining, transport).
The equivalent energy from the national grid is 9 lbs of CO2, just from generation (burning fuel).
The lifecycle cost of that power from coal is 19 lbs of CO2.
Lifecycle emissions from natural gas is 10.2 lbs of CO2.
Lifecycle emissions from Utility Solar is 0.9 lbs of CO2.
Lifecycle emissions from On Shore Wind and Nuclear is 0.3 lbs of CO2.
We have to compare based on lifecycle since solar and wind are minimal in operations - most of it is from construction/deconstruction.
A gallon of gas today in the metro is $2.46-$2.72.
10 kW-hr of electricity is about $1.38 (plus other service charges).
Yesterday, Mike showed us how to sign up for renewable power for little added cost.
Just a rehash from the happy hour (again). -
REFLECTION QUESTIONAction Track: Accelerating Solutions Advocate For Greener VehiclesHow does advocating for green vehicles in your community connect to your values? How might you be able to get others involved in advocating for the shift to fuel-efficient vehicles?
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 8:43 AMJust some reminders from yesterday's happy hour.
A gallon of gas is about 19 lbs of CO2 (not including drilling, refining, transport).
The equivalent energy from the national grid is 9 lbs of CO2, just from generation (burning fuel).
The lifecycle cost of that power from coal is 19 lbs of CO2.
Lifecycle emissions from natural gas is 10.2 lbs of CO2.
Lifecycle emissions from Utility Solar is 0.9 lbs of CO2.
Lifecycle emissions from On Shore Wind and Nuclear is 0.3 lbs of CO2.
We have to compare based on lifecycle since solar and wind are minimal in operations - most of it is from construction/deconstruction.
A gallon of gas today in the metro is $2.46-$2.72.
10 kW-hr of electricity is about $1.38 (plus other service charges).
Yesterday, Mike showed us how to sign up for renewable power for little added cost.
So - electric cars can cut our fuel cost almost in half, have reduced maintenance costs from fewer or less active parts (radiator, oil, brake wear), and cut emissions by up to 98.4%.
And there's an exploding market of them. -
Matthew Strasser 4/30/2021 8:09 AMI just want to take a moment to say it's been lovely participating in this Earth Month EcoChallenge with all of you. And to post for 5 points.