Where we are and where we are going.....
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A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
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Challenge and Opportunity
The time since we last communicated has been a challenge for all of us. Green Energy Ohio was certainly not alone in having to postpone events, and I share the disappointment of our partners who had worked hard to arrange opportunities for clean energy advocates to come together.
I want to thank the Oxford Seniors Ecology Club, the Greater Akron Innovation Network for Sustainability (GAINS), and the Hathaway School in Shaker Heights for scheduling screenings of the climate documentary The Human Element. As many times as I have seen the film, I am always moved and inspired, in large part because of the reaction of those who are seeing it for the first time. We will be working with them and others to get the film back on calendars as soon as possible. I also want to thank the Cincinnati Zoo for helping us reschedule the Annual Awards Ceremony and Reception for October 23. Mark your calendar!
GEO signed up to participate in over a dozen celebrations of the 50
th
anniversary of Earth Day across the state, and we were excited to partner with the zoos, universities, and communities where these events were taking place. Even without those celebrations, we can all make a difference, so please read
“50 Ways to Honor Earth Day"
later in this newsletter and on the GEO website. There are lots of great ideas, opportunities, and links to more information, all developed with the current restrictions in mind. See how many of those actions you are already taking or can take during the month of April and beyond.
As spring comes into full bloom, we miss being with all of you in person, but we promise to stay in contact and we look forward to continuing our clean energy programming as soon as we possibly can!
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Jane Harf, Executive Director
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This month, current Board member Chris Meyer interviews Jay Warmke. Jay served on the GEO Board of Directors for six years and was a driving force behind establishment of the Understanding Photovoltaics program at the ODRC Richland Correctional Institution.
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When
:
March 28, 2020
Where:
On the phone, thanks to social distancing.
Chris
: Jay, I know you have had a unique career that brought you into the Sustainability business and lifestyle.
Jay
: My career path was certainly non-linear. When I graduated from college, I worked in comic book distribution, eventually becoming the General Manager of Diamond Comics. But it was an industry that I had no passion for. I then started working for a small non-profit in the telecommunications industry. As the internet was born and expanded, BICSI grew to be a worldwide trade and certification association. Once more needing a change, I quit that and we moved to Europe for three years. I then returned to southern Ohio, where we owned 40 acres. We developed our farm into Blue Rock Station, a homestead and learning center focused on sustainable living. We built our house out of trash (tires, plastic bottles, cans, mud, etc.), known as an Earthship. Now we teach others how that works, along with other sustainable living skills and photovoltaic certification.
Chris
: When and why did you get involved in GEO?
Jay
: In 2008, living at Blue Rock Station and writing a textbook on solar installation, I got a call from Michelle Greenfield asking if I would join the Board of GEO. I did and served on the Board for 10 years.
Chris
: What do you see as benefits of GEO membership?
Jay:
GEO brings together people of a like mind which allows you to meet and understand others in the sustainability industry, sharing their unique perspectives.
Chris:
What GEO programs have been effective and what ones ineffective?
Jay:
GEO’s early wind measurements were very helpful to the wind industry in Ohio. GEO’s website was great, with so much information that was not widely available. The conferences were important informational and networking opportunities. Some of these same activities became less effective over time, as renewable energy became more mainstream and the information was more widely available from quite a number of sources. For example, what is the point of a Solar Tour when you can see solar by simply going for a drive? And GEO’s early reliance on government grants needed to evolve to a more fee-for-service funding source.
Chris:
What are your recommendations for GEO going forward?
Jay:
Technology has made information on sustainability readily available. GEO needs to focus on Ohio. How can renewables be more relevant in Ohio? At Blue Rock Station we are making our training more virtual, so that we can go to our customers instead of them having to come to us. GEO needs to do the same. GEO could get involved more with schools and get green energy integrated into curricula. It could identify industry best practices in training and certifications. It could work with local governments to make local ordinances more friendly to solar. And it should look at where green energy is going: electric cars with a solar generation package; EVs becoming grid back up; how we will eventually see virtual utility companies. There is always something on the horizon and GEO could be there to tell us what is about to happen.
Chris
: Thanks Jay, for your insight and your years of service to GEO.
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HOW TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY
2020
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With the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day this month, we are disappointed that opportunities to celebrate together have been canceled. While those events would have be fun, the best way to honor Earth Day is to make changes, take action, and increase awareness! Green Energy Ohio has put together the following list of 50 ways to honor Earth Day’s 50th Anniversary. We’ve included ways to celebrate right from your home, with digital experiences and activities that keep social distancing in mind - but some may have to wait until our activities return to normal. Some require making purchases or calling on experts; others just require your time and commitment. All of them will improve your quality of life while, at the same time, preserving the health of the planet. Set a goal to accomplish as many as possible before Earth Day 2021!
Our list is divided into five sections: Sign Up and Speak Out, Ditch and Switch, Green Home Makeover, Reduce and Reuse, Nurture Nature.
There's something for everyone
here
!
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Doing What You Love: The OH Solar Story
by Erin Fisher
Corbin Holland has long understood the role energy plays in quality of life. Growing up, Corbin was acutely aware of the importance of energy independence. Spending each summer with his Navy-veteran Grandfather, he learned that most wars break out over a lack of resources. So, when Corbin was tasked with exploring an energy resource while earning his B.A in Economics from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, renewable resources were the obvious choice.
While his interest in renewables and their potential to improve lives continued to grow, it wasn’t until he was without electricity that he decided he wanted to dedicate his career to developing renewable resources. “I’ll never forget - there was an ice storm that took out my electricity for a week.” While he was without power, “I realized that only one company could deliver my electricity and that product was very essential to
all
our lives. I wanted people to have the best quality of life and one way that I might be able to help with that was to learn more about the electrical grid.”
In 2014, Corbin began classes at Columbus State Community College towards a degree in electro-mechanical engineering. With only one semester until graduation, he was offered a job in his home state with SolarCity – a company chaired by one of his icons, Elon Musk. However, his fascination with the future of his field drove him to stay in the Buckeye State to finish out his degree. Determined, Corbin obtained an associate degree in electro-mechanical engineering in only 16 months.
Click
here
to read the rest of the article about Corbin Holland and OH Solar.
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FROM THE GEO ARCHIVES:
DRIVING CLEAN ENERGY ACROSS OHIO
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In 2019, electric vehicles (EVs) were just over 2% of the automobile sales market in the United States. Projections are that number will double by 2022 and continue to rise, crossing the 1 million mark in 2024 and the 3 million mark in 2028. Of the 35 major automobile brands sold in the U.S., 14 currently do not offer an EV for sale and 12 more offer only one model, although several have plans to launch new EVs in the next 1-2 years. The Ohio market share of EVs doubled between 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 the state had approximately 12,800 registered EVs, served by 432 charging stations with 996 outlets.
Green Energy Ohio played an active role in educating Ohioans about the electric vehicle movement eight years ago. In June 2012, Green Energy Ohio (GEO) and Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) collaborated on a "Tour de Sol", an electric vehicle road rally, visiting green businesses and renewable energy charging stations, spreading the word that Ohioans wanted EVs and wanted to be able to charge them using renewable energy. The week-long event was designed to promote a broader understanding of the practical and policy considerations associated with electric vehicle use, and to focus on developing infrastructure powered by renewable energy. The logistical challenge of this long-distance tour was to drive an EV as much as possible using electricity generated from renewable energy.
The Tour featured expert speakers, workshop presentations, educational materials, exhibits, and EV “ride and drives” at five locations in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Warren and Cleveland. The workshops included 39 expert presentations and were attended by over 250 people. The Ride and Drive events showcased 23 vehicles at seven stops, and attracted approximately 90 drivers and passengers. Tour events were free and open to the public, local media outlets, community and business leaders, and elected officials interested in learning more about the technology.
At the time of the Tour, the availability of EVs to retail customers in Ohio was still limited. In preparing for the Tour, GEO contacted 63 auto dealers in the five cities, with one dealer in each of the cities eventually participating.
We have come a long way in terms of variety and availability of electric and hybrid vehicles, but we still have more to do, especially with regard to infrastructure and incentives. Given our current isolation, heading out on the open road to recreate the Tour de Sol sounds like a great idea!
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Clean energy supporters may have heard about the new organization,
Power a Clean Future Ohio
. Green Energy Ohio is one of a dozen Ohio-based groups that are partners in the initiative, along with a large number of national environmental and energy advocates with affiliates in the state. We have partnered with many of these organizations on programming and policy advocacy, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to work together to advance our mutual goals.
Power a Clean Future Ohio presents its mission as “building momentum now for a clean, prosperous future by equipping local leaders for community-driven carbon reductions in Ohio” and describes the organization as an “an expansive, diverse coalition engaging with cities and local governments across the state of Ohio to build a clean future for our communities.” Many Ohio cities have already taken major steps toward carbon reduction and sustainability, and Power a Clean Future Ohio will continue to empower local leaders with tools and resources to create plans and implement them in achievable, measurable, equitable, and economical ways.
The importance of local communities cannot be overstated, especially when many states and the federal government are failing to lead on climate solutions. GEO and the Ohio Environmental Council have hosted three
Growing Local Solar Workshops
designed to provide resources for local governmental officials and staff within county, township, city and village jurisdictions and to encourage solar activists to work with their communities to enable solar development. A fourth in the series is planned for Southeast Ohio. Originally scheduled for April, the date has been changed to August 6 in Athens.
The Sierra Club
Ready for 100
campaign asks communities across the country to commit to 100% clean energy by the year 2050. Cleveland and Cincinnati are among the 162 cities that have signed on.
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In a time when the world’s attention is focused on the coronavirus pandemic, we cannot forget the climate crisis. This month’s Book Club selection is written by Cornell University Professor Robert Frank, who studies “behavioral contagion” — a social science term for how ideas and behaviors can spread through populations like infectious diseases. He applies this theory to the changes necessary to achieve progress in preventing climate disaster.
Professor Frank describes how the strongest predictor of our willingness to support climate-friendly policies, install solar panels, or buy an electric car is the number of people we know who have already done so. In the face of stakes that could not be higher, the book explains how we could redirect trillions of dollars annually in support of carbon-free energy sources, all without requiring painful sacrifices from anyone.
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