Where we are and where we are going.....
Stay connected
|
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
|
|
Summertime with GEO!
As we pass Memorial Day, enjoy the summer solstice, and look forward to the Fourth of July, we all have summer on our minds! It’s a chance to take advantage of the great natural resources Ohio has to offer – the Ohio River, Lake Erie, state parks and nature preserves, festivals, fairs, and fireworks. It's also a time to reconnect – GEO members and their guests will be getting together at the five minor league ballparks in July to cheer for the home team and clean energy! We also hosted a second screening of the climate documentary "The Human Element" in partnership with Simply Living, followed by a robust panel-audience conversation.
And we officially launched our
Grow with GEO
campaign. Grow with GEO is more than a membership drive -- it's a new way of thinking about the work we do and the value we bring as an organization. We have identified five key elements that will guide our programming and measure our success. Please
join us
as we grow together!
Jane Harf
Executive Director
|
|
Grow in Knowledge:
GEO provides information on the availability, use, and benefits of renewable resources and energy efficiency & conservation.
Grow in Advocacy:
GEO promotes sustainable energy policies of value to Ohio's economy and environment with the state's decision-makers.
Grow in Leadership:
GEO offers opportunities for volunteers to plan and lead programs of interest in their communities.
Grow in Partnership
:
GEO collaborates with other nonprofit organizations to develop unique programming and reinforce common messages.
Grow in Community:
GEO represents a diverse set of clean energy advocates, including individuals, community & government entities, and academic institutions.
|
|
In it for the Long Haul: Third Sun Solar’s Experience in Ohio
by: Allison South
Michelle and Geoff Greenfield do not shy away from a challenge. From building an off-grid house, starting a solar business while raising a family, or living part time in Colorado while maintaining their Athens-based company -- Third Sun Solar -- the two are always ready to tackle complicated situations.
The company’s kick-starting project was a program that combined solar systems with curriculum in schools where they installed 45 small solar arrays at public schools around Ohio. Business increased with mandated net metering in the early 2000's, along with government subsidies, which made solar power more economically enticing.
B
ut, as incentives for renewables are subject to legislative support, business has dropped off periodically.
In 2012, Michelle embarked on the challenging assessment process of making Third Sun Solar a Benefit Corporation (B Corp) because she wanted to show that they were using the business “as a force for good.” This means that they use a triple bottom line approach when doing business, equally considering profit, people, and the planet.
|
|
If you have been following legislative deliberation on House Bill 6, you are aware that the bill passed both the House Energy & Natural Resources Committee and the full House of Representatives, and has advanced to the Ohio Senate. The Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee has taken a more in depth look at the rational behind FirstEnergy's demand for a statewide bail-out of their nuclear plants. The Committee has held four hearings, and once again the opponents significantly outnumber the proponents. A list of the organizations and individuals across the political spectrum who have come forward to oppose this proposal can be found at
Senate Committee Hearing Archives. As we write this, c
ommittee hearings continue, with the possibility of a substitute version of the bill.
Proponents have mounted a misleading television advertising campaign intended to cast this bill as a protector of jobs and energy costs -- when it fact it is just the opposite. By repealing support for renewable energy and energy efficiency, HB 6 puts Ohio at risk of losing jobs in fast-growing sectors of the economy, as well as large-scale investment in projects that benefit local communities.
We again encourage you to make your voice heard on this critical issue. Green Energy Ohio has launched a
public policy page o
n our website with information on HB 6. Contact your state Senators and ask them to vote in your interest as consumers and ratepayers -- not FirstEnergy's. Find your Senator:
www.ohiosenate.gov/senators
|
|
New Plans for the Green Energy Ohio Tour
|
|
GEO Supports Local Planning Teams
|
|
In striving to achieve continued success, we will be taking a new approach to the Annual Green Energy Ohio Tour this year. The feedback we received in 2018’s Post-Tour Survey revealed that many host sites did not see a significant number of visitors. We recognize that opening your homes and businesses requires considerable effort on your part, and we are committed to making the experience beneficial for both site owners and visitors.
Therefore, instead of hosts registering their sites directly with GEO, sites on the 2019 Tour will be selected, organized, and promoted by local planning teams composed of volunteers. This approach will allow volunteers to become more involved in the planning process, while increasing the likelihood that all tour sites receive the traffic that they deserve. GEO will provide significant support for the local teams, including a Tour page on the website with complete information.
If you are interested in being a Local Team Leader or serving on a Local Planning Team, please email
tour@GreenEnergyOhio.org
for more information. We have already heard from activists in several areas, and we would like to have the Team Leaders in place in the next month.
Stay tuned for other innovations in Tour planning -- the 17th Annual Tour will be the best yet and September 27-28 will be here before you know it!
|
|
ECO-Advantage = Support for GEO
|
|
ECO-Advantage® is an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional electricity plans. As a renewable option, ECO-Advantage matches 100% of your electricity usage with national, Green-e® Energy Certified, Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
Here are a few reasons for selecting ECO-Advantage:
- Match 100% of your usage with national Green-e Energy certified wind renewable energy certificates
- Manage your budget and feel good knowing you are supporting a cleaner environment
- Continue to receive the same electricity service and one monthly bill from your local utility
- No interruption of service or installation of additional equipment
As an added bonus, because of your enrollment, AEP Energy will contribute $30 to Green Energy Ohio.
To enroll, call 1-877-923-7728 and mention promo code: GEO
|
|
This month, the climate change book club is becoming a climate change film club, and we are recommending that you watch the National Geographic production "Paris to Pittsburgh." Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the documentary explores the very real social and economic impacts of climate change by focusing on the cities, states, businesses, and citizens who are taking action. As such, it presents the stories behind climate-related recovery and resiliency, as well as tireless innovative efforts to reduce carbon emissions, including in areas formerly reliant on coal. In a city emblematic of the changing landscape, Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto stood up to defy President Trump when he announced the U.S.’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. "Paris to Pittsburgh" is an excellent companion to our climate reading. Watch at:
Paris to Pittsburgh
|
|
June 22, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary since the last Cuyahoga River fire. Today, the Cuyahoga River is healthy and vibrant. However, Cleveland and the nation are now facing the unprecedented challenges of climate change and factors such as vacant urban land and a declining tree canopy — coupled with sustained social and economic inequality — have been shown to exacerbate the effects of climate change in Cleveland and its neighborhoods.
This year’s For the Love of Cleveland series, hosted by the City Club of Cleveland, is focusing on challenges and solutions to some of these problems. Two upcoming forums in July are particularly relevant:
Air: Breathing Life into Tomorrow
Tuesday, July 16, 12:00-1:00 pm, Public Square
According to a recent report from the American Lung Association, Cuyahoga County is the 9th most polluted area in the country for annual particle pollution and received an F rating for the number of ozone days. Both ozone and particle pollution can have deadly affects and increase the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and asthma attacks. How can Cleveland breathe cleaner air? And what do these risks mean for those most vulnerable to air pollution, including the elderly, young children, and low-
income communities?
Fire: Heating Up to 100% Renewables
Tuesday July 23, 12:00-1:00 pm, Public Square
One of Cleveland's goals is to power the city with
100 percent renewable electricity by 2050
. Meeting this goal is critical to reducing th
e city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. How is Cleveland progressing so far? What initiatives are underway — and are they proving successful? And how can we ensure these efforts don't result in an increased "energy burden" on the poor while also creating jobs for those that needs them most?
|
|
P.O. Box 521
Granville, Ohio 43023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
