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Apr 17, 2011

A Dose of Advocacy for April
by Sasha Tenzin
It’s a goal here at Focus the Nation to actively improve energy literacy across the U.S. and advise inspired students in spurring the renewable energy revolution.
 
Now, the overwhelming question is, how do we do that? How do we attempt to inspire change? This is not an easy question to answer; those well-versed in energy issues know this all too well.
 
From our mission statement it is clear that Focus has identified education as a catalyst for action. Our clean energy forums and community outreach provide channels that elicit dialogue and education. Our commitment to multigenerational collaboration creates combined efforts between those familiar and engaged in the clean energy challenge and those just now queuing up. Take the Ellensburg community for example.
 
When we met with Gary Nystedt, Resource Manager at the City of Ellensburg, last November he took us Focus staffers on a tour of the EllensburgCommunitySolarProject. The three phase program, which began in 2006, was developed by a partnership between the City and community members. Over 173,000 kW hours annually are generated by the thin film polycrystalline and photovoltaic cells, providing power to homes, businesses and schools, including Central Washington University. Individuals who helped fund the project are rewarded with electricity credits and the feeling of clean. Looking to expand into a fourth phase, this solar panel community is interested in adding wind power to its arsenal of clean energy tech. You can find the budding community solar project on Interstate 90 and real time stats from its meter here.
 
All across the United States there are leaders in clean energy like those in Ellensburg; whether backed by government agencies, sprouted from grassroots campaigns, or from combined efforts of business cooperatives, they exist and are strong. Inspiration comes from being surrounded by an atmosphere of support for change.
 
The Solar 4 RSchoolsprogram, developed by the BonnevilleEnvironmentalFoundation, puts renewable energy into the hands of students every day. Through the program, students, teachers and family members are directly affecting the way they view energy by setting up solar energy systems. The solar panels are a hands-on education tool to increase the students’ energy literacy. For them, it’s not about relearning how to create energy, but rather creating their definition of energy. For this generation, when they think “energy” they will automatically think of clean technologies; how exciting!
 
In the process of bringing energy literacy to the forefront, I have learned that it takes one idea, a team willing to provide the effort, and superstar marketing to create an event, but the event is not the endgame. The endgame starts with active participation in changing the status quo and daring to venture into territory armed with values incorporated in environmental justice and a head for efficiency statistics.
 
We do this every day, sometimes in the most subtle ways. For example, a faculty person at my university recently told me about The Green Microgym, a fresh concept gym she recently joined. The gym runs on bike power, “I feel good just by knowing my workout generates more than just my own energy,” she said. The economic benefit that Microgym receives just by generating its own energy is something to behold and replicate in other organizations. Focus the Nation challenges students to transform our current use of energy, but it is not necessary to reinvent the energy wheel. By just revitalizing a traditional idea is one way to explore other applications clean energy can contribute to. What is necessary is to understand that the switch over to clean energy, like education and advocacy, is not a static process and that all of us, not just us FOs, have some skin in the game when it comes to a clean energy future.
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Apr 28, 2011

White House Tackles GHG Emissions Goals
by Sasha Tenzin

Last week the White House Council on Environmental Quality released the first Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory for the federal government. This inventory will be used to measure the federal government's emissions to help them reach President Obama's target to a 28% reduction of direct emissions by 2020. Head over to CEQ Chair and Focus the Nation supporter Nancy Sutley's blog to learn more.

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