We're on the List!
Ojai Community Bank's Charitable Giving list, that is. For every new account opened, the bank gives $25 to a local charity. This program supports the community directly and immediately, allowing bank customers to choose their favorite from a list of nonprofit organizations. Here's a way to support our community bank, our local economy, and the Coalition without spending a dime!
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An Energy Tip
Set your furnace thermostat at 68 degrees or lower and your air-conditioner at 78 degrees or higher, health permitting. Why? For each degree the temperature is set above 68 degrees in cold weather or below 78 degrees in warm weather, 3 to 5 percent more energy is used.
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Click below to follow the Coalition on Facebook and Twitter!
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Board of Directors
Caryn Bosson
Ellen Hall
Dale Hanson
Kathy Nolan
Deborah Pendrey
Tyler Suchman
Sabrina Venskus
David White
Nonvoting Members
Cindy Cantle
Representative of Supervisor Steve Bennett's Office
Steve Olson
Representative of the
City of Ojai
Ojai Valley Green Coalition
323 E. Matilija Street,
#110-114
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 669-8445
ojaivalleygreencoalition.org
This e-newsletter is produced by the Communications & Publicity Committee
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Advancing a green, sustainable, and resilient Ojai Valley
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Encouraging Words from Supervisor Steve Bennett
"If ever ther e was an organization that wisely used and leveraged their membership dollars, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition is it.
"They have successfully managed over $53,000 in grant funds from the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project and the Department of Fish & Game to restore Ojai Creek in Libbey Park, installed 40-plus home vegetable gardens, and hosted two successful Green Home Tours. With no paid staff and operating with limited resources, they have accomplished all this, in addition to their ongoing efforts to provide public education, reduce and recycle waste, and encourage green living practices and community events.
"I encourage everyone to join the OVGC as a dues-paying member, and to join me in watching the OVGC accomplish more action toward a green and sustainable Ojai Valley in 2011."
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THE OJAI VALLEY NEEDS YOU
to lead the way to a sustainable future.
Show our leaders and your neighbors how a community can be green and thrive. Invest in the Coalition with a monthly membership as low as $10. Every basic ($25 a year) membership helps, too.
Please visit www.ojaivalleygreencoalition.org and join today.
Help us reach our goal of 122 members by January 11th!
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If cash is tight, we understand, and need some products and services, too:
· projector and projector screen
· public address system
· 10 'x 10' canopy
· six-foot folding tables
· folding chairs
· Microsoft Word form-function expert
· website designer
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Consider Gift Memberships for Your Holiday List
Give the Gift of Green as You Seed Meaningful Change
in Your Own "Backyard"
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For a $30 donation, we'll send your friends, family members, and colleagues a year-long membership to the Coalition, delivered in your name as a green Holiday Tree Card hand-tied to plantable seed paper.
It's a win-win gift with a really low carbon footprint. Why not renew your own membership and send it to yourself, too! To sign up for one or more of these gifts, click here.
If you have any questions about this great "Seeds 'n' Greetings" gift, email us at membership@ojaivalleygreencoalition.org.
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Recycle Your E-Waste in January
In partnership with the Ojai Valley Directory, Ojai Community Bank, Gold Coast Recycling & Transfer, and E-Recycling of California, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition will once again hold an e-waste recycling event next month on Saturday, January 8, in the bank's parking lot, located at 402 W. Ojai Avenue, from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. Rain or shine. According to Deborah Pendrey of the Coalition, last year's recycling event was a huge success.
E-Recycling of California will be accepting most types of electronics, including computers, monitors, and all accessories; TVs, radios, and stereos; and small appliances such as toasters and microwaves.
The Coalition will also be recycling household batteries (five pounds per household), ink and toner cartridges, CDs and DVDs with cases, cassette tapes with cases, iPods, cell phones, and incandescent holiday lights.
The event is open to all Ojai Valley residents and businesses.
If you receive new electronics or small appliances as holiday gifts, remember that it's illegal to dispose of your old items in the trash or in regular recycle bins. These universal wastes, as they're called, contain toxic heavy metals that can leach into the ground, so they can't go to landfills.
The Coalition also collects, CDs, DVDs, ink and toner cartridges, iPods, and cell phones year round at regular collection events.
For more information about the event, call Deborah at (805) 669-8445 or visit www.OjaiValleyGreenCoalition.org.
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Is a Sustainable and Resilient Community
a Priority for You?
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The Ojai City Council is seeking a permanent City Manager. We see, as one priority for this hire, a knowledge of sustainability together with a mandate for advancing a resilient Ojai. With this in mind, we suggest that you write in as your top priority an option "7": "is knowledgeable and committed to sustainability issues." Thank you!
From the City of Ojai website:
Public Input on Next City Manager Invited: The City Council is in the process of selecting the next City Manager. The Council is interested in receiving community input on the attributes considered most important in making the selection. Following are six characteristics you may rate for the City Council to consider during the selection: responsive to community issues; is personable; active in the community; properly manages staff; is knowledgeable; and gives straightforward answers. To provide your input, please rank these characteristics in priority order ("1" being the highest; "6" the lowest) and submit to the City Council via mail (P. O. Box 1570, Ojai, CA 93024) or email council@ci.ojai.ca.us.
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A Whole-House Approach to Energy Efficiency
When considering home upgrades, most homeowners think of remodeling their kitchen or bathroom. Only a few consider upgrades to the energy efficiency of their home, and even fewer take a "whole house" approach. This could change with the availability of a new statewide incentive program and a pending federal incentive program for installing energy-efficiency measures in existing homes.
The whole-house approach approach takes into account all the energy-related systems in a home, such as windows, insulation, ducting, and space heating and cooling, and considers how they interact. To realize all possible benefits, the house is seen as an integrated system rather than an assortment of individual systems. For example, homeowners might install energy-efficient air conditioning, but unless they address windows that don't close properly or lack of proper insulation, they won't realize the full energy saving.
The whole-house approach also looks holistically at the relationship between energy savings, comfort, and safety. Addressing issues like proper insulation can increase comfort and reduce noise, and this methodology also looks at air quality and occupant safety, ensuring that combustion appliances like gas heaters and stoves are operating safely and not leaking toxic fumes. The whole-house approach also looks at other safety and comfort issues, including mold and mildew, that can cause bad indoor air and even damage the home.
While the whole-house approach can be expensive, new and pending incentive programs will help ease the financial burden. Energy Upgrade California www.energyupgradecalifornia.com, a statewide incentive program administered locally by Southern California Edison and Southern California Gas Company, offers incentives of up to $4,000 for the installation of a variety of energy-efficiency measures. And, if passed by Congress, pending federal legislation will establish the Home Star Retrofit Rebate program, through which homeowners would be eligible for incentives of up to $3,000 and could receive additional incentives for energy savings higher than 20 percent.
The benefits of the whole-house approach are many, an d participating homeowners won't just be helping themselves. They'll be creating green jobs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping California meet its energy savings goals.
Excerpted by permission from the November/December 2010 issue of Energy Leader, a publication of the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance, www.vcenergy.org.
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