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Light Bulb
Finder
Free mobile app, helps residents switch from incandescent to energy-saving light bulbs. Based on simple user inputs, the app recommends CFL replacements with the right fit and features. It also provides a summary of cost, savings, payback period, and bulb images. Users can then purchase recommended bulbs at local retailers or via mobile phone.
The app can be integrated with rebate and coupon programs and supported with regional energy and environmental savings reports.
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Help Wanted! Zero Pay Lots of Good Karma No Experience Required
WEBSITE MAINTENANCE Update, add, delete items on website as needed. 15-30 minutes weekly. MARKETING Recruit area businesses to offer discounts/benefits to OVGC paying members. 1-2 hours per week, for a couple of months. RECYCLING ENTHUSIAST This at-home project is developing a reuse/recycling resource page for our website. Lots of good material already gathered. No time restraint (but this year would be nice!).
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Click below to follow the Coalition on Facebook and Twitter!
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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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Board of Directors
Caryn Bosson
Noel Douglas
Dale Hanson
Kerry Miller
Kathy Nolan
Deborah Pendrey
Tyler Suchman
Sabrina Venskus
David White
Ojai Valley Green Coalition
327 East Ojai Avenue
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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Coalition Signs Lease for a
Community Green Resource Center
 | | New board member Kerry Miller helps clean up new center |
On April 22, Earth Day, the Coalition signed for space at 327 E. Ojai Ave. to create a center to make sustainable education and resources more accessible to all. Though an empty 430 square foot room now, our vision is to furnish it with energy and water conservation product models, green building material displays, small recycling area, and a lending library; along with guides, tips, and other literature to support our journey to change our habits, policies and ultimately our culture.
Over the next months we will hold open houses asking you and businesses to sponsor and adopt the tools we'll need to do this right. Once ready, with your continued involvement, we look forward to workshops, green job fairs for youth, films, and presentations, to name a few activities. In the meantime to get us started, if you have any of the below items to donate we'd be much obliged.
- Desks (no particle board, please)
- Office chair
- Folding tables 4', 6', or 8'
- 2 drawer file cabinets
- Laptops (less than 2 years old)
- Folding chairs
Drop by and say hi Wednesday - Friday, 12 - 5 p.m.
And a big thank you to our landlords, longtime activists Stanley and Barbara Greene, for making the rent affordable for us!
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Don't Delay - Dig Today
Everyone is invited to join the
Ojai Valley Community Garden
On May 5, 2011 the Ojai Valley Green Coalition adopted the Ojai Valley Community Garden as a pilot project under the Coalition's Food Council. The Community Garden is an organic garden established earlier this year on one-acre of land at the Help of Ojai West Campus on Baldwin Road. The Coalition chose to adopt the Community Garden as a way to continue to support food and agricultural activities in the Ojai Valley.
Current Community Garden Members are now planting their spring crops and making friends with one another. The garden is as much about community as it is about gardening. Every one of the gardeners is working toward the same goal and enjoying the process of creating something that feeds their spirit and their passion.
Keith Brock, the backbone of the garden and the garden champion, has been busy helping round up garden tools, wheelbarrows and the like, and preparing the site for planting. Each gardener has a choice of farming in the soil, building raised beds or planting in containers. While garden space is available everyone can choose how much area they would like to plant. The smallest site is 10' X10' and the largest is whatever size the gardener can manage. Gardener dues start as low as $120 per year, which includes the cost of the site and water.
For more information about the Community Garden, contact project team leader Robin Graham at (805) 640-0569.
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Green Thumbs Up to
New City Manager, Rob Clark
City Gives Variance to Increase Energy Efficiency
At a city Building Code workshop, Coalition member and green building contractor, Reggie Wood expressed a concern about the lack of a provision to allow residents to thicken the walls of a guest house for energy efficiency purposes without losing interior space. Shortly afterwards we received a copy of an email from the city manager.
"This is actually a zoning issue rather than a building code issue. I have authorized the issuance of a minor administrative variance in these cases so those interested in paying extra for an energy efficient building are allowed to enjoy the same amount of interior space as those who do not. Eventually we should amend the zoning code to make this permissible without a variance."
Read full code section and authorization here.
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Property Owners now Eligible for Energy
Upgrade California Rebates and Incentives
Energy Efficiency Program to Reach 100,000 Homes & Create Clean Energy Jobs for Californians
Efforts to increase energy efficiency and create green jobs are getting an important boost through California's new statewide energy efficiency program, Energy Upgrade California. The program is an unprecedented alliance among federal agencies, the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, local governments and regional utilities.
With homeowner rebates and incentives of up to $4,000, the Program expects to upgrade 100,000 homes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create as many as 12,000 construction and related jobs statewide.
"Energy Upgrade California is exactly the kind of innovative program that will help Californians do more for less money by encouraging property owners and contractors to take advantage of energy efficiency information, incentives, rebates and financing options," said Robert Weisenmiller, Ph.D., Chair of the Energy Commission.
Energy Upgrade California is available in all 58 counties in the state. Property owners can use the web portal, www.EnergyUpgradeCA.org to learn about available upgrade programs, rebates, financing options and participating contractors.
Whole House Approach
Energy Upgrade California emphasizes a "whole house" approach, in which a home is viewed as a complete system. All of the elements and systems-heating, air conditioning, water, and structural features like windows, ducts and insulation-should work together effectively to minimize energy use.
Sanchez Family Story
Learn how the Sanchez family decided to upgrade their 3-bedroom, 2-story house built in 1970. Their story represents many in California. View their short video.
Financing Available
The web portal includes a list of financing options for funding energy efficiency and onsite energy generation projects. According to Energy Upgrade California representatives, additional financing models are in development and will be added to the web portal over time.
Energy Upgrade California local contact:
Ashley Watkins, awatkins@ecoact.org or (619) 895-0805.
Reprinted with permission from Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance newsletter
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Make it a "Greener" Vacation
If you are traveling this summer, please think about a travel offset. Simply put, this means finding ways to pay back the environment for your trip's energy usage, or at least part of it.
The first step is to figure out how much you need to offset. There are a lot of energy footprint tools online to calculate your energy footprint while traveling. Next continue to think globally and act locally, consider one of the many local nonprofits. These great organizations offer volunteer opportunities that could work as an offset in lieu of a cash contribution, if your budget is tight.
The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy and Ojai Trees both have excellent programs for donating and planting trees, great carbon sequesters. The Surfrider Foundation has a local chapter, as does the Sierra Club, that offer options. Food for Thought or a local Community Supported Agriculture farm might be a good way to contribute by encouraging locally grown food and consumption. And of course, there is always the Ojai Valley Green Coalition.
Whatever you choose, have a safe trip and enjoy our beautiful Ojai summer!
Resources to calculate your travel energy footprint:
Terrapass Nature Conservancy Director's Note: Did you know that AAA is part of the Highway Lobby? AAA works against a host of environmental issues, actively opposing regulating greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, increasing royalties for oil drilling, and funding alternative fuel development in California. AAA even fights the creation of bike paths!
The good news is there's an alternative: Better World Club, the greener, cooler auto club. Better World Club not only provides the services you want - like 24/7 nationwide roadside assistance, maps, auto insurance in 40 states and DC, and travel services and discounts, but it also: - Is America's first and only Auto Club to provide nationwide 24/7 roadside assistance for bicycles
- Was the first travel company offering carbon offsets
- Includes a free carbon offset when you purchase auto insurance
- Offers similar hotel and rental car discounts to other auto clubs, but also unique green travel discounts
- Discounts membership fees for owners of hybrids and other alternative-fuel vehicles - even mass transit pass holders.
Reference: www.GreenAmerica.org | | |
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