Rooftop Solar Matters

As the Sierra Club so eloquently put it: '... rooftop solar is safe and long lasting, with zero emissions and a low water footprint. No one ever had an asthma attack because of a solar panel, nor have we ever heard of a catastrophic solar-power spill threatening fish and wildlife.'

The Green Coalition believes there has never been a better time to add solar panels to your roof. In fact, the Green Coalition is so excited about rooftop solar solutions we're sponsoring a third Solarize Ojai Valley program with the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and three solar vendors - reaching out to our members and the community to spread the good news. And we really do think it's just a matter of "getting the word out," because once homeowners find out how easy, affordable, and beneficial adding solar power is, there will be no stopping the rooftop revolution.

Here's why you owe it to yourself to come to a Solarize workshop:

1. If you care about the environment, rooftop solar is as green as it gets. Every kilowatt hour of solar you generate either replaces electricity that might otherwise come from burning coal, or frees up some other form of energy so that it can replace electricity from burning coal.
    
2. Solar has never been more affordable. The materials costs for solar rooftop installations have fallen dramatically. With the Solarize program discount on top of that and the 30% federal tax credit (available until December 31, 2016) for installing solar, the cost is brought down further for both purchased and leased systems.
    
3. Solar-leasing programs, where you basically rent or purchase power from a system for 10 to 20 years, have made it possible for homeowners to put solar on their roofs for as little as $0 down and still save on their utility bills. You get all the environmental benefits as well as a locked-in electrical-utility rate that will protect you against soaring electricity rates in the years ahead.
    
4. Rooftop solar also helps our local economy by providing work for the people who design and install the systems. A stronger economy based on good green jobs at home helps us all.

If you can't make a workshop, go to SolarizeOjai.org for the simple, 5-minute application process. CEC will then contact you to discuss the process and expectations. Sign-up NOW! The program ends July 18, 2015.

to read more click here.

To Be a Tree
Is to Be Enlightened

Why can't a building be like a tree? Architect William McDonough, author of Cradle to Cradle writes, "Let me give you the retroactive design assignment of a tree. Could you design something for me that purifies water, provides habitat for hundreds of species, builds soil, accrues solar income as fuel, provides food and micro-climate, makes oxygen, fixes nitrogen and sequesters carbon? Can you do that for me? How many buildings do you know that produce oxygen? Wouldn't it be amazing if we could design a building like a tree? Compared to a tree, our buildings are incredibly crude."

As a society, we've finally come to realize how important trees are, to the point many communities now include them along with other natural resources as assets on the balance sheet! So, though we are conserving water inside our buildings and reducing usage in our landscapes, we do need to be sure to allocate some water to our trees to keep them going! Our friends at Ojai Trees regularly provide tree care information on their site.

photo: BABA'S TREE (Perry Van Houten, Ojai Valley Visitors Guide, Winter 2014 edition)

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"Trees" is Our June Salon Theme
Friday, June 5, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Coalition
Resource Center - upstairs at 206 N. Signal St. #S

Roots, trunk, branches, leaves: a tree represents the interconnection of all life on Earth and serves as a metaphor for life itself. As such, it is a powerful, universal symbol embodied in many cultures and spiritual traditions. And, on a personal level, almost everyone has a tree story!

Is there a tree, grove or forest special to you? A cultural tradition involving trees that moves you? Come share your tree wisdom in whatever medium you wish - or just come to listen.

Complete details here.

Greywater Education
Webinar Series

Installing Home DIY System

Thanks to member Renee Roth of Rainscape Designs, the Green Coalition is hosting a three part webinar series produced by Greywater Action for people who want to educate their communities about greywater systems (but we think there's a lot of good content for homeowners, too).

A webinar on three Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 17th, June 24th, and July 1st. will be viewed at the Resource Center - 206 N. Signal St. #S.

Part 1: Wednesday, June 17th:
Drought-Proof Your Landscape with Greywater

Part 2: Wednesday, June 24th:
How to Design and Install a Laundry-to-Landscape System

Part 3: Wednesday, July 1st:
How to Make Your Community Greywater Ready

Further Details Here.

Other Greywater Classes

Business Member Profile:

Studio Landscape

It's time for another Business Member shout out, this time to Kathy Nolan, owner of Studio Landscape. Kathy Nolan was an early supporter and director/president of the OVGC. Now it is our turn to thank her for being an OVGC business member.

"I've always believed in sustainable practices," said Kathy on a recent cool Ojai morning. "I know the benefits for the environment and can't think of a better organization to be aligned with."

Kathy in the Coalition 2012 July 4 parade bike brigade.

Kathy has lived with her family in Ojai since 1981, and established Studio Landscape in 2008. She brings to her business a vision for the world that goes beyond sustainability and moves towards regenerative design solutions. "We love working responsibly with the land, from wild places to open spaces to the urban core. Relationships matter ... people, places, plants, animals, the watershed, the air shed, the soil that supports us all, and everything above, below and in between. We believe this interconnection is vital to creating whole, beautiful and functional landscapes, to honoring those places that need healing and to knowing and understanding those places where we should tread lightly, if at all."

to read more click here.