The Cuban Counterpoint
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Any post-Katrina disaster response would have been better than the fiasco three years ago in New Orleans, but the response to Gustav was startling. I was happy to see a generally well-orchestrated mass evacuation of New Orleans last week as the hurricane approached. Mass transit in the city had never worked so well. And was I dreaming or were they flying people out of town? I agree with Kanye that “George Bush doesn’t like Black people,” and Katrina’s devastation caused no change of like minds or hearts. So give thanks that the Republican convention schedule motivated the government to get it right this time.
What In The World Is A Backdraft Damper?
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Product selection is not my strong suit. We offer nearly 1000 energy efficiency products at blackEnergy, but I’m better at selling them than deciding what to sell. It’s often a challenge to explain just exactly what an item is supposed to do to help save energy, so I spend a fair amount of time trying to figure it out. I’ve just learned about the backdraft damper.
Community Is The Solution
Posted by Sonja Ebron
By far, the best part of my job is visiting with community organizations and seeing the great work they do to help people better their lives. Whether they’re working on housing, health, education or women’s empowerment, the people in these organizations choose to spend their working hours and careers improving the odds for other people. There’s an obvious cultural difference between for-profit corporations and nonprofits, and it shows up clearly in the attitudes and enthusiasm with which people in community organizations do their jobs.
Georgia Avenue Food Co-op
Posted by Sonja Ebron
I had the great pleasure of visiting one of the Georgia Avenue Food Co-ops last week. The first co-op was started 17 years ago by Chad Hale and Brian Lowring, current and former pastors of the Georgia Avenue Church in the Grant Park/Summerhill area of Atlanta. The number has now grown to four co-ops serving 200 families. Designated members collect food for their co-op each Tuesday and Thursday from the Atlanta Food Bank, then distribute it among the families in the basement of the Georgia Avenue Church. Most of the families are headed by women, including many grandmothers raising grandchildren. I found myself inspired and encouraged by their example of cooperative economics.
Engineers Are Lazy Bloggers
Posted by Sonja Ebron
We started this blog last December, and I have managed a grand total of six posts since then. That’s just lazy, right? In truth, I’m one of the hardest working women in energy, and I have too much to do. Ramping up a new sales program for our utility services, developing a training module for our summer interns, maintaining inventory and getting the right stuff timely shipped to the right people, driving traffic to our website for More Money, and the list goes on… got a sista burning both ends of the candle.
But this blog is important for lots of reasons, mostly because I get to remember — and tell you –what we’re all about. So I’m committing myself to more frequent posts, starting now. Of course, I also remember why I became an engineer: I want to work smart, not hard, so I always try to think of ways to get the job done with the least effort. In that vein, I’m re-posting a piece I wrote three years ago on the need for Black leadership in the energy field. How’s that for lazy? Anyway, it’s about a speech I gave on the topic to the American Association of Blacks in Energy. I was preaching to the choir. Here goes:
blackEnergy and Friends Present “Light Swap 2008″
Posted by Sonja Ebron
blackEnergy, along with the Concerned Black Clergy, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, the American Association of Blacks in Energy and presenting sponsor the ChicoBag Company distributed free energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) during “Lightbulb Swap 2008,” an annual event developed to introduce a cost-effective way of “Going Green” to the African-American community. The event took place on Saturday, March 22, 2008 at True Light Baptist Church located at 47 Anderson Avenue NW, Atlanta, GA.
