All Good Things Must Come To An End
Posted by Sonja Ebron
After nearly 10 years in business, the time has come to turn out the lights at blackEnergy. I’m grateful to our past and present staff, suppliers and vendors, advisors and coaches, and most of all, to our loyal and demanding customers over the years. Personally, this has been the best job of my career, at all times tough and satisfying in equal measure. But bank accounts don’t lie, and the truth is we’ve run out of steam in pursuit of our mission.
When we started 10 years ago, Enron was on top of the heap and California’s utilities were going bankrupt. We wanted to increase the options for Blacks and others vulnerable to mistreatment as energy deregulation moved across the country. We partnered with community organizations like the American Association of Blacks in Energy (Atlanta chapter) and the Concerned Black Clergy of Metro Atlanta for everything from free light bulb swaps to energy town hall meetings to countless workshops on home energy efficiency. We worked with natural gas companies to provide services with lower rates, low-credit options and cash contributions to local organizations working on issues we cared about. We sold tons of energy saving products through our e-commerce store. We took pride in serving the needs of Black communities throughout the country.
I want to share a few lessons learned over the years. First, while we found tremendous value in our focus on the needs of Black people, the problems we wanted to solve really required a solution that worked for everyone. Second, a social enterprise is first and foremost an enterprise. It’s tricky to balance social, environmental and financial goals, but financials must be primary for the other goals to have a chance. Third, having said that, it’s so important to follow your heart where it leads you. Rewards of the heart far exceed all others.
I’m going to rest for a moment or two before dreaming up a new adventure. Those who want to stay in touch can find me on Facebook and Twitter, and in the ether. Toksa Ake! (Lakota: Until next time!)
Have an Energy Efficient Christmas
Posted by Wayne X. Young
Its that time of year again for holiday decorations. Have you picked up your Christmas tree yet? Are your X-mas lights and decorations “green”? The Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree in New York City will be energy efficient this year. There will be 720 light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs on the Rockefeller tree’s star alone, each with the light output of a 100-watt bulb!
LEDs are extremely energy efficient and come in a wide variety of colors and styles. LEDs use on average 80% less power than a normal incandescent bulb and last up to 4,000 hours. Most of the energy output goes to light instead of heat thus reducing the chance for fires in your home. The cost of LEDs are about 10% more than standard lighting, but you may be able to find great discounts at local retail stores. Please shop around to find the item that best fits your families’ budget.
In an average home, the cost of using incandescent Christmas lighting decorations will increase your electric bill about $16 - $25/month during the season. In order to save money this holiday season, please consider using LED lighting in Christmas ornaments and outside lighting. Also, set your Christmas lights on a timer that is made to withstand the weather. Normally, people install lights the week after Thanksgiving and take them down after New Year’s Day. Please consider your personal finances to manage the utility costs associated with Christmas.
Happy Holidays!
Wayne Young
Oil and Gas Industry Targeted Van Jones
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Van Jones finally made it to the top of the oil and natural gas industry’s hit list. His success at steering millions of dollars toward green jobs (in both stimulus funding and the House-passed climate bill) threatened a perfect storm for dirty energy.
Van’s brilliant idea was to marry the interests of labor, the environment and social justice. Taking on any one of those groups was a fight the oil and gas industry didn’t want, but a fight against all three was a sure loser. Alternet has the full story, but the short and skinny is that Van had to go. Here’s a breakdown of the takedown:
So let’s understand the stakes here and take heart. We are very close to changing the way we use energy in this country, and some folks can’t see themselves on the other side. That’s why they’re also targeting the Apollo Alliance, led by another “scary big ole black man,” former National Wildlife Federation chairman Jerome Ringo.
The Glenn Becks of the world didn’t wake up the other day and decide to equate green jobs with slavery reparations. They’re being fed this junk in an effort to divorce labor from the environment. You know you’re winning when an opponent resorts to these kinds of tactics. I think they made a big mistake in targeting Van, for two reasons. One, they’ve alerted us all to their weakness and fear and confirmed that we are on the right track. And two, Van is much more dangerous out here with the rest of us.
Our response is simple, and it’s one that honors the genius of Van Jones: We must push as hard as we can for the most progressive climate change legislation we can envision, one that includes green jobs with justice.
Missing Michael Jackson — The Long View
Posted by Sonja Ebron
These summer electric bills remind me that I need new windows in my home. I still have a few incandescent bulbs to replace, but I’m waiting for them to die. There’s so much going on with energy these days, from the new climate bill to the “pullback” of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, that I’ve been overwhelmed every time I wanted to write.
But losing Michael Jackson has forced me to the keyboard. I’m old enough to remember him as a pre-teen marvel, before he became a cultural icon. Reflecting on his four-decade expression of musical genius, I wonder what we’ll remember in 40 years about the lifestyles we enjoy today. We’ve gone from telephone answering machines to the iPhone, from radio antennas to HDTV, from the Ford Mustang to the Toyota Prius. Michael has left us at the Great U-Turn, trying to be the Jetsons but decked out like the Flintstones.
We’re at the most startling turning point in human history, supporting 7 billion people on resources fit for 2 billion. In 40 years, we will all wonder how we let ANYone drive a Hummer or burn coal to make electricity. The concept of the “job” and the “grocery store” will be gone, and we will know our neighbors well.
But Michael’s is the spirit we’ll need going forward. His exuberant commitment to sharing his God-given talent, even in the face of slander and fear of his grown-man innocence, may give us the courage to share ours in the decades to come. We will need this spirit, cause my new windows and light bulbs ain’t gonna cut it.
Your Lifestyle Off The Cliff
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Grist.org has a great piece today on whether American lifestyle changes are needed to address climate change. Apparently, some folx believe we can simply change our light bulbs and drive hybrids, and all will be well! Since some of us would rather let the planet boil than give up our iPods, we should pretend there’s no need to change the way we live. Yeah, like Wile Coyote off the cliff, some of us will get the memo too late.
Social Networks for Green People
Posted by Sonja Ebron
Social networks are popping up everywhere, Facebook-like platforms that let users upload pictures and profile information and connect with other users on a regular basis. There are social networks for everyone from knitters to hikers. Now a few green networks are helping people learn to live more sustainably together. Take a peek at these:
- 2People is focused on democratic action to find and promote solutions to climate change.
- Carbonrally lets you join or form a team and compete to save energy.
- Celsias lets you join projects and actions around the world and keep up with what others are doing on those projects.
- CoolTribe is a great site for connecting with environmentalists of all stripes doing work all over the world.
- GreenWala is the place to find and share great low-tech ways to replace bad habits and lower energy consumption.
- MakeMeSustainable is a joint carbon calculator that lets you suggest energy-saving actions to members of your group and get good suggestions in return.
- WiserEarth is for businesses, nonprofits and regular people who want to combine their efforts on many global projects.
There are tons more, but it’s great to see people connecting on ways to treat the earth better.
2009 Energy Town Hall Meeting in Atlanta
Posted by Sonja Ebron
With a collapsing economy and stable gasoline prices, you wouldn’t expect Atlanta activists to come out strong for a discussion on energy. But like most places, Atlanta had a rough year energy-wise, and people want to know what happened last year, what’s happening now, and how to avoid the next crisis. On some level, most of us understand the link between energy and the economy, as well as the huge potential of green jobs. So all ears were open for blackEnergy’s first Energy Town Hall Meeting of 2009 on March 9th.
The Genius Of Van Jones
Posted by Sonja Ebron
I like simple yet powerful concepts. “Green the Ghetto First” is the clarion call of Van Jones, a brilliant brother some have called the Martin Luther King of the green jobs movement. At this weekend’s State of the Black Union in Los Angeles, he said, “You can’t green the earth without greening the cities, you can’t green the cities without greening the ghetto, and you can’t green the ghetto without giving Pookie a job!” You cannot beat that logic.
Your Life On Energy With WattzOn
Posted by Sonja Ebron
We all want to treat the planet better, but not knowing what to do is a huge barrier. What kind of damage does our lifestyle cause, and where do we start? If this is you, check out this WattzOn primer on the energy impact of common activities:
There are lots of carbon calculators out there, but what makes WattzOn different is crowd-sourcing, letting everyday people contribute to improving a product. WattzOn asks users to measure the energy used in their daily activities so other users can better predict their carbon footprints. It measures the impact of lots of things, like the kind of food you eat, the size of your house, even the taxes you pay.
BusinessWeek called WattzOn the best idea of 2008, and it’s hard to argue. Take the survey and learn how to start powering down your energy-hungry lifestyle. And see if you can beat my results!
Say So, Mr. President
Posted by Sonja Ebron
I think I’m one of those cynics our new president referred to in his inaugural speech, the ones for whom the ground has shifted under our feet. I voted for him because of the hope his presence in the White House would bring to young Black people, but I never thought he could lead us out of the calamity we’re facing. Lately, though, I’ve been engaged in some very uncynic-like behavior. Somehow I can’t stop singing, humming and dancing to that inaugural band music.