Footnotes Issue #87: September 29, 2014
Chapter Office Walks the Talk with Lighting Retrofit
This month, the Georgia Chapter office has undergone an extensive lighting retrofit. John Noel, President of Energy & Environment LLC, is a long-time member of the Sierra Club. After a visit to our office, he was shocked (and offended) at our outdated, inefficient lighting which was not only driving up our electric bill, but also wasting valuable energy. He insisted that we make some energy efficient upgrades in our office, and his team made it easy for us.
Energy + Environment is an electrical contractor specializing in energy efficient lighting and commercial lighting upgrades. They improve lighting and energy usage through lighting assessments, lighting design, and lighting retrofits. Many of their projects use a “pay through savings” model that finances projects through energy savings. Their expertise in the electrical and lighting efficiency world brings technology and solutions that fit the needs of each facility at a price and payback that incentivizes investment.
We kept our existing T12 fixtures, but for one of them, we swapped out the florescent bulbs for LED tubes. On the other ones, we got T5 adapter kits, which help brighten the space and use way fewer kilowatt hours.
In addition to lowering our energy use through making our existing fixtures work better, our lighting upgrade included the addition of new lights in our storage closet and over two work spaces that don't get any natural light, along with switches to control the different areas and daylight harvesting sensors. Click here to check out more of the before and after pictures!
Before | After |
Atlanta Bike Challenge
The Atlanta Bike Challenge is here! GDOT, ARC, and GA Commute Options have partnered with People for Bikes to bring a highly-touted encouragement program to the United States for the first time. This isn't just another commuter competition, this is a chance to encourage every friend, family member, and coworker to give bicycling a try. From September 28th to October 19th, encourage your colleagues to experience first hand joys and benefits of riding a bike. People only need to cycle for 10 minutes or more. It's easy and fun! There are lots of fantastic prizes on offer to tempt your team! Click here to read more about the challenge and sign up.
Sierra Club Meetings
Smart Energy Committee Meeting, Monday, October 6, 7:00 p.m. Wildlands Committee Meeting, Monday, October 20, 7:00 p.m. RAIL Committee Meeting, Monday, October 27, 7:00 p.m. Fundraising Committee Meeting, Thursday, October 30, 7:00 p.m. |
Other Events
October 1st - Sierra Club & Beer Every other month, Sierra Club and Beer provides a space and great beer for meeting like-minded people. With the elections coming in November, our speaker is the Executive Director of ProGeorgia, Ms. Page Gleason. She will discuss the rising American electorate and how they will play an increasingly important role in environmental issues. Click here to RSVP. Prior to the meeting we will be hosting a Beltline bike ride and Piedmont Park hike. RSVP here for either one of those events.
October 4th - Paddle to Protect the Coosa River - Join the Georgia Beyond Coal Campaign and Coosa River Basin Initiative on a 10-mile paddle adventure to explore the Coosa River and learn about its biggest industrial threats as it winds from Rome, GA toward Alabama and Weiss Lake. We'll learn about the impact of of pulp mills and coal-fired power plants on water quality, quantity and the rivers important biology. For more information, click here.
October 7th - GreenLaw Environmental Heroes Celebration - Join GreenLaw as they honor those who are dedicated to preserving Georgia’s natural spaces and our local communities at the 2014 Environmental Heroes event on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 from 6-9 pm at Nelson Mullins. RSVP here.
October 9th - Outings Leader Training (OLT101) - Like spending time in the outdoors ? Like seeing new places? Like meeting new people? Have you ever thought of leading outings? Then this is the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! Attend our leader training and learn how you can lead outdoor events with the Sierra Club of Georgia. RSVP here.
October 14th - Chattahoochee 20th Anniversary Gala - The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala benefit. A reception at 6 p.m. will be followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and an inspirational program that will look back at the past two decades of accomplishments. Click here for more info.
October 25th - GOTV Canvassing in Clayton County - The RAIL Committee has been hard at work in Clayton County, GA and has successfully secured a ballot measure to expand the MARTA system there. This will provide transporation options, cleaner air and reduced oil consumption for residents in the area. Please join us as we visit residents to get the word out about the vote on November 4th! Contact brionte.mccorkle@sierraclub.org if you are interested.
November 7-9th - HemlockFest - HemlockFest, hosted by the Lumpkin Coalition, is an annual festival held the first full weekend in November. The Festival and the proceeds from the festival are used to increase public awareness of Eastern and Carolina hemlock tree problems and to provide financial support for Area Colleges and Universities in their efforts to save the Hemlocks. Click here for tickets.
November 15th - Sierra Club 101 - You joined the Sierra Club to help protect the environment -- now what? Come learn about the Sierra Club and how to get involved in our local efforts. Open to members and non-members alike--bring a friend! Please register here so we can bring enough refreshments for everyone!
Interested in reading more?
If you have missed an issue of Footnotes Online you can view them in our archive by clicking here. You can also sign up for alerts in order to take action at times when we need decision makers to hear from you. We need your help!