News - 12/2: December Event announced

On Saturday, December 8th from 1-3 pm at St. James Episcopal Church in Mt. Airy: "New Options in Wind Power Generation for Your Home, Business, Church, or Neighborhood" Come learn all about wind power generation, particularly the new highly efficient and versatile "vertical axis" technologies.

"Vertical axis wind turbines are much smaller in scale than the huge commercial propeller-style models that everyone pictures," said Tom Williams, president of Freedom Energy Solutions, who will be presenting. "Even the appearance is different and the cost (of these turbines) is less than producing the same amount of power with solar panels."

Also covered in this free workshop are the fundamentals of net metering (selling power back into the power grid) and how the power inverter works. "Many people are worried about still getting their renewable energy from their own source(s) if the power on the grid goes down. We’ll show you how you can isolate your home or business from the grid so you can still get power when the utility company can’t deliver," said Mike Dixon of Electrical Solutions, who is knowledgeable about electrical hook-ups and installations.

Dan Andrews, of the Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council, will also be on hand to discuss the wind ordinance that is currently being devised for the county and expected to go into effect by the end of the year. Come hear about the new “WindSwept” wind turbine grant program that the Maryland Energy Administration is offering.

The event will be held at the newly constructed St. James’ Episcopal Church located 1307 North Main Street; it is wheelchair accessible. For further details, please call 301-371-9852 or email maryland1@grey-goes-green.com. Reservations are suggested.

11/21: Renewable Energy Panel a success!

Over 60 people came out to hear Congressman Bartlett speak followed by a panel on community options for renewable sources of energy. Click this link or the picture below to find out about how the event went.

11/9: Renewable Energy Panel on Sat. 11/17 at 1:30 pm

The Renewable Energy Panel (which is a follow-up to our Renewable Energy Forum that was held back in August) is coming up next Saturday, Nov. 17th.

Here is the press release:

Public Forum at Town Hall
about Energy Cooperatives & Renewable Energy Policy
held in downtown Mount Airy, MD
Saturday November 17 from 1:30 til 3:30pm
Congressman Bartlett, US Representative, Jay Mason of Allegheny Energy and
Councilman Gary Nelson will be on hand

++ Sharply Rising Oil Prices, the Onset of Cold Winter Months & the Need for Increasing Energy Independence sets the stage for serious challenges and opportunities ahead for '08 - Join the Dialogue! ++

Sponsored by local groups & businesses under the banner of
"United for a Sustainable Maryland"

A special Town Forum meeting for the public has been called for SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17 in Mount Airy at the Town Hall located at 110 South Main Street. The Forum's subjects will cover ENERGY COOPERATIVES & RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY and will examine in a vigorous workshop setting many key issues of surrounding energy distribution, electrical energy pricing, adding renewables to the current fossil fuel and nuclear mix, and how a dynamic regional cooperative may help consumers, businesses, churches, towns, and emergency responders meet a rapidly changing future.

The organizers expect that Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (Sixth Congressional District) will be participating in the Forum; he is also expected to be joined by the Congressman's legislative affairs expert on energy policy, John Darnell, Ph.D. Also confirmed at the event for the workshop panel are Mr. Gary Nelson, Mount Airy Councilman, Mr. Jay Mason, General Manager of State and Local Government Relations, Allegheny Energy, Mr. Tim Richards, founder of Citizens for a Green Mount Airy, and Ms. Rebecca Rush, Chairman of Grey Goes Green, Inc. There will be a moderator to help facilitate the workshop.

"Energy cooperatives can be formed to serve both residential customers and businesses," said Ms. Rebecca Rush, of Grey Goes Green. "They can be critical in helping members determine not only the future cost of electrical energy, but also determining the supplier and choosing a supplier that is certifying that their power is derived from renewables. Price, stability and environmental impact can all be factors that a co-op can address."

Three organizations are behind this special forum: Citizens for a Green Mount Airy, Grey Goes Green and Freedom Energy Solutions. Allegheny Energy has generously provided its expertise to help move this dialogue along. The sponsoring organizations are pulling together under the banner of "United for Sustainable Maryland" and they welcome other for-profit and non-profit entities to join them in their efforts to promote a more sustainable future for the State.

The Forum will run between 1:30 - to - 2:30 pm and there will follow one hour of moderated questions-and-answers and a time for general socializing.

For more information, please call Rebecca Rush at 301-371-9852 or Tim Richards at 301-471-2960.

10/23: Baltimore Sun article

Another article on the potential Wind Power at Windy Ridge, this time from the Baltimore Sun

10/19: WBAL TV News Report, Windy Ridge in USA Today, News Galore

Partners Tom from Freedom Energy Solutions and Becky from Grey Goes Green were featured in a TV news story about the Windy Ridge Project yesterday on WBAL Channel 11. Click here to see the story online.

Also, a small blurb about the project made it into the yesterday's USA Today, much to our surprise! Somehow the AP picked up on the story and spread it around to outlets nationwide.

Finally, the Baltimore Examiner did a piece on the project as well. Much more to come!

10/17: Wind Power for Windy Ridge and more

Good news: there was a very informative article published by the Carroll County Times yesterday that details some of the initial ideas for the Windy Ridge wind/solar farm and sustainability center. Please read about it if you have a second: "Group envisions wind powering Mount Airy" (available in Word here) At the very least, a wind-powered Mount Airy is linguistically appropriate, no?

We, along with partner organizations Grey Goes Green and Freedom Energy Solutions are looking for other folks who want to get involved, because as Tom says in the article, "it will probably take a team of a thousand to make it happen." Please email Tim, Rick, Becky, and/or Tom with your ideas - we need them in order to make this a truly grassroots community effort, and now's the time to share them!

On a related note, if you're interested in seeing our nation take more aggressive steps to support solar energy through legislation, you can visit this link to encourage our legislators to do so. Remember: renewable energy is national security.

Finally, there will be another community tree planting in light of the hugely successful March 31st planting. It will happen November 3rd from 9am-12pm at the Mount Airy Village Gate Park. Help plant native trees and shrubs along the headwaters of Woodville Branch in Mt. Airy with neighbors and friends of Village Gate Park. For additional information, contact Patty Williamson at 301.829.1593 or Kay Schultz at 301.600.1741. Read more about it in this Word document.

10/5: Time for Sustainable Rebuilding in Mount Airy

It's been a month since the last update, but that certainly doesn't mean we haven't been busy. We have been quite busy, as a reading of the following will show:

Now is the time to enter the dialogue and see that your voice is heard in calling for Mount Airy to be rebuilt and redeveloped properly: with green/sustainable methods. Please take a moment to consider the information and arguments on our Sustainable Rebuilding for a Robust Downtown Mount Airy page. Then, write a letter to the editor and/or send emails to the parties involved with redevelopment to ensure that your voice is heard.

In other news, CGMA was recently featured in the Baltimore Sun - check it out here. Also, the Monocacy & Catoctin Watershed Alliance put together a small piece on us in their newsletter. Co-director Tim Richards was successful in passing a Sustainable Haverford resolution at his college in which the student body voted to increase tuition by $60/year in order to purchase 100% wind power and support a comprehensive list of actions for sustainability.

Also, CGMA will be represented at the Mount Airy Fall Festival this Saturday and Sunday, October 6th and 7th under the banner of "United for a Sustainable Future" along with fellow organizations Grey Goes Green based in Middletown and Freedom Energy Solutions, LLC based in Westminster. We will be handing out educational materials as well as seeking those who would be interested in helping to develop a Community-Supported Energy Co-op in town that consists of clean, renewable wind and solar energy generated in the town, for the town. We will also be looking for supporters in the numerous sustainability initiatives that are groups are starting in town.

Finally, there are a limited number of rain barrels still left - call Town Hall at (301) 829-1424 to check for availability. Also, we are seeking to finalize our dual-flush toilet purchasing collective, so please email tim@greenmountairy.org to become a part of this purchase. Our next collective purchasing project will be helping connect people with the ability to purchase clean energy by coordinating a bulk purchase of renewable energy certificates, which allow you to support clean, renewable energy such as wind and hydroelectric rather than coal or nuclear with your energy bill, all without having to invest heavily in your own generation devices like wind turbines or solar panels.

8/26: New purchasing collective announced; barrels still available

We're looking into a collective purchase of renewable energy certificates/ 'green tags' that allow you to purchase wind power for your home or business. This is a great option for those of us who want to support clean/renewable energy but don't yet want to buy solar panels/ wind turbines of our own. Check out the bulk purchase page for more info.

Finally, we still have about 25 of the original 100 barrels that have not been purchased. If you're interested, the price is $20 for those in Town limits and $40 for those outside of town. See the bulk purchase page for details.

8/12: Renewable Energy Forum a smashing success!

We had over 40 people come out and learn about the options that already exist to bring us clean energy and energy independence, including solar, wind, and geothermal forms of renewable energy. The goals of the Town Hall Renewable Energy Forum were twofold:

1) educate and empower residents and businesses with the knowledge they need to pursue renewable sources of power in their homes and offices

2) discuss options on a community scale for renewable power generation

Read all about how it went here! Also, click here for television showtimes on Carroll Channel 23.

Dan Andrews during his renewable energy power point

Front view of the audience

See this link for more pictures and a detailed progress report.

"Organic Frederick" documentary showing - a hit!

We had over 30 people convene at the Mt. Airy Library for a showing of the locally-prodcued documentary about the rise of organic food and agriculture in Frederick County. Afterwards, we had an engaging discussion about the food industry, industrialized agriculture, the problematic food status quo, hopeful community-based alternatives including CSAs and farmer's markets, the corporatization of organic, and more!

8/9: Big discounts on rainbarrels and dual-flush toilets!

There's good news for Mt. Airy residents who want to join (or already have joined) our rainbarrel bulk purchase collective - you will receive 50% off thanks to a new rainbarrel pilot program sponsored by Mayor Johnson and the town council as part of their water conservation efforts. That's right - a complete rainbarrel available for only $20 to Mount Airy residents. Talk to your friends and neighbors and be sure to contact Tim at tim@greenmountairy.org or 301.471.2960 by August 11th at midnight if you want to take advantage of this excellent opportunity!

Also, anyone (non-residents included) who wants to join our dual-flush toilet collective will receive a 40% discount, putting the price at $240 per unit, which is competitive with normal, less efficient models.

See our bulk purchase collective page for more details.

8/7:CGM on T.V.; Rainbarrel update

You can now check out Citizens for a Green Mount Airy on television! Our water conservation workshop was recorded and will be played throughout the rest of August. Click here for details on showtimes and channels.

In other news, we have switched suppliers for the rain barrels for our bulk purchase collective to Aquabarrel based in Gaithersburg. We'll still have the same barrels, but with different parts and a superior, more durable design. See our bulk purchase collective info page for more information. Also, click here to see the special 20% discount that we are being offered on downspout accessories. There's still time to join our collective - be sure to contact tim@greenmountairy.org or 301.471.2960 by August 11th at midnight if you want a rainbarrel.

7/29: August Events announced:

"Organic Frederick" documentary showing: Thursday, August 9 - 7 p.m. @ Mount Airy Library

Town Hall Renewable Energy Forum: Saturday, August 11 - 7 p.m. in Town Hall

Other news - anyone can join our bulk purchase collectives for rain barrels and dual-flush toilets - even if you live outside of town. If you're interested, email tim@greenmountairy.org by August 11 to become a part of this purchase. All you have to do is let us know how many you barrels/toilets you want: payment will be upon pickup.

7/23: Water Conservation workshop a huge success!

We had around 35 people come out to learn about effective water-saving techniques. Mayor Johnson gave out free toilet tank banks, diverter valves, low flow showerheads, faucet aerators, and shower timers. Dan Andrews from the Carroll County Environmental Advisory Council presented information on high-efficiency washing mashines and high-efficiency toilets, including the dual-flush models that are becoming widely used in Australia and Europe (they offer a 1.6 gallon flush for solids and also a .9 gallon flush for liquids). Josh and Tim demonstrated rain barrel construction and gave tips for installation and maintenance of the barrels before distributing 20 free fully constructed barrels to town residents that were paid for by the town. Half of the parts for the barrels were generously donated by Ace Hardware in Mount Airy. Thanks to the town for sponsoring the event, to Mayor Johnson for helping to organize, publicize, and execute the event, to Dan Andrews for his help consulting the town on water policy and providing a wealth of wonderful information at the workshop, and to everyone who came out to make our efforts for community-involved conservation education fruitful!

In equally good news, we are forming two bulk purchasing collectives as a result of the workshop - one for additional rain barrels and one for dual-flush toilets. If you would like to participate or learn more about either buying collective, click on this link and e-mail tim@greenmountairy.org

7/12: Water Conservation!

As we've been reading in the Gazette and Messenger for the last month and a half, Mount Airy is in a difficult water situation. Fortunately, there is much that can be done to conserve and solve our problem.

First, be sure to come to our Water Conservation workshop on Saturday, July 21 at 10 a.m. in Town Hall and learn about the myriad of ways you can save water - we're providing many free conservation materials, so don't miss it! Learn how to make your own rain barrel and show up early to receive one of the 20 free barrels that we'll be giving out!

Next, check out great ways to save a lot of water.

Feed yourself?

Ever wanted to be handy enough to produce some of your own food to eat, but never quite had the time or skill to adopt that green thumb? On Saturday, July 21st at 5 p.m., Jeff Rose from Natural Zing Farm in Mount Airy can help you become thrifty and patriotic (see below) by learning how to grow your own food.