Get Involved
Looking for sustainability projects?
Want to join the local community in solving climate change?
Get involved with Energy Independent Caroline!
For more information, contact:
Erica Frenay at efrenay22@yahoo.com or
Dominic Frongillo at df66@cornell.edu (607) 539-7335
Energy Independent Caroline is a group of local citizens dedicated to achieving town-wide energy independence in the Town of Caroline by initiating projects on energy conservation and renewable energy. We are seeking volunteers for a wide range of ongoing and future projects (see below). Get involved today!
Household energy conservation
§ Door-to-door energy survey. Volunteers needed to go door-to-door with surveys and information on simple low-cost/no-cost strategies residents can use to save energy in homes and apartments! We have maps, surveys, brochures, pens, and information about Energy Independent Caroline; we need people to organize groups of volunteers and transportation!
§ Homeowner assistance and referral. Volunteers needed to provide energy conservation information and assistance to residents. Activities include providing educational materials and resources to residents who request assistance in implementing energy conservation practices.
§ Citizen profiles and newsletter tips. Volunteers needed to identify and interview Caroline citizens who have successfully energy conservation in their homes and businesses. Profiles will be posted on the Town’s website, and incorporated into monthly columns in Brooktondale newsletter and other publications.
§ CFL distribution. Volunteers needed to write letters to Home Depot, Walmart, Lowes and potential funders requesting donations of compact fluorescent lightblubs (and other energy saving devices). Volunteers also needed to distribute CFL’s through at events on door-to-door surveys.
§ Community outreach events. Volunteers needed to help organize education outreach events to reach a broad segment of community members about energy conservation. Potential events include Cornell Cooperative Extension’s “Save Energy, Save Dollars” workshops and showings of “An Inconvenient Truth”. Help needed with publicity strategy, spreading by word of mouth, posters, letters to the editor, Brooktondale newsletter, Ithaca Journal, Ithaca Times, Tompkins Weekly and other venues. We have ideas and contacts, we need someone to lead this effort!
§ Development guidance system. Assistance is needed researching and drafting policy recommendations for incorporating energy conservation & renewables into the Town’s Development Guidance Incentive System, being developed in 2007. Analogous to the US Green Building Council’s LEEDTM certification system, developers would receive incentives for incorporated fossil-fuel-reducing practices in their development proposals.
Household and small-scale renewable energy
§ Grants for home renewable energy installation. Volunteers need to research and write grants proposals for installation of renewable energy in homes, businesses, community buildings, and Town facilities. We have ideas, and we need someone to lead this effort!
§ Renewable energy at Elementary School. Volunteers need to research, write grants proposal for, and organize installation of wind turbine at Caroline Elementary school. We already have information and contacts, we need someone to lead this effort!
Municipal energy conservation
§ Town municipal carbon analysis. Volunteers need to collect information and analysis the sources Town of Caroline’s greenhouse gas emissions. We have CO2 analysis from the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County, we need someone to lead this effort!
§ Policy recommendations to Town. Volunteers needed to research and recommend polices & practices for how Caroline’s Town government can conserve energy and reduce its carbon footprint. We have support of government officials, the City of Ithaca’s CO2 Action Plan and ideas on biofuels purchases, we need someone to lead this effort!
§ Liason to City of Ithaca. Volunteer needed to join the City of Ithaca’s sustainability task team and report back to EIC. We already have information and contacts, we need someone to lead this effort!
§ Town purchases municipal renewable electricity. Volunteers needed to organize local fundraising campaign to purchase wind energy for Town of Caroline municipal energy needs. Tasks include drafting fundraising letters and initiating media campaign. The project builds on Caroline’s success in being the 2nd municipality in New York State to purchase 100% of the municipal electrical needs from wind in 2005-2007. We already have information and contacts, we need someone to lead this effort!
Community owned windpower
§ Business plan. Volunteers with excellent research and analytical abilities needed to conduct market analysis, and develop a business plan which assesses multiple feasible options for financing a large-scale wind project, interconnection possibilities, appropriate potential sites, site control options, and wind turbine construction strategies.
§ Met tower. Volunteers needed to research process and write project funders for erecting a tower to collect windspeed data. We already have contacts, we need someone to lead this effort!
§ Community Education / Media. Volunteers need to write letters to the editor, compile educational materials, and create posters.
§ Funding / collaborator development. Volunteers needed to research potential partners and collaborators for a large-scale wind project in the Town of Caroline.
§ Community group engagement and outreach. Volunteers needed to build connections with existing community groups, such fire departments, churches, community centers, and stores. Activities include attending meetings, giving presentations, providing educational materials, and collecting community input.