October 20, 2009

Cooler temperatures, gray skies and even the raindrops could not dampen the high spirits and enthusiasm of the 100 Lowell elementary students.  The essays and drawings were wonderful.  The smiling faces of students, school faculty, community members, and parents added to the wonder of the day.

Michigan GREEN, a non-profit organization advancing the cause of energy efficiency and renewable energy, has developed a program to support community action agencies in Michigan that are operating Weatherization Assistance programs.
 
Kevin Cook, one of the founders of Michigan GREEN and currently serving on the board of directors, has helped put together an alliance that includes Michigan GREEN members MTI Energy Management / Lighting Specialists, Inc. and Niagara Conservation Group. MTI is a Michigan-based company and was selected by Niagara to supply, warehouse and distribute materials needed for weatherization programs in Michigan.

Special pricing has been negotiated with the manufacturer that is designed to be competitive with other national bulk suppliers of energy efficient products. A website has been setup to sell products and service Weatherization Programs in Michigan. Custom services for programs are also available.

As more and more people use the internet as their primary mode of communication for messaging and news gathering, it’s noteworthy that www.michigangree.org recently passed the 500,000 page views milestone. In addition to current news, topics, videos, and the Michigan GREEN Pages, you’ll find a treasure trove of articles listed in Stories Archive that date back more than two years, and learn upon a 2nd reading they are still very relevant and informative. This year’s articles are no exception and you’re invited to review The Top 12 highest read articles of 2009 and 3 Editor Favorites…

EDITOR:

The unofficial start of summer sounded the start of the race to bring clean energy jobs to Michigan and the nation through comprehensive climate and energy legislation. After several drama-filled weeks of negotiation, the House Energy and Commerce Committee emerged with a blueprint and an expanded coalition of members of Congress ready to make the U.S. the world's clean energy leader.

by Doug Russell of Michigan Green, and Gary Zaplitny of MTI Lighting Specialists

Michigan GREEN (Group for a Renewable Energy Efficient Nation), a non-profit energy organization, recently completed an energy audit for Pinckney Community Public Library (PCPL) through a grant from the state energy office. This energy audit, which included a utility bill analysis of electric and natural gas consumption, identified opportunities for energy conservation. Based on the audit, Michigan GREEN recommended that the Pinckney Library move forward with an energy efficiency upgrade.