Help Sitkans reduce
their carbon footprint
and prepare for the effects of a changing climate
through education and community action.
Check out Sitka's 2013 Sitka Green Business Award Winners! See this year's award winners, nominate a business for an award, and support a sustainable community by patronizing these great businesses!
EVERYONE is welcome to attend our events, presentations, and meetings!
Upcoming Activities
Learn the Art of Reusing!
2013 Parade Floats
-Help us brainstorm and build floats for 4th of July, Alaska Day and more
2013 Projects
-Bring up sustainability projects, and plan and implement them
2013 Climate Actions
-SGWG often takes part in www.350.org ongoing climate actions - join friends and neighbors in taking action on climate change!
Contact info@sitkaglobalwarming.org to volunteer
Important Local News:
Sitka Power Supply has changed to RED - STOP using Electric Heat; please CONSERVE Electric Energy
The signal is "RED - Stop Using Electric Heat - Please switch to alternate heat source (Oil, Wood, Etc.)." We ARE generating electricity using diesel and it is certain that significant supplemental diesel generation will be required this year.
Your other heating sources are much more efficient than the diesel generators and electric heat sources.
THANK YOU for reducing your electric consumption during yellow and red lights!!!
Red-yellow-green lights (Sitka's Power Supply Status signs) are popping up like daffodils around Sitka. To stay up-to-date, be on the lookout for the signs or check out the status on www.cityofsitka.com.
Most Recent Meetings or Events:
Wine-making Classes to Support SGWG, July and November 2012
“Wine-making at Home” classes were held on Fridays in July and November. In a fun and informative one-evening beginner’s course, Perry Edwards and Michelle Putz, members of the Sitka Global Warming Group (SGWG), taught how to make wine from locally-grown fruit. These are annual classes...look for additional opportunities in 2013!
Green Business Open House September 15, 2012
Over 115 people took part in our Green Business Open House during the Farmer’s Market. People enjoyed tours, information, and snacks at two of our award-winning businesses, BIHA (Baranof Island Housing Authority's) and their new LEED-certified building and Sitka Office Services at 245 and 246E Katlian Street. Thanks for participating, asking about green practices, and for taking nomination forms to send in later.
"Compost" float for 4th of July 2012
Sitka Global Warming Group (SGWG)/Sustainable Sitka, The Sitka Local Foods Network, and the Sicka Waste Compost Group created a joint "compost" float for 4th of July! You know people in Sitka support sustainability when you hear them CHEER (and hoot and holler!) for compost!
What can I do about climate change?
Here are resources to save money and reduce carbon dioxide emissions:
1) To participate in the Home Energy Rebate Program:
Request
a home energy rating. Sign-up at www.akrebate.com
or contact the
2) Sitka Red-Yellow-Green Light Energy Status program: http://www.cityofsitka.com/government/departments/electric/index.html and energy saving tips: http://www.cityofsitka.com/government/departments/electric/EnergySavingTips.html
3) Information about being IDLE-FREE: http://www.idlefreevt.org/
4)
Information about growing your own food in
What can I do in Sitka to reduce my carbon footprint?
Sitka Global Warming Group participates in 350.org candlelight vigil for climate agreement in Copenhagen, Denmark - December 2009
Sitka Conservation Society
(SCS) has been working to protect the temperate rainforest of southeast
Recycle
Sitka provides great information on what and how to recycle in
City
of Sitka Recycling Center
www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org can help you learn about growing your own food in Sitka.
Past Meeting Information
5/5/2012 "Connect the dots" International Climate Action Day
On Saturday, 5/5/2012, International Climate Action Day, we worked on climate change by Connecting Climate, Weather, and Oceans...This 2-part event 1) gathered materials and information to 2) help make an exhibit that shows climate change and ocean acidification are here NOW. We'll bring this exhibit to venues around Sitka to help Sitkans connect the dots between climate change and extreme weather and ocean acidification.
WHY?
Your materials help show the connection between carbon dioxide, our weather, our climate and our oceans:
We now have these materials, so help us find venues to share our exhibit. Where? The sky is the limit! With your help, we'd like to share it at the Seafood Festival, as a library display, at a museum or a gallery. For more information or to bring this exhibit to your location, call Michelle Putz at 747-2708.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 - Meeting
Bike to the Boots! September 24, 2011
10/10/10 International Climate Action Day with www.350.org - fuel economy checks and tune ups for 80 vehicles in Sitka!
Grid-tie Solar System
Open House – June 21, 2011
Curious
to see what a grid-tie solar system looks like and learn how well it works?
This event happened on the “longest day of the year”!
Ten
people came to see first hand what a grid-tie solar system looks
like, how well it is works at that moment and how it has been performing since
its installation. Visitors met with
and asked questions of the system’s owners and the designer of the system.
Discussion topics
were system output, design, costs and savings, and
City-specific information. Chris Duguay, owner of One Island Energy and
designer of the installed system and home-owner, Michelle Putz, answered
questions. Participants
viewed the grid-tie solar system.
A showing of the film "Vanishing of the Bees" April 21, 2011
The Sitka Film Society, Sitka Global Warming Group/Sustainable Sitka and the Sitka Local Foods Network teamed up to present the movie “Vanishing of the Bees”. The movie, narrated by Ellen Page, describes a recent phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, where entire hives of bees die off, leaving hives full of honey other bees won’t touch (normally when a hive dies off, other bees will raid the hive and take the honey). The loss of the bees is of critical concern for farmers and gardeners because honey bees are one of the major ways crops are pollinated. Without these bees pollinating the crops, we lose our ability to grow much of our food.
"Earth Day" Energy Conservation Sign Building Party, April 17, 2011
For our Earth "Day" event, we worked on the Red-Yellow-Green Light Energy Conservation Sign/s on Sunday, April 17 at Linda Willson's home south of Halibut Point Recreation Area. Afterwards, we joined Kerry's birthday party...work and play!
10/10/10 International Climate Action Day with 350.org
Our event was a fuel economy check and tune up where we checked/filled tires, checked air filters and oil and provided information on fuel economy tips and home energy savings tips. We also provided tire pressure gages to participants. We put over 80 vehicles through the line. We found that over 90 percent had low tire pressure (many under 1/2 the tire pressure indicated for the tire). Sponsors SGWG, Sustainable Sitka, RecycleSitka, Petro Marine Services, City and Borough of Sitka, and Renaissance Construction.
Grid-tie Solar Panel Discussion - September 2010
Three speakers
discussed general information about and considerations
for local grid-tie solar (photovoltaic) power systems as well as more specific
aspects like system design, system costs, and City-specific information.
All information related to a grid-tie system being installed at the home of
Michelle Putz and Perry Edwards on
Saving Fuel on the Waters of Sitka Sound - March 2010
Looking for ways to reduce your costs and carbon footprint while out in your boat? An open-forum, panel discussion with 6 speakers who shared ideas and experiences about: switching out motors, going electric, reducing fuel use, self-propelled travel, & more. Our speakers discussed ways to (and take questions on) save money on fuel in every kind of boat in Sitka. Topics will range from trollers to personal and charter boats; from switching to high-efficiency motors to methods for switching boats to electricity. We discussed economic opportunities to ideas on charging batteries through wave action.
Ocean Acidification - February 2010
Thanks to
Sitka Conservation Society,
Where are we going as a group?
"Organizer's meeting" January 19, 2011 in Harrigan Centennial Hall.
A few of us got together and talked about the group’s interests, willingness to help, and the priorities of those interested in organizing activities and actions. There were a lot of “like to do’s” but also a strong recognition that there’s a limited amount of time and energy to do everything that is possible. With that, we came up with some things that we will work on as well as several things that will fall by the wayside for now unless another organizer comes forward.
The activities SGWG/SS organizers will put effort into organizing in 2011/2012
L Hold regular meetings
L Present/organize speakers/presentations
L Coordination of speakers/presentations with other groups
L Continuation of 8th grade “Energy Conservation” classes (these are pre-prepared lessons put on by SGWG volunteers)
…if you feel like any of these activities are important enough to you to help set up, run, or organize them, we would gladly help you get them going. Please contact me if you would like to look into this more
Contact Us:
info@sitkaglobalwarming.org; 907-747-2708