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Ecology Action, a non-profit member of
he Santa
Cruz Chamber, has been a leader in
developing sustainable community programs
since 1970.
Founded on Earth Day on 1970, Ecology Action
Inc. (EA) is a nonprofit working jointly
with private businesses and the public
sector to reduce energy consumption,
conserve material resources, and prevent
pollution. EA designs and implements
environmental services, including energy
audits, technical assistance programs, and
public education programs to instill
environmental awareness and help businesses
and community agencies save money. Learn
more about Ecology Action and their current
projects at
www.ecoact.org.
This GreenSeeds edition is about vehicles
because we believe affordable battery
powered vehicles will serve to re-launch
America's economy while improving our
collective "carbon
footprint" faster than almost anything
else.
Ecology Action has 55 employees and 11 of
those are what could be described as "road
warriors", meaning these employees are out
every day driving their own vehicles often
more than 10,000 miles each year throughout
five northern California counties to help
businesses properly invest and install
energy efficiency improvements. When the
non-profit began looking at their total
carbon footprint, those vehicle miles popped
out as the bulk of the measured emissions.
In an effort to lower those emissions,
Ecology Action decided to offer employees up
to $6000 "up front" so they could purchase
cleaner vehicles. Here's the math:
An employee drives 10,000 miles per year and
therefore receives $5000 in expense
re-imbursements based on the current IRS ($
0.50 per mile), regulations. Ecology Action
agrees to look ahead three years and loan
the employee 40% of that re-imbursement in
return for those funds to be paid back as
the miles pile up. The employee gets to use
those funds to by a more fuel efficient
vehicle. The employee effectively trades
what they would use for gas for the cash
needed to better afford a new vehicle.
Thus, Ecology Action lowers their carbon
footprint.
When we heard about this, it occured to us
that this innovative access to capital
approach might be applied on a broader
level.
Consider the
Chevy Volt from GM. It will be the
first mass produced production car to be
able to travel 40 miles on battery power
alone before the gas generator boosts the
battery to deliver another 300 miles. The
cost of the electricity is less than half
that of gasoline per mile driven.
When Volts arrive later in 2010, every
one purchased means a boost to GM and to
America's GDP while at the same time,
lowering fuel costs and emissions. Some
might suggest purchasing cars like
this is an act of "economic patriotism".
What we do know is that when more cars are
built and purchased here in America, that
creates jobs. With gas costs in Europe
twice what we pay in the U.S., exports may
grow.
Small Business California just surveyed 119
businesses in California in a random
survey. Granted, it is a small sample, but
over 25% of those businesses had an average
of 6 employees eligible for a program like
the one offered by Ecology Action. This is
encouraging. Another sample worth noting:
PG&E has over 1500 employees that drive
their own vehicles over 5000 miles per year
on company business.
So while Ecology Action works hard to lower
costs for businesses and organizations by
helping them save energy, perhaps this
innovative effort aimed at providing an
employee benefit can also demonstrate how
dollars we're now using for gasoline might
be "recycled" and used to re-launch
America's auto manufacturing base.
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GreenSheet! |
