June 4, 2020
Our mission at Green Energy Ohio is to promote sustainable energy policies, technologies, and practices. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sustainable as: “A method of using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” Energy is just one of many resources we have in Ohio and our nation. First and foremost, the diversity of our citizenry is a resource in which we take great pride. To continue to systemically deplete, diminish, or damage our country’s human resources through inequality and injustice is not sustainable. We strive toward the goal of creating a healthier economy and environment from which all citizens benefit.
John Muir, father of the environmental movement, is quoted as saying: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” Over the past few months, we’ve seen in stark relief how interconnected we all really are. Going forward, we should not only look at energy to make a difference in the health of our planet, we must look at all the other things to which it is “hitched.” Around the world, clean energy generation fosters education, promotes clean air and water, prevents disease, and supports opportunities for employment, including in many traditionally under-served communities of color here at home.
We in the United States often take energy for granted, just as we too-frequently take for granted the fact that we live in a democracy. Inherent in our democracy should be a commitment to creating a healthier and more just world for the next generations. Whereas climate change has shown us the fragility of our planet, the events of the last week underscore the fragility of our democracy. We need to join together to protect and preserve both. We need to listen to communities whose voices have long gone unheard, learn from their experiences, and include racial and social justice in environmental conversations. Green Energy Ohio is proud to partner in those endeavors and committed to fight for all our precious resources every day.
Jane Harf,
Executive Director
Green Energy Ohio