Greetings fellow Tractivists,
Growing up, my mom always thought I’d make a good social worker. Today, here I stand, a professional environmentalist.
The way I see it, reducing the impact of global warming has everything to do with people: Avoiding the strongest effects of global warming will make our future more healthy in terms of weather, food, and drinkable water. It’s also about helping other people who live in vulnerable places escape flooding, drought, and disease and live happy, healthy lives.
This Tuesday evening, 6/30, come hang out with me and fellow Tractivists. We’ll enjoy the film Kilowatt Ours , about our energy use in the southeast, and we’ll chat about ways we all can use energy wisely.
WHAT: ReelPolitik: Kilowatt Ours with Tractivists Rachel Della Valle, Eileen Thorsos, and Maria Mauceri.
WHEN: Tuesday 6/30, 7 PM – 9:30 PM
WHERE: Traction HQ, 1018 Broad St., Durham
WHY: Documentary watchin’, door blowin’, energy conservation plannin’ and good conversation!
Kilowatt Ours first looks at how using energy from coal hurts communities in the southeast. Then we’ll see ways that individuals, like film maker Jeff Barrie, and institutions are working to kick the coal and nuclear habit through energy efficiency and green energy.
We all can take a few simple steps at home to save a little money and be more energy efficient. Similarly, we all are part of groups of people — where we work, go to school, go to church, or volunteer — whose buildings are probably ready for an energy face lift.
I know about buildings. I work at Southern Energy Management , where I assess building energy use. We’ll also be joined by Tractivists Eileen Thorsos, from Durham’s Sustainability Office , and Maria Mauceri of Advanced Energy .
After the film, we’ll take a quick tour of the weatherizing upgrade that Tractivists gave to Traction HQ this winter, I’ll use a blower door to show you the kinds of leaks that buildings have, and we’ll talk about easy ways to start shifting energy use within the institutions we’re part of. We’ll also get the current word on the climate legislation that’s before Congress and how you can help support it.
Remember, if I own a car again one day, you may see stickers reading "Save the Whales" and "Save the Humans" right next to each other. We’re all in this together. Let’s turn the slide around.
Looking forward to our movie night,
Rachel
nut roaster, kilowatt counter, Tractivist