World Centric & TWP: A Profound Partnership to Save the Planet!

By Patricia Flores White | Development Director

During a recent trip to visit our corporate grantors, World Centric®, we were able to sit with their staff over lunch to find out more about the work they do. It was so inspiring to speak to folks passionately working every day, to help people and the planet!

TWP National Director, Eriq Acosta, and W.C. Development Manager, Janae Lloyd

World Centric® was founded in 2004 to raise awareness about large-scale humanitarian and environmental issues. Their disposable food service products are designed to reduce pollution and waste through composting, require less energy and water to produce, come from renewable resources, and are created from waste products that help save biodiversity and habitats. What is most incredible is that 25% of their annual profits are invested in nonprofits like Trees, Water & People to create social and environmental sustainability.

Together, we have invested in a profound partnership to help people and the planet! I truly believe that through collaboration, we allow each organization to specialize in their individual field in order to meet common goals. This holistic model of cooperation through social enterprise is a means to achieve greater societal aspirations addressing social justice and conservation through alliance and cooperation.

Source: http://www.worldcentric.org/about-us/newsletter/2011/october

Finding solutions by coming together to solve problems that affect the entire planet sets the example of what is possible, of what can be accomplished through collaboration. We have empowered each other to create solutions by working in unison. This asset-based approach to helping people and the planet is a way to build enthusiasm, energy and strengthen relationships that propel people and cultures to the ‘next level’.

On behalf of TWP and the communities we serve, we would like to thank World Centric® for their continued support and innovative vision! To read more about the many ways to ally with and support TWP, please visit our partners page on our website.

Office Energy Challenge Update: 8% Reduction in 2012

by Megan Maiolo-Heath, Marketing & Communications Manager

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In 2012, the staff here at Trees, Water & People made strides to reduce our energy consumption at our Fort Collins, Colorado office. We set a goal to reduce our energy use by 10% between December 2011 and November 2012. This involved some behavior change as well as creating awareness around how we use energy in the office. We had a real-time energy monitor installed at the office so we knew exactly how much energy was being consumed at all times. In addition, we got rid of some wasteful appliances, put signs up around the office to remind everyone to turn printers/copiers off, and every staff member installed a power strip at their work station.

All of these actions paid off: we reduced our energy use by 8% in a 12 month period, almost hitting our reduction goal. Another way to look at this reduction in energy use: we prevented the burning of approximately 1,064 pounds of coal (In Fort Collins, the rule of thumb is that it takes 1 pound of coal to generate 1 kWh of electricity).

According to Rick England, our energy consultant/guru and owner of Best Energy Monitor, “This is quite impressive given that there were 1.7 times more cooling degree days than there were in 2011.” In fact, average annual temperatures for the continental U.S. were hotter in 2012 than in any year in U.S. recorded history (NOAA, 2013) and Fort Collins felt the brunt of this heat, with record highs and devastating forest fires during the summer of 2012.

In 2013, we are going to continue this energy challenge and keep working towards our 10% reduction goal. You can learn more about the Office Energy Challenge at our website.  Stay tuned to see how we do this year!

If you are interested in a real-time energy monitor for your home or office please call Rick England at (970) 672-6903 or email rick@bestenergymonitor.com.

Guest Blog: Save the world by saving energy in your home

by Jaclyn Nicholson, eLocal.com

Energy efficiency should always be a top priority in your home. In the U.S. we tend to overuse and over produce, creating a massive amount of carbon dioxide. The United States is the second largest producer of CO2, just behind China. Although these numbers are astronomical, we can contribute to the solution daily by being more energy efficient in our homes. From upgrading appliances to solar roof panels, there are endless ways to conserve. For more simple methods, it is encouraged to change your light bulbs from incandescent to CFL. If every home in the nation followed this suggestion, we would have enough energy to light three million homes for a year! Check out the infographic below to learn more.

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Source: eLocal.com

Office Energy Challenge Update: Record Highs in July

This July was the hottest month in U.S. history. The record breaking heat was obvious in our energy use here at the TWP office. With the A/C on most days, we survived the outrageous temperatures here in For Collins, but it also meant that we were not able to meet our monthly goal of 10% energy reduction. However, as the temperatures here slowly begin to drop, and we move towards Fall weather, we hope to use far less energy in the coming months.

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Note: The blue line indicates our 10% energy reduction goal, based off of 2010 and 2011’s averages (which are indicated in red).

Learn more about the Office Energy Challenge here.

Thank you to Rick England, owner of Best Energy Monitor, who donates his time to help us reduce our energy use.

Office Energy Challenge Update: Very hot summer, higher electricity use

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With record high temperatures in Fort Collins, we had a difficult time meeting our 10% energy reduction goal in June. With the air conditioning going 40 hours per week, we just barely missed our reduction goal. We hope to make up for this over the long-term, and are positive that we will meet our goal over the one-year average. The silver-lining: we are saving energy in a lot of other areas by changing our habits in the office and being conscious about how we use energy!

Learn more about TWP’s Office Energy Challenge here.

Thank you to Rick England, owner of Best Energy Monitor, for his dedication to helping us reduce our energy consumption!

Update: Office Energy Challenge

In May, we shattered our 10% energy reduction goal and had our lowest month of electricity use since we began keeping track in 2006!

Learn more about the office energy challenge >>

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Even if you don’t work at TWP, you can still be part of the Office Energy Challenge. A growing number of supporters are matching our efforts, going “ton for ton” with us. For every ton of carbon we keep from the atmosphere, you can match our efforts through our carbon offset program. For more details, contact pete@treeswaterpeople.org.

Office Energy Challenge Update: 31% Reduction in March

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Office Energy Challenge Update: At the Trees, Water & People office in Fort Collins, Colorado, we met our 10% reduction goal in March! In fact, we had a 31% decrease from our baseline. This is the 3rd month in a row that we have met our 10% reduction goal. Stay tuned for our April update!

Click here to learn more about our energy reduction efforts!

Even if you don’t work at TWP, you can still be part of TWP’s Office Energy Challenge! A growing number of supporters are matching our efforts, going “ton for ton” with us; for every ton of carbon we keep from burning up in the smoke stacks, you can match our efforts through our carbon offset program!  For details, contact pete@treeswaterpeople.org .

Office Energy Challenge Update: 35% Reduction in January!

by Pete Iengo, Office Manager and Energy Guru

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Trees Water & People works to protect people and the planet on every level: internationally, nationally, and locally.  After all, we are sprouted locally and growing globally!  As the team’s Office and Facility Manager, I have the privilege of spearheading our carbon reduction efforts here at 633 Remington St., and as a result have developed the TWP Office Energy Challenge.

January was a great month for energy use reduction at the office.  Our goal was 10%, but we overshot that by 25%, for a total energy reduction of 35%!  For the second month in a row we have also beat any single month since we started keeping track in 2006.  I am excited that we have been able to beat our goals during the first months of the challenge;  doing so has helped us establish a solid baseline moving forward.  I have found that making habitual change easy and creating awareness around electricity usage have been the two largest contributors to our success thus far.  You too can shape your energy future by exploring and using these simple concepts!

Before you know it we will be moving into the warmer months here in Fort Collins.  With that, electricity use will inevitably rise as air-conditioning comes into play.  This is an unavoidable “cost of business”; this place really gets hot!

Our building’s temperature is particularly challenging to regulate.  People are spread throughout the entire space and across three floors, so the temperature in the basement can be quite different than on the top floor.  We will continue to get creative, and find ways to keep use down that do not compromise our business model.  Have any suggestions? Let us know!

Understanding where our usage can be before we turn the AC on ultimately prepares us to keep use at a minimum as the seasons change…bring on the heat Colorado!

Even if you don’t work at TWP, you can still be part of TWP’s Office Energy Challenge! A growing number of supporters are matching our efforts, going “ton for ton” with us; for every ton of carbon we keep from burning up in the smoke stacks, you can match our efforts through our carbon offset program!  For details, contact pete@treeswaterpeople.org .

Office Energy Challenge Update: 15% Savings in December

by Pete Iengo, Office Manager and Energy Guru

Our Office Energy Challenge goal at the TWP office is to reduce wasted energy and phantom loads by 10% each month. We did that, and more in December 2011, by reducing energy consumption at the office by 15%, the lowest December since we have been tracking!

Are you interested in supporting TWP’s Office Energy Challenge? A number of our supporters are matching our efforts, going “ton for ton” with us. For every ton of carbon we keep from burning up in the smoke stacks, you can match through our carbon offset program!  For details, contact Pete Iengo pete@treeswaterpeople.org .

Click here to learn more about the “Office Energy Challenge”.