We of Cleveland EcoTuesday are thrilled to have secured our first sponsor, idgroup, a consulting and creative firm specializing in whole systems, sustainable design and unique proprietary methodologies that help effect cultural transformation for clients.  This is done by aligning culture, image, and identity to drive client success.  Management guru Peter Drucker said, 'What gets measured, gets managed', and idgroup honors this by employing meaningful, values-based metrics to help effectively propel this critical culture work.  idgroup will be sponsoring our October 26th event which will feature a forum of all six candidates for County Executive - a new and influential leadership position.  The forum will be moderated by idgroup founder and president Dr. Mona Amodeo, who has been interviewed recently by Sustainable LIfe Media and just featured in a half hour program on PBS.  She also appears in the recently released documentary So Right, So Smart.   We are so fortunate to have her facilitate our powerhouse panel in an inclusive, impartial, and nonpartisan fashion.  Whole systems, values-driven approaches will be featured as the evening progresses. 

Brief commentary will also be provided by Joyce Burke-Jones, Cuyahoga County Sustainability Officer, to set the stage for the panel to follow.  

We are grateful for idgroup, our first /charter sponsor for EcoTuesday Cleveland! 

Our May EcoTuesday event featured a leader in kinetic energy technology, Aaron Lemieux Founder & CEO of Tremont Electric, and we were pleased to have him as our keynote. Aaron shared a powerful story of how he conceptualized and developed the renewable energy technology known as nPower®. The concept originated while Aaron was hiking the Appalachian Trail and he realized he was creating abundant kinetic energy through the consistent up-and-down movement of hiking. 

Aaron then devised a technology, now patented as nPower®, that can harvest kinetic energy from motion which occurs in nature, ranging from human walking to Great Lake waves. The first application of nPower® technology is the nPower® PEG, personal energy generator. The nPower® PEG is the world’s first kinetic energy generator for charging hand-held electronics and it represents the type of marketable eco-innovation we all should respect. 

The scalability of Aaron's innovation is a great point of excitement, as these units could be scaled downward or upward for a multitude of potential applications.  Aaron spoke with enthusiasm and anticipation around the latest nPower® development effort - harnessing the kinetic energy of waves.  nPower® WECs, wave energy converters, could be deployed in our own Lake Erie, harness the low-density wave energy, and provide a low-cost, large-scale renewable energy. This application of the nPower® technology is currently being modeled with the aid of multiple universities.

A final honor to note is that Aaron will soon be headed to California representing Cleveland as a finalist in the upcoming Sustainable Brands Innovation Open. We hope those of nearby sister cities of EcoTuesday might take a convenient opportunity to meet and greet this fascinating inventor and much appreciated speaker in person. 

Aaron left us with a final ask - that we visit Tremont Electric’s website for the unique opportunity to be one of the first to own the renewable energy marvel, nPower® PEG, and invest in the future of kinetic energy generation. The nPower® PEG is now available for purchase at www.nPowerPEG.com.

Chris Clark of Sunflower Solutions wowed a diverse crowd at our April 27th EcoTuesday event here in downtown Cleveland with an authentic delivery and unprecedented demonstration of his innovative solar technology at the Club at Key Center.  His unique application of manually-adustable solar panels that track the sun over time is already changing the world in countries like Haiti, India, Kenya, and Nigeria - one installed Empower Plant at a time.

Chris, who is just 23 years of age and already a recipient of a $30,000 Civic Innovation Lab grant here locally, started by telling a bit of his story - how he had been conducting internatinoal aid and relief work overseas and started seeing the need to solve societal problems through eco-innovation.  Another early invention of his was a solar-based water pump to allow for potable water to reach more people in African villages with a dearth of clean sources of electricity- if any electricity.. at all.  Most electrical power in such places is delivered off the grid, but it is usually sourced via gasoline and diesel generators which require constant refilling and exposure to unhealthy fuel and fumes, not to mention unnecessary energy expenditure to obtain the fuel.

Another great asset of the design lies in its simplicity - though other solar arrays exist which track the sun to deliver similar yields of up to 40 percent over conventional solar, they are very complex and expensive.  The Empower Plant is unique worldwide in its simplicity of use and provision of such capability using human power - a special color-coded system guiding even a small child to easily position equipment weighing hundreds of pounds in seconds, three times daily. This way the expensive automated tracking systems which are not feasible in the developing world are nearly matched in efficiency by Sunflower. This is especially valuable in places where advanced technology expertise and maintainance capability is still lacking - it sometimes helps, as Chris reminded us, to keep in mind that over 2 billion people worldwide still lack electricity. 

The company mission is to work with NGOs,  nonprofits, and people serving globally to help empower and educate people with the tools and education needed to bring affordable solar anywhere in the world, wherever and whenever it is needed the most.  Over time one Empower Plant can save over $100,000 over the prevailing paradigm of fuel generator use.  Also redeeming was the commitment this promising company has made to remain in Cleveland and use Cleveland-made parts.  Ohio Governor Ted Strickland recently put it this way: " Sunflower Solutions.  Dreamed up in Ohio.  Designed in Ohio.  Made in Ohio.  And serving the world."

It was an honor for Cleveland EcoTuesday to host Chris Clark and his team and allow them the opportunity to tell a powerful story, make valued connections, and demonstrate their world-changing solar technology.

For our third EcoTuesday event we proudly feature local social entrepreneur and eco-innovator Chris Clark of Sunflower Solutions.  This innovative company features easy-to-use, manually adjustable solar panels that track the sun over time to maximize energy collection.  The company has recently been praised by Governor Strickland and was the latest recipient of a $30,000 grant from the Civic Innovation Lab.

We enjoyed a rich and diverse group in attendance for our second EcoTuesday event on March 23rd, held at the Club at Key Center in downtown Cleveland.  Joy Wright, environmental activist and wellness advocate with the Joy of Wellness Company, delivered an informative and illuminating discourse on the realities of hazardous toxin levels in our daily lives.  In a concise and informative delivery, Joy raised awareness to just how ubiquitous these are - and the toxicity often accumulates in our households and workplaces due to insufficently stringent labeling and controls on the producers of chemically-based cleaners, pesticides, and the like.  Her own personal story as a Leukemia survivor powerfully punctuated the importance of toxicity awareness, prevention, and alternatives.

The problem, as Joy so effectively drove home, is that children and pregnant mothers are especially succeptible to these toxins.  Another key point she made was that these very phosphate and chemical-laden cleaners find their way to our lakes, rivers and streams - resulting in scientifically-proven mutations and death to numerous forms of plant and animal wildlife.  The challenges to water supply are self-evident as well - especially to those dependent on well-water.

Reaching beyond the fact-based awareness of a critical issue, Joy pointed to some real and meaningful solutions - greater advocacy to raise awareness to consumers and prevent the toxicity - and proliferated provision of meaningful natural and non-toxic alternatives that can accomplish effective cleaning, pest control, and a variety of other key tasks in a far more healthful way.  The need for legislative mandates and changes to enforce wellness was also indicated. 

The session was particularly helpful to raising awareness, offering strategic points of action, and suggesting solutions.  It also made apparent the the clear business connection and economic opportunity in natural  and organic alternatives to chemically-based ones - many economists forsee a boom in this industry that has already begun.  Joy's own blossoming business story also illustrated how accessible this opportunity for success is to local entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and walks of life.

The diverse crowd of participants were well-informed and educated - and many remained to network late into the evening.  The introduction circle revealed a rich cross network of participants and professionals covering non-profit, for-profit, and educational sectors.  Special thanks to the Club at Key Center for providing delicious appetizers and a delightful venue.  Our next month's speaker, Chris Clark of Sunflower Solutions was present and introduced as well - we look forward to his presentation on April 27th!

Having addressed the fundamental topic of local, organic-quality, slow food as a key economic and restorative justice opportunity in our launch, we of EcoTuesday Cleveland now take a closer look at health and wellness though toxicity awareness and illness prevention. Our second Fourth Tuesday event will raise awareness to toxins and carcinogens that still prevail in many common and trusted brand-name products as well as the potent combination of business and wellness opportunity in shifting to natural and organic alter

We are pleased to report that we held a tremendously successful launch event on February 23rd in downtown Cleveland at the Club at Key Center.  A diverse and intergenerational crowd of over 70 energized and engaged participants attended.  Our keynote speaker, Brad Masi of the New Agrarian Center, delivered an impressive oratory capturing the essence of sustainable urban agriculture and permaculture as key drivers for a local food, slow food economy. 

We of EcoTuesday Cleveland are proud to announce our launch event this February 23rd at the Club at Key Center at 127 Public Square in the heart of downtown Cleveland.  Our topic this month is local foods and the significant shift transforming our city and region through innovative business models in urban agriculture. Our speaker is renowned local foods expert and colleague Brad Masi of the New Agrarian Center.