Washington, D.C. – On Friday, October 30, National Weatherization Day, the Sierra Club is joining community partners, service providers, small businesses, union members and local officials in towns across the country to highlight the benefits of investing in the energy efficiency of our homes.
“Residential buildings are responsible for a staggering twenty percent of global warming pollution. Many families lose money on energy bills each month because their homes aren’t energy efficient,” said Sierra Club Clean Energy Solutions Representative Allison Forbes. “Weatherizing homes is one simple solution that will create thousands of good jobs, put money in the pockets of American families, and help fight global warming.”
It is estimated that retrofitting U.S. homes could reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions by up to 160 million metric tons annually by 2020.
“There is an urgent need to retrofit America’s homes and buildings for the 21st century with continued investment in low-income weatherization assistance and innovative new programs that make home energy makeovers affordable for everyone,” Forbes said. “In order to weatherize America’s homes, we need skilled workers.Investing in our homes can create thousands of good, lasting American jobs that can’t be outsourced.”
The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced a new $390 million “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program that will deploy innovative approaches to energy efficiency building retrofits, as well as a $64 million program for energy efficiency funding in cities, counties, and Indian tribes.
Several years ago, the Department of Energy designated October 30 National Weatherization Day, an opportunity to improve the public’s understanding of the benefits weatherization to low-income people and communities. This Friday, Sierra Club’s Cool Cities Program and Blue Green Alliance partners will be hosting and participating in Weatherization Day events in cities across the country.
-In Denver, the Sierra Club will celebrate the graduation of local workers from a weatherization training program offered by the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA).
-In Charlotte, North Carolina, volunteers will canvass neighborhoods, reaching out to low-income and elderly residents with information on weatherizing homes to save on energy costs.
-In Detroit, Sierra Club will participate in a “utilities summit” for residents to learn about services available for retrofitting homes. The city, where nearly 40 percent of the population is now below the poverty level, has secured funding to upgrade roughly 4,000 homes.
For a complete list of events and tips on how to save on household energy bills, check out the link to the Sierra Club on the right of this page at the very bottom of my “Affiliates” list.
