Cassie Meador's How to Lose a Mountain, photo courtesy of Dance Exchange

This Sunday, I had the privilege of watching Cassie Meador's How to Lose a Mountain -- the story of her 500 mile journey to uncover the energy sources that power her home in Takoma, Washington, DC. Cassie's inspiring story hit home with the audience as we were taken through a journey of gain and loss, despair and hope, and the use and reuse of our natural resources.

This innovative social and environmental initiative touched various communities between DC and West Virginia, where Cassie visited a mountain top removal site. Along the 500 mile journey, Cassie engaged community members, taking stories of individuals along the way to incorporate in her How to Lose a Mountain performance. The incredibly creative interpretation of the story captivated the audience and opened eyes to the delicate relationship between humans and our surroundings.

Because of Cassie's dedication to her work, her studio at Dance Exchange and the Dance Place studio (where the premiere was held) are 100% wind powered by Clean Currents. We have partnered with our friends at Dance Exchange to reward each home that signs up for wind power with a $30 donation to Dance Exchange. If you love Dance Exchange and haven't yet made the switch, learn more at www.cleancurrents.com/dance

"I work everyday to be an example for green living," says Nick, our Baltimore based customer of the month.

As a Geologist for the Maryland Department of the Environment's Solid Waste program, he spends his days protecting the environment from water and air pollution caused by landfills. Previously, he worked as an energy efficiency analyst with ecobeco, quantifying savings from energy efficient home improvements.

His commitment to sustainability goes beyond his day job. From reducing his energy consumption through BGE's smart energy saver program to biking to work, he reduces green house gas emissions. And, for all the electricity he does use, it's offset by Clean Currents wind power.

In his spare time Nick uses wind power for fun. He is a frequent Chesapeake Bay sailor and sails out of Annapolis. When he comes back to shore, Nick enjoys dinner and drinks at his favorite wind powered business, Boatyard Bar and Grill in Eastport.

Nick currently lives in the Wakefeild neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore City.  In the next few months he and his wife hope to buy a home in Baltimore County. So, why is Nick a Clean Currents customer? "I enjoy knowing that I am helping to clean the air and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels," he says.

Last week, we did something a little crazy. We took a 20 foot, human powered wind turbine on a tour of Philly to show the power of the wind.  We traveled through Rittenhouse Square, Manayunk, and even to a Flyers game to spread the word to Philadelphians that local, Pennsylvania wind power is available for their home.

The turbine was built by the talented artists and craftsmen of Frank's Kitchens, a local Philly artist co-operative specializing in building human powered kinetic sculptures.  Frank's Kitchen used all found and recycled materials, including an old car axel. People could come up and take the turbine for a spin with the hand crank wheel. By turning the wheel, people could experience how strong the wind needs to be to make the blades of a turbine spin -- and have a little fun at the same time.

The best part of our turbine tour was seeing peoples' reactions. The young, and the young at heart, jumped right up to give the turbine a spin -- laughing the whole time. Others were surprised to see it, and needed a little encouragement to give it a whirl. Engineering minds were fascinated by the mechanics, and many took advantage of their only chance to snap a picture in front of the turbine.

Many wanted to make the turbine spin faster, but that task is one for the wind -- not for us. Despite their varied reactions, everyone left knowing more about how wind turbines work, the power of the wind, and their power to choose wind energy for their home.

See pictures from the week here, and keep your eye out for the turbine this spring and summer. You never know where it will show up!

We love March! Usually, it feels like winter is coming to an end and spring is just around the corner. But even with the "snowquester" in the forecast, we still love this month because of the Environmental Film Fest. The festival is the largest showcase of environmental films globally, bringing hundreds of films from 50 countries to DC. But most importantly, at least according to us, the Festival is wind powered by Clean Currents.

The 21st annual Environmental Film Festival takes place March 12 through 24, presenting 190 documentary, narrative, animated, archival, experimental and children's films selected to provide fresh perspectives on environmental issues facing our planet.  This year's Festival theme is the vital role of rivers and watershed in the global environment. This will be explored in works from 50 countries and include hundreds of films seen for the first time.

EFF embraces a broad definition of environmental film, encompassing works that not only celebrate the splendor of the natural world and examine its vulnerabilities, but also address a far wider range of topics, including implications of globalization and industrialization.  The core objective of the Festival is to present the highest quality films available on environmental topics for all age groups and to seek out new films and present programs not available commercially.

Nearly 200 filmmakers and special guests will discuss their work at the Festival, with past guests including film maker Ken Burns, icon Robert Redford, and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Join Clean Currents at the Launch Party on Thursday, March 7 at the Atrium of the Warner Building for food (Restaurant Nora, Chipotle), drinks (FreshFarm, Calypso Organic), music (Grammy Nominated Carolyn Malachi), and fun! We'll be giving away We Add Up t-shirts and raffling off some fantastic wine (from a wind powered vineyard, of course!)  Get details and tickets here

We'll also be at the following films shown at the Carnegie Institution for Science:

Tuesday March 12th
Hot Water - 7pm *World Premiere!
This Film exposes the toxic effects of uranium mining in the American West. Also Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who is featured in the film, and filmmaker Elizabeth Kucinich for a panel discussion after the screening.

Sunday March 17th
In Search of Solutions & City Story Series - 1pm

Sunday March 17th
Wild Things - 3pm

Thursday March 21st
Harmony - 7:15pm
This film highlights the efforts of HRH Prince Charles to develop a more sustainable and harmonious relationship with the planet and is the winner of the Festival's annual Polly Krakora Award for artistry in film.

Sunday March 24th
Bangladesh: Land of Rivers - 2pm

Check out the full schedule here