It’s spring — finally! The cold of winter is melting away, buds are bursting into flowers, trees are becoming green again, and we’re all making a bee line for the outdoors. Time to get out the bike, the running shoes, the bat and ball, and PLAY! But, what are we all breathing while we’re soaking up the glorious sun?

Turns out Maryland has a problem with smog and air pollution. In 2012, 11 out of 15 counties studied earned a failing grade for air quality from the American Lung Association. Also, Baltimore County experienced 32 Code Red or Code Orange Ozone days in 2012, enough to receive an F in the ALA’s State of the Air Report.

So how does this impact us?

Ozone pollution has serious health effects, and disproportionately affects the young, elderly, and people who exercise outside.  Ozone pollution causes shortness of breath, coughing, asthma attacks, increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and more. Baltimore leads the state of Maryland in asthma deaths and has one of the nation’s highest rates of hospitalization for children with asthma.

Wind Power means Cleaner Air

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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.

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“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.

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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.
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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.

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This week, we’re taking a 20 foot wind turbine on a road trip through Philly to celebrate opening up shop in Pennsylvania. Yup, you read that right — we built a 20 foot wind turbine made of upcycled materials that you can hand crank!

Think you’re as powerful as the wind? Join us at Rittenhouse Square, Manayunk Brewery, the Flyers — Penguins game, and LOVE Park to give our turbine a whirl and find out. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled, too.  We’re giving prizes to the first person to spot the turbine each day and to whoever captures the best picture this week. Winners will be announced on Friday at LOVE Park and through Twitter.

Join the fun by following us on Twitter @CleanCurrentSol, #SeeThePower, on Facebook, and learn more about how to See The Power. We hope to see you out there!

After this week, there will be no doubt that Philly residents can get 100% local PA wind power for their home or business with Clean Currents.

Join Them & Switch Your Home to Wind Power Today!

Help us support Dance Exchange’s mission to address social and environmental issues through expressive art and movement: switch to wind power before Earth Day (April 22nd) and Clean Currents will donate $30 to Dance Exchange.

Clean Currents is the region’s leading independent and sustainably certified green energy company, offering residents clean, renewable wind electricity.

Dance Exchange is an intergenerational company of artists that creates dance and engages people in making art. They stretch the boundaries between the studio, stage, and other environments to make dances that are rooted in the particularity of people and place.  Through local, national, international, and online projects they gather and create community to contribute to a healthy and more sustainable environment.

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Encourages Energy Suppliers to Back Offshore Wind Act of 2013

Clean Currents presented a letter of support for Maryland’s Offshore Wind Act of 2013 to State Representatives in Annapolis, MD today in anticipation of final passage of the bill. Although other suppliers were invited to lend their support to the letter, Clean Currents is the only supplier signing on.

The bill mandates electricity suppliers and electric utilities to utilize a certain percentage of offshore wind in their energy mix while preserving the integrity of the restructured electricity market.  The bill would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bring economic activity to Maryland, and provide a long-term stable electricity resource.

“Mandating the use of offshore wind as part of the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard is a vital part of growing the clean energy economy. It will be good for Maryland’s economy, our environment, and our future. We support this bill without hesitation,” states Gary Skulnik, Clean Currents’ President.

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Leah Stonefeld is the winter semester marketing & communications intern at Clean Currents. She is a graduate student at American University where she is pursuing a Masters of Arts in Global Environmental Policy. Leah has a passion for renewable energy completed undergraduate studies at Arizona State University, School of Sustainability. Besides renewable energy, one of Leah’s main reasons for wanting to intern at Clean Currents was our B Corp status.

As a new intern at Clean Currents, I wanted to discover why staff chose to work for a Benefit Corporation. I met up with Jason Schwartz, V.P. of Sales at Clean Currents to discuss what makes working for a Certified Benefit Corporation so unique.

Prior to working with Clean Currents, Jason was the Senior Sales Strategist for Kurlan & Associates. He also has experience as an entrepreneur, starting his own business Bkind Foods, LLC in 2009. Jason has extensive experience consulting on executive level coaching, sales team training and development, and leadership development. He has a M.S. in Organizational Change Management from the New School University.

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The Courts of Devon is proud to announce that it has purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (REC)s from wind farms in the United States that is equivalent to 100% of its common area electricity load. This was done to offset the carbon emitted from the conventional generation of the electricity needed to power the common areas. By purchasing 100% wind power from Clean Currents, a Maryland-based green energy supplier, the electricity consumption of The Courts of Devon is now carbon neutral.

The wind power purchase of 268,680 kilowatt-hours of electricity by the Courts of Devon is equivalent to removing 417,924 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the atmosphere or removing 28 single-family homes from the electric grid for a year.

“Buying renewable energy makes sense — sustainable energy use increases value, which benefits our policy owners, and it’s a win for the environment,” notes Angela Scodellaro, Washington, D.C.-based asset manager for Northwestern Mutual, which owns The Courts of Devon.
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The Clean Currents mission is to energize communities for a clean energy future by enabling individuals and businesses to make responsible choices that protect their bottom line while reducing their environmental impact.

Since 2005, Clean Currents has helped 10,000 individuals and 3,000 businesses make the switch to wind power in Maryland, DC and Pennsylvania. We’ve also donated over $20,000 to community greening projects through our award winning Green Neighborhood Challenge program.

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What happens to your favorite, socially responsible ice cream maker when a multinational corporation sets its sights on acquiring it? That is exactly what happened in the case of Ben & Jerry’s, and they had no legal options but to sell to the highest bidder — even if that company’s values didn’t align with their social mission.

So, how do socially responsible businesses hold themselves responsible to their stakeholders when corporate structures put shareholders and financial profit first? Enter Benefit Corporations and Certified B Corporations.

By providing legal structures that increase transparency, accountability, and performance, Benefit Corporations and B Corps are changing the way we do business.

Certified B Corporation vs. Benefit Corporation

There are two ways for companies to participate in the B Corp movement: Certified B Corporations are 3rd party certified by non profit B Lab and Benefit Corporation is a legal status administered by the state.  “B Corp” generally refers to either of these types of organizations.

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There’s nothing like reaching the top of the mountain or crossing the finish line. But what are you breathing while doing it? Take the pledge to support wind power at home and join a movement of people who are committed to a sustainable, healthy future.

Plus, your pledge qualifies you to win prizes including:

• A Specialized Bike
• A ChicoBag DayPack loaded with a Klean Kanteen and other goodies
• Charm City Run Gift Card

This year, The Philly Farm & Food Fest is powered by 100% local Pennsylvania wind. And, your home can be too!

Clean Currents is the region’s only Certified B Corp green energy company. The Fest team loves them because they give back to the community, but you’ll love them because you can get 100% local wind power at home.

To celebrate all things local, Clean Currents is buying your ticket* to the Fest when you sign up for wind power at home before April 12th.

*24 -48 hours after you sign up, Clean Currents will send you an email with instructions for how to redeem your complimentary ticket to Philly Farm and Food Fest. You’ll just enter a promotional code to get tickets you can print at home – so easy!

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These Businesses Mean Green

We encourage you to support our diverse wind powered customers. You can grab a coffee, shop for food or home goods, get a haircut, and go out for dinner all while supporting companies that have made a conscious effort to green their operations by switching to Wind Power through Clean Currents.

*The map below shows just a few of our commercial wind powered customers throughout the region

You can join the Clean Currents Green Community by switching your HOME or BUSINESS to clean, affordable wind power.

The following is a directory of our wind powered business customers:

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This is the year Maryland can take a step forward towards a clean energy future and the Offshore Wind Bill is one giant leap in the right direction. Clean Currents fully supports this bill and we applaud Governor O’Malley’s leadership in working to bring it to this point.

I call on other energy suppliers that supply green power to join us in standing firm with our colleagues in the environmental, faith, labor and business advocacy world in support of offshore wind power in Maryland. You can’t be authentic if you sell wind power on the one hand, but do nothing to support, and sometimes actively oppose, the development of wind off Maryland’s coast. I offer Clean Currents’ help to educate the public about the importance of this bill and the importance of Maryland taking it’s next big step towards a cleaner, greener, future free of the threat of climate change and air pollution.

Wind Power Provider Recognized as Leading Edge Green Business

Clean Currents announced today that it has won Green America’s People & Planet award, recognizing America’s best green businesses with innovation in clean energy. Winners are granted $5,000 to invest in their green initiatives. Clean Currents was selected as a winner of this award for their Green Neighborhood Challenge program (GNEC).  GNEC gives community groups and non-profits an opportunity to raise funds for green projects while increasing support for clean energy.

“We are honored to have won the People & Planet Award as it reinforces one of our main goals: to link green-minded businesses, individuals, and organizations together to build more sustainable communities. Thanks to Green America, we can further our Green Neighborhood Challenge program by energizing neighborhoods around clean energy and green projects to build a cleaner, greener future together,” commented Gary Skulnik, Clean Currents President.

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The holidays are a time of joy, good cheer, and excess. From Aunt Muriel’s indulgent cake to gifts galore and lights everywhere, it’s easy to set aside your environmental standards. We make it easy for you to lower your impact — and your electricity bill — this holiday season with 5 easy steps.

1. LED holiday lights: Let’s be honest – a Christmas tree isn’t finished until it’s bright enough so you can see it from space. That said, holiday lighting in the US consumes the equivalent electricity consumption of 500,000 homes in one month. Invest in LED lights – they use only 10% of electricity needed to light incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer. And, they don’t get hot – reducing the risk that your tree will go up in flames.

How to: Recycle your incandescent lights at holidayleds.com and receive 25% off your purchase of LED lights. Or, drop off your old lights at area MOM’s Organic Market. Grab LED lights at ACE Hardware, Target, and other major retailors. See how much energy your lights use with this fun calculator.
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Back at the B-Corp Champions Retreat, we met Jason Bradford of Farmland LP. After chatting about sustainable food and the future of US farmland, we were hooked on the mission of Farmland LP. We sat down with Jason to learn more about Farmland LP and their unique model that cultivates farmland sustainability.

Jason Bradford with Mac Stewart of Vitality Farms.
Vitality Farms leases Farmland LP land in Oregon to raise sheep and cattle.

Clean Currents: What does Farmland LP do and why is it important?

Jason Bradford: Farmland LP buys farmland and converts it to certified Organic, sustainably managed farmland as an investment fund, similar to a REIT.  We specialize in sustainable agriculture and integrating crop and pastured livestock rotations.  Our goal is to play a role in the transformation of the food system while benefiting the environment, supporting quality jobs, producing healthy food, and returning a financial profit for our investors.

Organic food sales in the U.S. have been growing between 15-20% per year since 1990 and yet the rate of conversion of U.S. farmland is lagging far behind.  Organic food is therefore more likely to be imported, and yet people also want local food.
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