Do you want to save money on energy expenses this spring? The first step is figuring out how to conserve energy in your home!

Cope Environmental Center is excited to announce a new collaboration with Energizing Indiana as a community partner for their Home Energy Assessment Program.

A FREE  Home Energy Assessment will bring trained Energy Advisers into your home to evaluate your energy use and consult you on energy efficient measures you can take to save money and energy. They will even install several low-cost energy-saving measures on the spot including 9 CFL lightbulbs*, two  low-flow shower heads, and three faucet aerators!

You Qualify for the Program If:

• You belong to a public utility provider (such as Richmond Power & Light, Duke Energy, IMPA, Indiana Michigan Power, IPL, NIPSCO, Vectren). Cooperative utilities are not eligible.
• Your home has the utility in your name (Many renters can participate!)
• Your home was built before January 1, 2010
• Your home has not undergone a utility-sponsored audit in the last 3 years

If you meet these qualifications, you can sign up at

https://webservices.goodcents.com/PROD/Portlets/Authentication/Authenticate.aspx?ProjectID=60&ProgramID=40&GroupID=CECC11052012

Did we mention that if you sign up through CEC, Energizing Indiana will donate $25 to the center to support its mission and programs?

Don’t own your property? Not a problem! 

You can still have a Home Energy Assessment completed on your home, you just need a complete a very short Home Authorization Form. Simply fill out and sign the form corresponding to your electricity provider and  present it to your Energy Adviser the day of your audit! 

IMPA (Richmond Power and Light)          Duke          Vectren          Indiana Michigan Power          NIPSCO          IPL

Questions?

If you are unsure about whether or not you qualify, please feel free to contact Mary Jones, Program and Development Coordinator at m.jones@copeenvironmental.org or (765) 855-3188.

More information on Energizing Indiana can be found at https://energizingindiana.com/.

*CFL lightbulbs contain mercury and require proper disposal. The Lowe’s in Richmond, IN collects used CFLs in a bin at the front of the store for recycling.

CEC hopes you will consider this opportunity to increase your support for CEC’s programs and mission!  If you would like more information, please feel free to contact Alison Zajdel, Executive Director, at 765-855-3188 or a.clark@copeenvironmental.org.

Fresh turnips and greens from Tom Cail's farm in New Paris, Ohio

Market Days

The Richmond Winter Farmers Market will be from 10am – 2pm every second and fourth Saturday of the month December-April at Townsend Community Center, 855 N 12th Street in Richmond.

December 8 & 22

January 12 & 26

February 9 & 23

March 9 & 23

April 13 & 27

Dates:
March 20th:        “It’s Spring!”
April 17th:           “Earth Day Puppy”
May 15th:            “Sunflower House”
June 19th:           “From Egg to Robin”
July 17th:            “Who am I? Insects”
August 21st:        “Animals at Night”
September 18th:  “Count Down to Fall”
October 16th:      “Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek”

Time:  10-11am
Place: Cope Environmental Center
Fee: $3 per toddler
Registration:  Registration required.

• A large number of guests in the house naturally raises the average indoor temperature, as does cooking that turkey or ham in the oven. Try turning down the thermostat a bit so that the house is still nice and toasty, but your carbon footprint cools down!
• The holiday season is especially prone to wastefulness. If you find yourself with holiday dinner leftovers, don’t throw them out! Save them in Tupperware and eat them later! If you’re tired of eating the same old food for days in a row, try throwing some leftovers together to make a casserole.
• If the leftovers are still in your fridge after they’ve passed their prime, try composting them! A compost heap is a great way to incorporate environmentally friendly habits into everyday life. Plus, it’ll help out your garden, too.
• They may be convenient, but plastic dishes and utensils eventually wind up in landfills! There is severely limited space remaining for landfills, so you should do your best to keep the trash heap from piling too high. Use China dishes and proper silverware instead. It’ll give your family dinner or holiday party a touch of class. If you don’t have enough, ask a neighbor!
• Don’t forget that glass is recyclable! If you’re never going to use that glassware again, go ahead and recycle it. Corks, too, are reusable. Even if the bottle is empty, another use for corks is crafts with the kids! All you need is some glitter, googly eyes, and a hot glue gun.
• Try to eat as much locally produced and organic food as possible. Transporting food across the country or even from another country takes a lot of fuel and energy. Pesticides and herbicides may keep those tomatoes insect-free, but they can find their way into the food chain or nearby bodies of water and cause serious damage to all forms of life. If you’re not sure where to buy, the easiest answer is your local farmer’s market!
• Speaking of the farmer’s market, check out this video made by Cope Environmental Center’s very own Mary Jones! If you create an account and vote for this video, you could help win the Richmond Winter Farmer’s Market $1000!

We at Cope Environmental Center wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year. Give the gift of sustainability!

Did you know that although household batteries make up less than 1% of trash in landfills, they can be responsible for up to 70% of the heavy metals found in landfills?*

Fortunately, Batteries & Bulbs, a new business to open soon on the East Side of Richmond, will be able to recycle ANY battery or light bulb from your home or business. By recycling these items, heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead, will be taken from used products to make new ones.

Over 100 million new lead batteries are made from recycled waste lead acid batteries every year in North America!*

With your help, we can make that number even larger and keep our landfills healthy and long lasting. Stay tuned for more information!

*See http://www.rawmaterials.com/faq/ for more information and facts of battery recycling!

Dining:

• eat locally produced and organic food
• turn down the thermostat if cooking with the oven (or if hosting a large number of guests)
• don’t toss leftovers — save them in Tupperware and eat them later!
• or: compost uneaten leftovers
• use China instead of paper/plastic dishes and utensils to reduce the waste sent to landfills
• recycle your fryer oil out at Cope Environmental Center!
• recycle glassware and reuse corks

Decor:

• reuse materials from previous years
• save decorations for future events
• don’t use decorations that require electricity
• recycle your Christmas trees out at Cope Environmental Center!

Gifts:

• reuse wrapping paper
• give gifts that are handmade (with love!)
• or: give gifts of experience (less waste!)

Travel:

• if travel is absolutely necessary, be aware of carbon offsets, and try to reduce them
• if going by car, make sure your tires are full

Other:

• make green New Year resolutions
• if no one’s watching it, don’t leave the TV on in the background
• sending out holiday greeting cards? do it electronically and save paper!

Happy holidays from everyone at Cope!