ARRA Funding opportunity to Transform your Community

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ARRA funding to make our communities Green may be perceived by some as " too Good to be true" and therefore not getting serious attention by Community Leaders. They are facing day to date challenges and getting so many mails- e-mails coming in at rapid rate. So when it says not cost to you, zero risk etc. the first reaction is to ignore it. Fortunately it is true that some program offer 100% financing for doing the green things to save energy, make green power etc.

How to make a believer is the challenge for those who want to convey the message to the Mayors and Supervisors, County executives in various States. New York State and upstate area is what we are focusing and it was my pleasure to talk at one of the communities- North Tonwanda, NY. Fortunately the group listened and took action to plan forming a green task force. Every step counts and we hope to make rapid progress.
http://www.tonawanda-news.com/local/local_story_209233724.html/resources_printstory

The money would not last forever as applications come in on First come serve basis.

The bottom line for Community Leaders is - ARRA is real and do not miss the opportunity to apply for these funds . The community will become more efficient in the use of energy and save money for more worthy causes in future.

Ram

Water or Energy - challenges for sustainability

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Energy conservation and alternative energy are key to our energy future. What about water for many parts of the world? It is very expensive to produce clean potable water but manage it smartly is the responsibility of our deveopled communities. Just this week I saw the TV news covering scens of no water in the tap of some area of Mumbai India. few days later it is flooding story in the same city where schools are closed and cars are driving through 2-3 ft deep ponded pool of water on streets.
It is time to recognize the inevitable climate change events that are going to face us as global warming shifts the weather patterns. Communities must take watershed approach and join hands to deal with this issue related to storm water management . When rain falls, it is a free gift from Nature. What we do with it is in our hands. Communities need to harvest and reuse it as a planned effort. Create drainage districts so we can raise funds to model the storm water generation patterns and find ways to store it and allow it to replenish the ground water reservoir below the land. This is one of the key challenges of Sustainable green planning essential to the part of the world that historically has seen water shortages.

Sustainability means long term Green perspective

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It is exciting to see that soon stimulus funding will be allocated to communities to make green infrastructure improvements accross America. The time has come to make for Muncicipal officials to make smart long term decisions. The money should be spent on green measures that offer money saving benefits forever. Here is an example to make the point. If a community gets $100,00 as grant then they could build a building addition with green features to add some space and convenience. On the other hand they could replace old lamps on street lights and save $35,000 to $50,000 each year forever. The money saved each year can be invested on other green projects "forever". Therefore, it will be prudent for the communities to involve the government officials and residents to focus on strategic energy planning and make smart decisions.

This will create long term benefit to all and help us deal with climate change and energy crisis.