Education and Outreach
EVENTS
Energy Vision hosts and participates in a variety of events to raise awareness about sustainability and alternative energy resources. Please check this page often for info on past and upcoming events. We hope to see you in attendance!
January 27, 2010
As keynote speaker at the first 2010 Meeting of the NJ Clean Cities Coalition, held in Wall, NJ, EV President Joanna Underwood congratulated the NJCCC for obtaining $15 million in stimulus funds, bringing 287 new natural gas (CNG) refuse trucks and jitney buses and four new refueling stations to Newark, Camden, Hamilton, Atlantic City and Atlantic County. Read more
November 18, 2009
EV’s anniversary reception brought supporters and colleagues together for news and perspectives on EV’s work in 2009—its third year in operation. Read more
November 18, 2009
Gail Richardson, Vice President for Programs, made an appearance at the 2009 Advanced Energy Conference, organized by the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center. The event explored the potential for renewable energy and alternative fuels in the coming future. Read more
November 10, 2009
A celebration marked the unveiling of a new natural gas (CNG) refueling station in Trenton, New Jersey, built by Clean Energy, to refuel the state’s first CNG refuse fleet, operated by Central Jersey Waste & Recycling to serve Hamilton Township. EV’s President Joanna Underwood participated. Read more
June 11, 2009
Linklater Law hosted Energy Vision at a 40-person brunch, where attendees learned about how New York City’s trash can be converted to fuel for bus and truck fleets. Read more or Watch Videos
April 25, 2009
EV, Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities and Bryn Mawr College’s Environmental Studies Department hosted for a clean fuels workshop. Attendees learned how to help their communities get on the path to sustainable energy by shifting its refuse truck fleets from reliance on high carbon diesel fuel to clean, secure natural gas.
April 23, 2009
EV was an exhibitor at the Students for a Sustainable Future EXPO ’09 at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York.
April 20-21, 2009
EV President Joanna Underwood was a keynote speaker at the Spring Conference of the New Jersey Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America. She spoke about “Turning Trash Into Cash: New Opportunity for Our Communities in New Jersey.” The two-day conference took place at the Hilton Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Read more
March 24, 2009
EV hosted: “Alternative Fuel Refuse Trucks: Healthier Air, Energy Security for Lower Merion Township and Beyond”. Attendees discovered how alternative fuel refuse trucks are a smart choice for any community.
January 24, 2008
EV presented a group of speakers at the 2008 Rutgers University Clean Energy Conference. EV President Joanna Underwood kicked off the conference. Read more
December 4, 2008
EV celebrated its second anniversary in New York City at a reception held in the historic townhouse of film writer and TV producer Tom Fontana. The evening Co-Chair, Blythe Danner, presented EV’s first two “Energy Vision” awards to National Grid’s CEO, Robert C. Catell, a leader in promoting clean alternative vehicle fuels, and to Ed Begley, Jr, Actor/Environmentalist, who pioneered in “walking the walk” with his green lifestyle. Ed got a new show (Congratulations, Ed!) so couldn’t come to New York. But we enjoyed his remarks! Read more
June 3, 2008
EV President Joanna Underwood spoke in Toronto at the Low Carbon Fuel Standards Workshop for Canada on how heavy duty trucks and buses powered by clean natural gas instead of diesel offer a prime strategy for cutting greenhouse gases. The workshop aimed to educate and inform participants, and to identify and discuss key issues and implications related to designing and implementing an effective and efficient low carbon fuel standard in a Canadian context.
April 10, 2008
Actor Blythe Danner, EV President Joanna Underwood, NYC Environmental, Community & Energy Activists and “Green” Entrepreneurs unveiled new natural gas garbage trucks at an event in Union Square, New York City. Read more
January 24, 2008
An EV-Rutgers sponsored statewide conference: “Alternate Fuel Refuse and Recycling Trucks: Leading the Way to Energy Independence and a Cleaner Environment”—helped show municipal leaders, refuse/recycling truck fleets, environmental advocates, and civic leaders the environmental and economic benefits of getting on board with alternative fuels. Read more
November 29, 2007
EV previewed its new research at the 2nd Asia Natural Gas Vehicle Association Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Read more
September 19, 2007
Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities Program and EV held an event: “Briefing on Natural Gas Refuse Truck & Viewing of Demo Vehicle”. City and industry officials had the opportunity to learn about and see one of the key vehicles of the future — a refuse truck powered by clean, domestic natural gas. Read more
July 26, 2007
EV President Joanna Underwood delivered one of the opening presentations at the “Advancing the Choice: Fueling our Future Conference” in San Antonio, TX. Her speech, entitled “Why Natural Gas?”, described the transition in transportation fuels from petroleum-derived fuels to the hydrogen era, and especially on the role of natural gas in the transition.
June 19, 2007
EV President Joanna Underwood spoke at the Environment and Energy Conference in Toronto, Ontario. She was a participant in a session entitled “Leveraging Municipal Sustainability to Create Community Competitive Advantage”. Read more
May 23, 2007
EV President Joanna Underwood delivered the annual address—”Horses to Hydrogen: Getting on The Path to Sustainable Transportation” at the Annual Meeting of the Bryn Mawr Club of New York.
RESULTS
Energy Vision’s work with our two Associates and student interns, even during our formative year, has made a difference.
Bringing Green Garbage Trucks to New York State
Our Greening Garbage Trucks report on the benefits of natural gas refuse trucks and outreach were a key force in bringing the first 100% natural gas refuse fleet – with 22 clean quiet natural gas trucks – to the East Coast. Municipal leaders from many eastern cities are visiting this fleet (in Smithtown, NY) and many may well follow its lead.
One of Smithtown’s new natural gas refuse truck fleets.
We initiated the dialogue with the Department of Sanitation of New York City that has led to its re-commitment to buy natural gas trucks for its municipal fleet – the largest in the US. DSNY has put out a request for proposal that could result in the purchase of as many as 125 of these trucks, but is beginning with ten this year.
Introduced Program Recommendations Nationally
We have testified at hearings and been key speakers at conferences and workshops in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas laying out specific proposals for alternative fuels and how they can be used. A workshop in San Antonio, kicked off by a keynote speech by EV’s President opened a positive dialogue which led to a breakthrough purchase by this major Texas city of its first 15 natural gas trucks. At the annual Alternate Fuels Conference held in Anaheim, CA we recommended natural gas refuse trucks for their near-term clean air value and their long-term role in paving the way to a hydrogen future.
First of a kind Environmental Leadership College Course
Our research has inspired the creation of a first-of-a-kind environmental leadership course at Bryn Mawr College, in Pennsylvania, which EV will be advising in the coming year. Students will be honing their research and outreach skills — analyzing the operations of the refuse and recycling truck fleets in the Philadelphia area, educating civic leaders about their impacts, and presenting their case for a shift from diesel to clean fuels. This course aims at achieving local change and at setting a model for environmental learning at colleges across the country.
OUTREACH
Speeches
Comments on the New Jersey Global Warming Response Act — February, 2009
New Jersey is one of many states struggling to shape greenhouse gas reduction policies. Energy Vision’s comments on the draft of the program laid out one major area where the state could do the most in the near term to slash these gases: convert its bus and truck fleets to natural gas.
Philadelphia Clean Cities – April 19, 2007
On April 19, 2007, Joanna Underwood was the guest speaker at the Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities meeting of business and government officials, discussing the environmental, energy and economic benefits of considering a shift from diesel to natural gas refuse trucks for the City of Philadelphia.
Embracing Sustainability, South Korea Presentation, September 2006
Blythe Danner at our Press Event April 10th 2008
Government Testimony
Trenton, New Jersey, Clean Air Council Testimony
On April 11th 2007 – Energy Vision offered testimony at the Clean Air Council Committee Hearing. Sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Planning Resources and Tools
Philadelphia – Americas Next Green City
This summary of Philadelphia’s health-related air pollution problems, the scope of its refuse collection operations and the benefits of shifting to natural gas trucks serves as a model for citizen education in other cities.
Reading List for Alternative Energy Activism
Sponsored Events and Conferences
EV-Rutgers Alternate Fuel Conference FlyerEV-Rutgers Alternate Fuel Conference Agenda
This EV-Rutgers sponsored statewide conference showed municipal leaders, refuse/recycling truck fleets, environmental advocates, and civic leaders the environmental and economic benefits of getting on board with natural gas and biomethane as an alternative fuel.