Organizers in Eugene joined 450 other cities in the country to educate their local communities on how to use solar and wind energies and why the switch is so important to the environment.
EUGENE, Ore. – Sun Day isn’t just a day of the week, it’s a national day of action, and organizers in Eugene joined 450 other cities in the country; educating their local communities on how to use solar and wind energies and why the switch is so important to the environment.
Event organizer Patty Hine explained why Eugene joined in on the national day of action.
“Unfortunately, the work that was done during previous administrations to advance clean energy have been rolled back,” Hine said. “And at the federal level, we are just faced with inaction. So, what we’ve decided to do is double down on state and local community action, organizational actions that can really pick up the ball and run with it.”
And one of the reasons why organizers of Sun Day are pushing for clean energy is the price.
“What’s really making this whole revolution happen, this sun-powered revolution, is the fact that solar now has gotten so cheap to manufacture,” Hine said.
Organizers from local 350.org and third act chapters decided to partner together to put on this event. They were joined by other local organizations that advocate for clean energy use in the community.
According to Our World in Data, solar energy is now the cheapest form of energy, with costs declining by almost 90% in the last 15 years.
Local organizations striving for higher clean energy usage are helping with the City of Eugene’s Climate Action Plan 2.0, which is aiming to reduce fossil fuel emissions by 50 percent by 20-30.
“I think solar can be really important, I think it has to be a part of a mix,” Ian Penn, sustainability manager for the City of Eugene, said. “But I think that when you add it with other things it can help with resilience, can help with a diversification with our energy resources and it’s one of the ways that we can advance some of our climate goals in Eugene.”
But not everyone is convinced on how successful clean energy can be.
“I’m all for wind turbines and solar panels, but it remains to be seen to what degree they’re going to effectively power this unwielding juggernaut called modern industrialized civilization,” Eugene local Robert Bowlman said.