The Mayor's Office of Sustainability is excited to welcome our new Green Economy Analyst, Jake Medley, to the team!
Jake is committed to giving back to his city in various ways. In this new role, he will strive to lower industry emissions through business relationships and insights. He is a 2015 graduate of Centre College and previously worked in Louisville Metro’s Economic Development Office.
Prior to government work, Jake worked in business development in San Francisco, where he aimlessly spent his twenties hiking in nature. He is proud to back in his hometown with his sleeves rolled up!
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The Mayor's Office of Sustainability is excited to welcome our new Green Infrastructure Coordinator, Dash Williams, to the team!
Dash has a background in construction, renovations, and financial lending. Growing up in Florida with a general contractor dad, Dash learned very young about building practices and their impact on the environment. After graduating from the University of Tampa with a BA in Performing Arts, they lived in Atlanta, GA, for ten years, where they gained experience in construction cost management and residential real estate lending.
More recently, Dash worked as a Project Funding Specialist at the climate tech company Sealed, Inc., working to expand affordable financing models for improving energy efficiency in US homes. They are passionate about renewable resources, sustainable building methods, and recycling infrastructure, and they love spending time with their animals out in nature.
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In late 2023, Louisville Metro Government's Office of Sustainability won a $1 million EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to create a Regional Climate Action Plan for the entire Louisville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), including 11 counties in Kentucky and Indiana. As part of this:
- The MSA is required to submit a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) by March 1, 2024
- The MSA is eligible to apply for implementation grants (in the range of $2 million to $500 million) to implement the priorities identified in the PCAP. The implementation grant deadline is April 1, 2024.
 Please share your sustainability priorities for the region by taking this Regional Climate Action Plan Survey by January 31, 2024 at 11:59 PM. We have collected 980+ responses so far – our goal is to reach more than 1,000 participants by tonight! We will continue to keep the survey open through April, but feedback received by January 31 will more strongly influence our Priority Climate Action Plan. Responses before January 31 will also be eligible to enter a raffle and win sustainability swag!
Survey link: https://louisville.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dmYa3jp8EKAZU3A.
Share the survey on social media: Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
In addition to the public survey, you can share your biggest sustainability priorities and influence our Priority Climate Action Plan during public meetings in February. Meeting dates are as follows:
More information is available at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/sustainability/climate-action-and-resilience-plans.
 The Solarize Louisville (formerly titled Solar Over Louisville) program is re-launching in early 2024! The Request For Proposals (RFP) for a solar installation partner has been published, and the proposal submission deadline is February 19.
Please note that we are also requesting a Notice of Intent to apply this year. We encourage all local and regional installers to apply. If you have registered an interest in this RFP (RFP240172) please be aware an updated Addendum was recently published. This optional section requests information for participation in solar on multi-occupancy housing and city facilities. There have been no changes to the Solarize RFP.
Access the RFP and submit questions here: http://tinyurl.com/SolarizeLouisville
Follow Solarize Louisville on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter
Peoples Bank has strong roots in our footprint – Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland, and that's where our charitable giving is focused. In large and small communities, we assist organizations seeking to improve the quality of life for individuals and families.
Peoples Bank grants are typically in the $5,000 range and have funded many different types of initiatives, including human services, arts & culture, youth & education, economic development, and the environment. Applications for this grant must be submitted by March 31.
Learn more and apply to the Peoples Bank grant here: Grant Application | Peoples Bank (peoplesbancorp.com)
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 Join Change Today, Change Tomorrow for the State of Black Food Summit on Saturday, April 13 from 8:00am-5:00pm. The Summit will address food security and justice for Black families, bringing together Black individuals, community leaders, and organizations that are passionate about creating equitable access to healthy and culturally relevant food.
Key Highlights:
- Engaging sessions and exercises focused on food security and justice
- Networking opportunities with passionate individuals and organizations
- Collaboration to develop actionable strategies and goals
- Insights from expert speakers and community leaders
- Opportunity to be part of a transformative movement
Register here: The State of Black Food Summit: Food Security for Black People Tickets | Eventbrite
Brightside is a community organization within Louisville Metro Government that is dedicated to uniting people in clean and green activities that beautify and foster pride in our community through volunteerism, planting, sustainability, & education. In 2023, Brightside reported the following:
- 3,000+ volunteers completed litter abatement and beautification projects - that’s an economic impact of around $260,400!
- 3,441 students participated environmental education programming this year.
- 60 trees planted in West and South Louisville neighborhoods with support from generous grants from corporate sponsors and volunteer effort
Learn more and stay up to date on Brightside events!
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The Louisville Metro Government Department of Public Works and Louisville/Jefferson County Waste Management District has published their 2023 Pop-Up Drop-Off Annual Report. Some highlights from the report include
- 9 drop-off events hosted
- 4,812 vehicles attended
- 380 tons of material collected
- 48.7% of that material diverted from the landfill
The Waste Management District staff partners with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to collect prescription medication. Waste Management partners with WaterStep to collect shoes that would otherwise end up in the landfill to fund safe drinking water projects.
Stay tuned to this page for the 2024 Pop-Up Drop-Off schedule.
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- Americana Community Center and Project Warm is hosting an Energy Management Workshop tonight, Wednesday, January 31 from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Participants who bring their LG&E account numbers to the workshop will receive a free weatherization kit. More information is on Americana's Facebook page.
- The Louisville Nature Center is hosting a Valentine's Candlelit Hike on Saturday, February 10, 6:30-9:30pm; Tuesday, February 13, 6:30-9:30pm; and Wednesday, February 14, 6:30-9:30pm. More information at Valentine's Candlelit Hike 2/10, 2/13, 2/14 — Louisville Nature Center.
- TreeFest 2024 will be held on April 13 from 11:00am-3:00pm at Petersburg Park. Join Louisville Parks & Recreation and TreesLouisville to learn about the roles that trees play in our everyday life through volunteer opportunities, live music, eco-friendly vendors and much more. Apply to be a vendor today at https://www.treeslouisville.org/treefest.
- Sustainability Now! Regional Climate Action Planning (via Forward Radio)
- A scientist in Louisville is compiling data on trees and human health (via Washington Post)
- Louisville meteorologist explains how ice & snow can lead to flooding (via Louisville Public Media)
- Winter getting warmer despite Louisville weather (via Louisville Public Media)
- Where does it all go? A closer look at recycling in Louisville (via WLKY)
- Metro Public Works shares how they prepare for cold weather conditions each year (via WAVE3)
- Kentucky’s largest cities are seeking public input to develop climate plans (via Kentucky Lantern)
- Can you guess how crazy last year’s weather was? Try this game.(via Washington Post)
- Kentucky’s largest utility testing wind’s energy potential with state’s first utility-scale turbine (via Kentucky Lantern)
- City and state collaborate on keeping Louisville roads clean. Here's how the work is split (via Courier Journal)
- A Kentucky mine may be turned into a giant, water-powered battery (via Louisville Public Media)
- Environmental groups want stronger rules for use of coal ash fill after EPA reveals new risks (via Kentucky Lantern)
- Last year was Louisville's warmest and least snowiest year on record (via WHAS11)
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