Press Releases
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From a few Ottawa friends to a United Nations Partnership: One Change holds first Catalyst Awards at the National Gallery
Announces new Ottawa campaign to promote “Simple Actions” message
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 This evening, internationally acclaimed Ottawa-based NGO One Change will celebrate the universal power of simple actions at the launch of the first Catalyst Awards at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.
The Catalyst Awards will recognize four outstanding community leaders and groups across Canada and the United States who have acted as catalysts for significant environmental action by helping Project Porchlight grow into a continent-wide grassroots phenomenon. From its start in 2005 with a group of friends in Ottawa, the campaign has reached millions of people across North America and employed 300 people in 2008. One Change empowers people to believe that simple actions matter and to make smart choices that protect the environment.
At the awards ceremony, Ontario Environment Minister Hon. John Gerretsen will join Amy Fraenkel, Director and Regional Representative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), MP for Ottawa-South David McGuinty, Florence Murphy of EnCana Corporation and other special guests to mark the official announcement of One Change’s new partnership with UNEP. The affiliation is the first North American partnership for UNEP in Canada and the U.S. with a grassroots not for profit organization. The event will be emceed by actress and television star Mag Ruffman, and will feature inspiring videos of One Change volunteers and supporters engaged in campaigns throughout North America.
From the first and highly successful Project Porchlight campaign in 2005-2006, where 250,000 compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs were delivered to homes across Ottawa, Project Porchlight has worked with provincial and local sponsors, MPs, MPPs, and MLAs, as well as 10,000 volunteers and 2,000 community groups in over 500 communities across Canada and the US to deliver a total of two million CFL bulbs—and spread an important message: Everyone can conserve energy, save money, and help the environment with simple, effective actions.
The energy-efficient CFL bulbs have helped residents reduce their energy use by 1 billion kilowatt hours, save over $86 million, and stop 630,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the air. Project Porchlight campaigns have been active in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Vermont and New Jersey. A new campaign is about to start in Washington State.
“We mobilize people from all backgrounds to take action on climate change in their own neighbourhoods ,” said Stuart Hickox, Executive Director of One Change. “This is important work. But the challenge that we are really addressing is bigger: disempowerment. By providing simple, accessible first actions to people who have not been engaged in energy conservation or environmental action, we are building consensus toward solutions and are helping people to see that everyone has a role to play in solving global problems.”
“Once people make one change in their lives – like changing light bulbs, they start to think of themselves as participants in solutions and are more likely to go on to make more changes,” said Hickox.
At the Catalyst Awards Ceremony, One Change will officially announce its next ‘simple action’: a new fuel efficiency pilot campaign this spring, during which 12,000 tire gauges will be delivered to residents in Ottawa, where the first Project Porchlight campaign was launched in 2005. If everyone in Canada kept their tires properly inflated, residents would save $1 billion on gas, cut 2.8 million tonnes of air pollution, and stop thousands of needless traffic accidents.
“It just feels right to be starting a new campaign at home where we began with Porchlight in 2005. Ottawa is a great testing ground for this kind of grassroots program and we’re looking forward to reengaging our volunteer networks here,” said Hickox.
One Change is the recipient of the 2006 Energy Star Market Transformation Award, and the 2007 Canadian Geographic Canadian Environment Award. This month, Energy Star ranked Project Porchlight as the second most-successful non-profit organization in the United States driving Energy Star pledges in the United States, which has resulted in thousands of residents publicly committing to make more energy-efficient choices in their daily lives.
For current news on One Change initiatives and events, or to volunteer, visit onechange.org.
For more information and to access the One Change Catalyst Awards event, please contact:
Manon Crôteau, Communications and Outreach Manager, One Change:
manon@onechange.org 1 866 585 6359, ext. 218 Mobile 613 263 0403
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