As a long-time supporter of renewable energy and clean energy, we are very excited to join New Generation Energy's Community Green Partner program.  The program is part of New Generation Energy's efforts to promote sustainable, community-anchored clean energy and energy efficiency projects.  It brings together corporate sponsors, like Lightbulb First, and community organizations which need to save money on energy bills and wish to reduce their environmental impact in the bargain.

For Lightbulb First, this program represents a golden opportunity to reinforce our commitment to energy efficiency and community involvement.  The movement to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, and to reduce energy use through efficiency measures, is not, for us, just about reducing environmental impact and saving money - although those are certainly important goals!  It is also about strengthening local ties, reinvigorating our communities, and connecting people with their neighbors.

New Generation Energy's focus on supporting energy efficiency for worthwhile community organizations and charities is a perfect example of how we can all become richer by reducing our environmental impact - in more ways than one.  We were excited to support New Generation Energy's mission when we helped launch their new website last summer, and are thrilled to renew our commitment by joining this important program.

Lightbulb First Consulting, LLC is looking for a Drupal developer/subcontractor to assist with some of our ongoing projects.  Full description available at http://groups.drupal.org/node/29400.  Let us know if you're interested!

Today I'm excited to announce the launch of Green Lights! Green Lights is our new blog about green ideas, which will focus on ideas for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other solutions to environmental problems.

Global warming, threats to the food supply, water shortages and other environmental problems are daunting and fundamental problems. They will require the cooperation and concerted efforts from all corners of the globe, and I hope that our blog will be Lightbulb First's own unique contribution to the solution.

I have been a dedicated environmentalist for many years. On a personal level I've sought to reduce my own environmental footprint by bicycling and taking public transportation; not eating meat; participating in my local CSA; purchasing recycled products; and, whenever possible, making environmentally responsible decisions. I've also sought to be active in community organizations focused on structural environmental change, ranging from Students for Environmental Concerns at University of Illinois, while in graduate school, to Green Decade Cambridge, more recently.

There's more than I can do, though, and that's what this blog is about. I deeply believe in the power of ideas to spark action and change - indeed, that's why I founded Lightbulb First. With this blog, I hope to spark discussion and action around ideas that will help create renewable energy, reduce demand for energy and electricity, and solve other environmental problems.

I've spent the last several months thumbing through books, following key blogs, attending local meetings, and otherwise trying to learn as much as I can about solutions to global warming and other environmental problems. It turns out that many of the most important solutions are already near at hand. We've known how to weatherize a home, install renewable energy, provide low-impact transportation, and farm sustainably for a long time. What's needed is a new approach to delivering these goods and services, so that they can replace their old, environmentally damaging counterparts.

Those are the kinds of ideas I'll explore on this blog, and the kind of actions I hope to incite. Stay tuned for more!