Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation

President Joe Biden is urging Congress to pass an emergency spending bill to secure crucial relief funding for communities affected by Hurricane Milton. This has been the second major hurricane that has impacted Florida’s coast. Billions are needed for recovery efforts, and this bill is vital to help those impacted to enable them to rebuild their lives and restore their homes. The climate crisis is exacerbating these storms and their changes in frequency. Sea level rise, warmer ocean temperatures and changing atmospheric conditions all affect these storms and are due to climate change. These unnatural disasters show we need to take on the climate crisis in a holistic way by not only resolving the impacts of it after but also to prevent them. Biden emphasizes the importance of strengthening infrastructure to withstand future storms, as climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe. He is calling on Congress to allocate funds for disaster relief. His administration is still measuring the amount that would be needed, but they estimate the number to be in billions. This is a call to action for all of us: we must support our communities and advocate for swift legislative measures that provide the assistance needed during these changing times due to the climate crisis. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/drcB6iAF

It’s #SolarSaturday and today we’re featuring #SolarMoonshotProgram grantee, Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative (PAREI), a nonprofit membership organization providing programs that inform, inspire and assist community members with living more sustainably. PAREI is built upon a foundation of community engagement and the traditional regional spirit of neighbor-helping-neighbor, and PAREI helped two-time Solar Moonshot Program grantee, New Hampshire Solar Shares, build community solar projects.  “Thanks in part to Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, we finally have our own solar PV panels on our roof! Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation’s Solar Moonshot Program made it possible for us to cross the finish line and install a 10.6kW solar photovoltaic array on our office building. As a nonprofit organization striving to build a more sustainable community, the financial savings from the solar array reduces our operational costs allowing us to put more time and energy into meeting the needs of our community. Coupled with installing the solar array, we replaced our kerosene heating system with energy efficiency heat pumps with the goal of being a net-zero energy building. We are also grateful for the Solar Moonshot Program’s bridge loan so we can take advantage of the federal tax credit Elective Pay option,” said Sandra Jones Executive Director of PAREI. The solar project is reducing carbon emissions, providing clean energy education, offering solar savings that will be reinvested into the community, supporting local green jobs and stimulating the regional economy. ☀️ Click here to view this project on our website: https://lnkd.in/gG94MS3Q 🌎 Click here to view all projects or to apply for a Solar Moonshot Program grant: www.solarmoonshot.org 

In one hour, the sun provides enough sunlight to power the electricity needs of every human being on Earth for a year. We have the technology, sunshine and financing to solarize our homes, businesses, farms, schools and parking lots but we have lacked the political will for a true solar revolution. Even so, solar has been the fastest-growing renewable energy source across the world. In 2023, there were 428 gigawatts of solar installed across the planet, and we’re proud our #SolarMoonshotProgram grantees contributed to the 2023 record numbers. The amount of solar that has been installed has been increasing, but this increase is bigger than we’ve seen yet. Developed and developing countries are taking advantage of solar energy as a less expensive, cleaner option for power. It is thought that there will still be an increase in growth in 2024, but it isn't expected to be as high as last year was. Unfortunately the California Public Utilities Commission changed solar rules, which has extended the payback period for solar and made it less accessible to Californians. You can be a part of this clean energy revolution and look into getting electrified with solar panels for your own home or business to save money and lessen the impacts of the climate crisis! If you are a renter or can’t get solar on your roof, there are options like signing up for 100 percent clean energy through your community choice provider. Our HCSF team has solar on their homes and subscribes to San Diego Community Power’s Power100 portfolio. You can learn more here: https://lnkd.in/d6y5fenJ This photo is of Aloha Solar Power's IBEW Local 569 union installers at the Sherman Heights Community Center solar installation.

Today is the last day to register to vote, and this is our moment to make a difference! Every election shapes our communities, our values and our future - policies can curb the impacts of the climate crisis or accelerate it. Your vote is not just a number; it’s your voice, your power and your opportunity to stand up for what you believe in. Let’s take this final chance to ensure our voices are heard. Whether you’re voting for the first time or you’ve been an active voter, it’s time to make sure you’re registered. Together, we can be the change we want to see, creating a more just and livable future for all. Don’t wait—register today and be ready to make your mark. To register go here https://lnkd.in/ee6-9bc #RegistertoVote #ClimateVoter

It's #SolarSaturday and today we're highlighting the first #solaranniversary for our #SolarMoonshot Program grantee, School District of West Salem. One year ago the school flipped on the switch to its 128.16kW #rooftopsolar project in West Salem, Wisconsin. "As a district, we are very thankful to our local donor, as well as Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation’s Solar Moonshot Program and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association's Solar on Schools Program who helped bring energy savings to our district and provide educational learning opportunities for our students. This is a big win for our district and the West Salem community," said Ryan Rieber, Superintendent, School District of West Salem. Farming is the main commodity in the West Salem community. The School District of West Salem's facilities are the facilities for the entire community - they are used throughout the year, including the summer. They have a Boys and Girls Club which focuses on helping students and provides them a safe place to go before school, after school and during the summer. It provides them with programs so they can build skills. The School District of West Salem's solar savings are going towards supporting the Boys and Girls Club. Children today are our future leaders so we believe it's of the utmost importance to reinvest in kids and teach them about the climate crisis and solutions at a young age. This project also reduces CO2 emissions contributing to the climate crisis, stimulated the regional economy and supported local green jobs. 🌍 To learn more about this project, visit https://lnkd.in/gQPhXNjg ☀️ To learn more about the Solar Moonshot Program, which helps nonprofit organizations afford the switch to solar, visit www.solarmoonshot.org

We are thrilled to share that last night our deputy director, Karinna Gonzalez, was honored by San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ Chairwoman, Nora E Vargas, as an exceptional Latinx leader! At the award event she was accompanied by her partner Miko, her daughter Myla and our executive director Tara Hammond. We are so proud of Karinna and greatly appreciate the important work she does every day to create a more just and livable future for all. It’s been a pleasure to have Karinna on our team for close to three years and we can’t wait to see what she continues to accomplish. She is a passionate, dedicated leader who’s committed to equity and climate justice, is incredibly adaptive and a joy to work with. We commend Chairwoman Vargas, the first Latina, first immigrant and first woman of color on the board of supervisors in the organization's 200-year history, for her efforts to advance equity and climate justice throughout San Diego County and California. The award event took place on the final day of #LatinxHeritageMonth, and Chairwoman Vargas acknowledged the contributions the 35 percent of Latinx community members make to enhance our county, state and country. Karinna was one of about a dozen Latinx leaders in District 1 recognized out of 630,000 residents. We wanted to give a shoutout to fellow honoree, Rafael Perez, current member and immediate past resident of the board of directors for the Sherman Heights Community Center. We worked with Rafael to help the community center get solar and storage through our #SolarMoonshotProgram over the past year and we value what he contributes to the community.

Today on #IndigenousPeoplesDay, we are celebrating those who have always been here and their rich cultures and history, which should be recognized every day. In 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration made the first presidential formal proclamation of this holiday, encouraging people to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. We want to highlight the Indigenous people’s land that our team resides on: the Kumeyaay. They were known to be horticulturists, hunters and gatherers. They used environmental management practices like controlled burning and water management systems. They are presently separated into 12 different bands, and are one of the largest landowners in San Diego. The Barona Museum is dedicated to the Kumeyaay, and their goal is to increase understanding, preserve culture and traditions and to educate the public, and admission is free! We encourage you to find out whose land you reside on and support Indigenous people in any way you can, whenever you can. Some examples include donating money to local Indigenous organizations or charities that support Indigenous causes, such as 8th Fire Solar (www.8thfiresolar.org), investing in Native communities to strengthen their economies and build healthy communities, acknowledging the traditional lands of Indigenous peoples through a land acknowledgement, visiting Indigenous museums and cultural centers, supporting Indigenous businesses, learning about Indigenous issues, removing harmful stereotypes and language, demanding an end to the use of Native mascots, as well as participating in programs that support Indigenous communities in managing land and resources. We want to give a shout out to our three-time Solar Moonshot Program grantee, 8th Fire Solar, a nonprofit solar thermal company adjacent to the White Earth Reservation, employing primarily Indigenous people and serving Native communities in the region. It’s our pleasure to work with the program coordinator, Gwe Gasco, who is White Earth Ojibwe and a member of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa. He’s the son of the organization’s founder, Winona LaDuke, a world renown Native American activist, climate justice advocate, economist and author who has devoted her life to advocating for Indigenous control of their homelands, natural resources and cultural practices. Winona is a Harvard graduate who combines economic and environmental approaches in her efforts to create a thriving and sustainable community for her own White Earth reservation and Indigenous populations across the country. Here is a link to Winona's 2020 book, “To Be A Water Protector - The Rise of the Wiindigoo Slayers,” which is available for purchase: https://lnkd.in/gQW8vRaR Tara Hammond took this photo of Winona walking through hemp fields, which will be harvested and used for sustainable building construction while employing local Indigenous people.

It’s #SolarSaturday and today we’re featuring the #SolarMoonshotProgram grantee, Sauk Prairie School District. Located in Prairie de Sac, Wisconsin, the school district installed a 150kW solar power system with help from a $25,000 Solar Moonshot Program grant funded by an anonymous foundation through the San Diego Foundation. “Sauk Prairie took a large step forward with the installation of this solar project -- the first step of many planned over the next few years. This project was only possible through the support of Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation, the generous donations of local residents committed to sustainable energy, and the Inflation Reduction Act credits. We are so grateful for this generous support. Let the power generation begin!” said Jeff Wright, the district’s superintendent. The contractor chosen for this solar project provided an opportunity for a student to work as an intern during the installation of these two solar arrays. The district's website will provide a link for the web-based monitoring systems at each school for the education of our students and the community regarding the electrical production and environmental benefits of solar energy. ☀️ To learn more about the Solar Moonshot Program, visit www.solarmoonshot.org.

As a San Diego-based organization, we are proudly rooting for the Padres to #BeatLA tonight and advance in the playoffs! ⚾ This summer, our founder and board chair, Tara and Justin, joined San Diego Community Power at the San Diego Padres baseball game where the Community Advisory Committee chair, Matthew Vasilakis, threw out the first pitch. Tara Hammond and Matthew have worked together on climate advocacy and policy efforts for the past six years, including advocating for community choice energy throughout San Diego County. Both have served on the Community Advisory Committee since its inception five years ago. When the Padres went solar in 2018, they installed the largest solar power system in Major League Baseball (MLB) League Baseball. The Padres are a Power100 Champion with San Diego Community Power, and Petco Park announced that they are proud to be the first stadium in the National League to be powered by 100 percent renewable and carbon-free electricity. You can learn more about the Padres sustainability efforts here: https://lnkd.in/gzVQWrhV You can learn more about San Diego Community Power here: www.sdcommunitypower.org 📷 The bottom two photos are credited to Matthew.

On Saturday, our founder and executive director, Tara Hammond, was one of just 10 California Assembly District 77 constituents to be recognized at Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath’s Environmental Hero award ceremony out of nearly half a million residents. Tara has been a local climate activist for 17 years and we’re proud her efforts were recognized. We appreciate Assemblymember Boerner for hosting this event and for supporting climate legislation. We hope all environmental heroes and the assemblymember can work together to hold fossil fuel companies and polluters accountable ASAP. In Tara’s acceptance speech, she thanked our team, her family, our generous philanthropic partners, coalition allies and community leaders for making our impactful work possible. Tara’s dress was made by an amazing San Diego artist, Irina Madan, an immigrant from Moldova who beautifully paints on natural fabrics. She took elements of the Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation logo and created a piece of art with Tara’s dress, which she designed and sewed. She added hands, which aren’t featured in our logo, to show the people side of the work we do to expedite positive change for a just and livable future for all. You can learn more about Irina’s work here: www.irinamadan.com.